Is this the best plate boat ever built?

Boat builder spends $8K on cabin insulation alone on his own special AMM Tournament 7800 valued at $225K! Must-read for plate-boat fans

When Barton Thomas, Director of Queensland-based Australian Master Marine (AMM), decided he wanted to own the ultimate offshore plate-alloy boat – one that set a premium standard for quality and practicality on extended trips – he headed straight for his computer.

Not to undertake a Google search of marine dealerships and plate boat brands on the market, but to start planning a design that he would build himself.

Four months later, Barton’s awesome 7.8 metre sports cabin vessel has hit the water for sea trials off fish-rich-but-often-tumultuous Cape Moreton at the northern end of the namesake bay.

With features including a separate toilet and shower cubicle, enough sound insulation material in the cabin that could have financed the purchase of a small dinghy and outboard, a hot-water system, fridge freezer running on solar panels, and even mood lighting, the boat was launched.

The twin 200hp Yamaha G series outboards feed from a fuel capacity of 750 litres to range to the furthermost grounds, reefs and islands and return home days later if needs be

Of course having more than 26 years’ experience in designing and manufacturing outstanding plate-alloy fishing boats and cruisers was a major advantage.

Barton heads up AMMm based at Brendale on Brisbane’s northside, a boat-manufacturing operation which has claimed a string of national awards.

But Barton’s rig, which he has designated the Tournament 7800, lifts standards yet higher for the boats that he custom builds in 12 different hull lengths for specific owners.

“I wanted my personal boat to reflect and be a tangible example of what we can do for any customer,” Barton said.

“It was to be a see it, touch it, feel it example of how far the customising envelope can be pushed.”

“While most people mightn’t opt for $8000 worth of hand–stitched sound insulation in the cabin, every genuine offshore fisherman or weekend cruiser knows the ‘clip, clip’ sound of water lapping against the hull when a vessel is anchored and they are trying to have a sleep.”

“My objective was to eliminate that disturbance and we have all but done that, with this boat,” he said.

“Not only that, but I also added heat insulation as well.”

Achieving a premium ride with outstanding stability at rest were two other key objectives on Barton’s list of “non-negotiables” for his own boat.

The cabin and helm are located 800mm further aft than in a similarly designed sistership of 7.8 metres. The decision to follow that design route has succeeded in removing any hint of the dominant “nose down” attitude prevalent on many deep-vee plate boats, where the cabin has been pushed too far forward in an effort to achieve a larger looking cockpit area.

“The sea trials also demonstrated that the greater lift in the bow sees this boat rising more readily to meet the faces of pressure waves.”

“That’s a major benefit when crossing any of the dozen Queensland designated coastal bars, as well as other hard-to get to fishing places like Breaksea Spit, at the northern end of Fraser Island,” Barton said.

Barton’s Tournament 7800 also features special, silver-champagne-coloured paintwork that cost him more than $4500 for just the paint itself, not including the cost of a skilled tradesman to apply it to the boat.

As a result, the Tournament 7800 which has a beam of 2.5 metres and a 20 degrees deadrise, is one of the slickest-looking plate-alloy vessels afloat.

Below the water is high tensile 6mm marine-grade plate alloy; the sides and side decks are 4mm; the transom framing is based on 8mm thick extrusions; and with 20 rod holders around the boat it’s easy to see that serious fishing is one of Barton’s passions.

Step aboard on to the self-draining floor and Barton’s expertise in personalising a definitive offshore platform are readily apparent.

There’s a switch panel that includes on/off settings for blue underwater lighting to create ambience at anchor and white underwater lighting to attract squid and baitfish at night.

There is an extended hardtop that includes sail tracks for locating storm covers, a 110 litre fridge freezer unit assisted by solar panels and a premium Fusion sound system.

“I did some homework with people who are audiophiles and they came back recommending an off-the-shelf Fusion sound system. That was a great discovery to make and was perhaps the only area where things came in significantly less than expected,” Barton said.

Other key features are a Garmin sounder/plotter, VHF radio, opening portholes in the galley and toilet /shower cubicle, BBQ, sink, deck shower, freshwater deck wash supplied from 100 litre tank, a large hatch in the cabin measuring more than half a metre by half a metre, hinged transom door, and galley bench space on both sides.

“The trouble with being a boat designer is that the end result is what I expected, but nonetheless everyone is pretty stoked at the factory about how well the project came together – particularly me,” Barton said.

And the bottom-line question … how much?

“If AMM were to build it as a customer order, it would be in the order of around $225,000, but a base boat with a less extensive list of luxuries and a single outboard, could be built for around $118K,” Barton said, for what could well be the ultimate offshore plate boat.

UPDATE: Query about $8000 cost of sound insulation in above story has been answered as follows...

There are three main elements to the $8,000 cost:

<< A special, premium quality, 10mm sound insulation foam which had to be cut, then hand-stitched together to ensure there were no gaps at all which would allow sound resonance to track through. There were approx. 30 separate pieces involved.

<< The top layer “finish” fabric over the sound insulation foam and adding to the noise damping – again, every section cut and then hand-stitched together and again, critical in terms of ensuring no gaps. The top layer finish material alone was around $1,300 wholesale on the roll before cutting.

<< Labour costs from the upholsterer for the stitching and then the cost of application.

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Is this the best plate boat ever built?

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