Catamaran "Arctracer" History

John Gross designed the "Fastback 43" and built eight of them at his Fastback factory in Thornlands, Queensland, just south of Brisbane. There have been more than fifty of John's "Fastback 30" and (later) "Fastback 32" catamarans also built at this factory. Our 43 foot long catamaran is hull(s) number three, and was finished in 1994. It was originally named "Pacific Dawn" and was renamed "Purpose" by its second owner. The second owner completed the interior fit-out in 1996. The boat was based in Raby Bay where he had a dock behind his house on a canal leading to Moreton Bay. From that base he and his wife cruised up the east coast of Australia and twice rounded Cape York to explore the rivers of the Gulf of Carpentaria before returning to Raby Bay where they spent South Pacific Cyclone Seasons (November to April).

We purchased the boat in 2001 directly from the second owners. We had a complete survey made by Shawn Arber, a noted Australian multihull designer/builder. The survey showed the boat was basically in good condition, with some relatively small items needing work. The surveyor believed we would be very happy with this boat, which he considered well-designed and well-constructed. He called it a "good solid cruising cat with performance better than average."

"Purpose" was a Registered Australian Ship, number 855015. Since we are not Australians, we could not keep that registration. We are now a United States Documented Vessel. We also have a Ship's Radio License issued by the US Federal Communications Commission. We renamed the catamaran "Arctracer" the same as our schooner. We have never heard of any other boat with this name so it is distinctive. It fits a cruising boat which travels on the ocean surface where even a "straight line" requires following (or "tracing") an arc of the Earth's curvature. Our cruising friends know us as Nina and Jerry of "Arctracer" and most of them do not know our last name. We are still very happy with this name.

Our boat has twin Yanmar 27 hp diesel engines, one in each hull. To protect our fixed propeller shafts from damage in shallow water, and to enable our boat to rest on a beach, John designed and installed "skegs" which come down from the hulls just in front of the propellers. This is different from most of our sister-ships. They have a single diesel engine mounted under the helm seat, and a retractable leg which can lift the propeller out of the water for better sailing performance. With skegs and fixed propeller shafts we have more "drag" in the water, and with two engines we are heavier, but we feel greater reliability and greater maneuverability are worth a slight decrease in sailing performance.

All Fastback boats are sold unfinished. That is, the factory completes the basic boat, including engines, mast and rigging, and then the interior is finished by the buyer. This is a low-cost way to obtain a boat, but the buyer then has to invest considerable time and money to install all the furniture, electrical systems, winches, plumbing, etc. Neither of the first two owners of our boat had done much sailing, so many of the decisions they made about the fit-out were based on keeping initial costs low. They often underestimated the need to insure long-term reliability. We have replaced all the plumbing, much of the wiring, and many other items. Most of our maintenance is due to "normal wear and tear." The rate of deterioration of everything aboard a boat is remarkable because of exposures to salt water, salty air, tropical sunlight and the stresses of sailing. We believe it is essential to install the best equipment available and to keep it all in proper working condition.