Tucked away in shed 6 in Redland City Marina, Dan and the Stradbroke Yachts team are building something special. Having received a huge volume of precut metal from BlueSteel like a giant Meccano set, they’ve got a battle plan on a corkboard at the back of the shed under the mezzanine. They’re piecing together a luxury aluminium catamaran for SV Delos. And Delos are filming the build.
“It’s nerve wracking,” Dan from Stradbroke Yachts tells us. “Your work ethic is captured on camera. You can’t make mistakes. Everyone’s going to see everything we do.”
Right now, Delos’ yacht is upside down.
A few years ago, after selling the family farm out in Ipswich, Dan and his young family moved to Stradbroke Island for a classic seachange. They were watching one day other families on the island just come and go on their boats instead of having to get ferries over. So Dan decided to build himself a catamaran.
“It’s still over there,” he says, pointing to a closed shipping container surrounded by the pieces of what will become his own yacht when he gets around to it. Past shed 6 and past the shipping container is another unpainted aluminium yacht. It’s 52 feet and mounted up on planks so it’s off the ground. Underneath is about head high so we have to stoop. The Stradbroke Yachts team warn us about these thick divots that are attached to the underside.
“We normally take those off,” Dan tells us. “But the new owner wants to keep them on so he can hang hammocks up on them when they’re anchored.”
This yacht, out in the yard and just about ready for handover, was going to be Dan’s. He was making it for himself as a bigger, better substitute for the other one he didn’t finish. “But then I got an offer I couldn’t refuse. So I sold it. And we’re making another one.”
Stradbroke Yachts have been documenting their builds online. That’s how Delos found out about them. They commissioned the Delos 2.0 which is just about the same as the one that’s ready to go.
“It’s exciting,” Dan says. “We can’t wait to see it finished.”
Factoring in the costs for materials and time, you’d be looking at not a lot of change out of $3 million. The Stradbroke Yachts team is lean but efficient. During our visit today there’s just three of them there and the Business Development Manager’s about to leave to go golfing.
“It’s work, I promise!” He might be bluffing but if there’s any business that benefits from golf course networking it’s yacht building.
They’re all kitted out in 50 Shades Of Spray Paint, TradeMutt’s limited edition print from February 2024. It looks great against the silver aluminium and the team are stoked with the colours. “My wife picked it out,” Dan says. And he knows the name but he doesn’t get the joke. “Oh, wait! The movie. 50 Shades of Grey, isn’t it? I haven’t seen it but…”
Sure, sure.
“We started wearing TradeMutt shirts about two years ago,” Dan says. “We’re a new business but I learned about TradeMutt a while ago and I’m just a huge supporter.”
“I think it’s really important for young men and women, and everyone really, no matter whether you’re in a trade, to support mental health.”
“We wear these shirts every Friday which is the best day because we do a barbecue lunch. We’ve got bacon and egg rolls on the grill today. Nick’s excited.”
He is.
Nick’s the apprentice, a first year boilermaker. When Dan flicks him a sideways comment about why the workshop’s so dirty, he’s not sure what to say. They’ve spent the morning tidying up for us.
“What’s the best comment you’ve gotten in a TradeMutt shirt?”
“It’s a cool shirt.”
“It really is,” Dan Allen, TradeMutt co-founder, says. “And you’re a cool guy.”
If you’re keen on a luxury aluminium catamaran of your own, get in touch with the Stradbroke Yachts team. Tell ‘em TradeMutt sent you. And then make sure to get your yacht painted in 50 Shades of Spray Paint.
