Pegiva Super Squalo Convertible

You know that saying about keeping up with the Joneses? Well, only the other day, singer Billy Joel ordered a spiffing handbuilt Pegiva Super Squalo Convertible - RetroSun made right here on the Gold Coast. Next thing you know, the phone rings at the boatbuilder's yard and it's the Piano Man's neighbour ordering his runabout. Billy showed him the pics. He didn't want to be outdone.

Obviously, this handbuilt beauty isn't your average production boat. The warm timber hues seduce the eye - all fine grain mahogany and Brazilian, no less - and the foredeck sparkles with a deep lustre as though coated with umpteen layers of premium varnish - which it has been.

But then the eye trains on the deck fittings, all custom made and cast in solid 316-grade stainless steel and, zoom out or step back, the comely lines of this classic craft that harks back to the halcyon years of powerboating where form follows function and boats were topped with a good dose of intelligent brightwork.

Though the boat everyone's clambering to get aboard is built of fibreglass with timber accents, Pegiva (pronounced pe-gee-va) began life as a handcrafted mahogany masterpiece. The dashing dayboat reflects the skill of a proud and well-practised boatbuilder who came out of retirement to build the boats he always dreamed about and longed to drive.

"It all started when I was about 18. I built an 18ft Carvel half-cabin launch to use as a commuter on the Hawkesbury River to go to and from the family's weekender at Bar Point," explains the boatbuilder par excellence, Gerry Wyllie, after returning from the Dusseldorf Boat Show where his stunning craft were a huge hit.

"Then followed a succession of small boats - clinker launches and a variety of sailing craft - before I finally finished my building apprenticeship, and passed my Clerk of Works certificate. I am still a registered builder today, however, I retired at the age 50," reflects Wyllie when I spoke with him in his Gold Coast yard.

LOVINGLY HANDBUILT
When boats are in your blood and saltwater flows through your veins, it's hard to shake the bug. Just ask the wily Wyllie. Not long into retirement, he was back caressing the timbers and admiring his handiwork, but this time at a boatshed at Kurnell where he made an all-wooden (of course) range of practical craft from 38ft flybridge cruisers to a 60ft ferry, six police boats for Sydney Harbour and several yachts.

However, the boat he really wanted to build, a chic runabout somewhat reminiscent of those Italian beauties, the Rivas, or the early-American Chris Crafts that have been favourites with Hollywood stars, was yet to be realised. Out with the drawing board and on with the dream.

Further impetus came when his son Peter, a father of two, was diagnosed with cancer at age 32. That's when Wyllie decided to teach him how to build a wooden boat. Not just any boat: a classically styled, full mahogany speedboat - the boat of his dreams. As they say, every cloud has a silver lining.

"I had always admired the beauty of the Mediterranean speed boat. I had and will always have a passion for elegance and, by the comments we receive at boat shows all around the world, there are many others who admire beautiful boats. I call it perfection with passion," Wyllie says, adding that his other passion of exotic fast cars, meant any new wooden boat he built would have to perform.

But a lot had changed in the 40 years since Wyllie last built a boat. "Back in the Sixties, all the boats I built were handmade originals. I would start by making a half-model and show it to the client who would then say 'a little bit more flair' or 'a little bit more tumblehome' till they were happy," said Wyllie.

"Now there are computers, of course, moulds and space-age materials at your disposal." he said.

THAT FIRST PEGIVA
Wyllie wanted to create a boat that would be aesthetically pleasing, but also ergonomically functional and performance enhanced. He worked on the aesthetics, but had a naval architect do the calculations to have the craft approved for European and American markets via CE and NMMA certification.

Next, the timber and that other precious commodity - time. It took the best Brazilian mahogany timber, bought for $3400 a cubic metre, and 2500 manhours to make his first Pegiva, the stunning 20ft 6in (6.15m) Costo Doro. All the deck fittings were custom-made and the stainless steel polished to, well yes, perfection.

The beautiful mahogany hull, with flared bow and tumblehome near the transom, was made using the triple-diagonal method, that is, one more layer of timber than usual. Then it was coated with more than 20 applications of special marine varnish.

Cutting-edge electronics and a walnut dash were added, while the engine of choice, a MerCruiser V8 petrol inboard with sterndrive, provided 240hp and a real sting in the tail. Subsequent water tests revealed a boat that was fast and whose handling was flawless, says Wyllie.

"The Classic has been passionately created from the very best Brazilian mahogany; she gleams with pride boasting a finish like a grand piano (no wonder Billy Joel wanted one). Our attention to detail is what makes our motor launches world class," Wyllie boasts.

At full throttle, the Costo Doro acquired close to 60mph (approx 100kmh) on the analogue speedo that resides among a full spread of retro gauges on the boat's stylish dash. A buyer leapt aboard soon after and, inspired, Wyllie decided to build another triple-planked mahogany runabout, only this time a bigger, faster, even more attention-grabbing crabbing. It was a 25-footer (7.1m) that he christened the Super Squalo.

"With a 300hp V8 engine lurking under her exquisite exterior you'll soon see when you fire her up and open the throttle that this lady certainly loves to dance!" waxes Wyllie on his website.

The Convertible part of its badge relates to a work-of-art cabriolet-style pull-up roof. This way, fair weather or foul, you can cruise in style. Though a custom boat, with options for things like a sunpad or different seating layout, the Super Squalo Convertible remains the only timber boat Pegiva now offers. Performance is hard to go past, with the 300hp petrol engine giving 45kts.

FIBREGLASS ALTERNATIVE
However, as with most builders of classic timber boats, including the famous Italian Riva and American Chris Craft marques, Pegiva has turned its hand to building fibreglass replicas. Brazilian mahogany, you see, has increased in price from $3400 a cubic metre five years ago to $13,000 for the same size parcel of timber today. Ouch!

Yet, as recent Pegiva boatowner singer/song writer Billy Joel will tell you, the boats have lost none of their passion, with mahogany inlays, sumptuous aft sunpads and yet sportier performance. Because the European market is where Pegiva is really making its mark, with dealers in Germany, Switzerland, Holland and beyond, the boats are offered with diesel power, too.

Whereas a fully handbuilt custom mahogany Classic Super Squalo Convertible costs $450,000-$475,000 (and Wyllie would be loathe to build one now) the new fibreglass RetroSun, arousing big interest in Europe and elsewhere, costs almost half that at $235,000 with the 300hp petrol MerCruiser inboard motor or $245,000 with the turbocharged 250hp Steyr diesel engine with sterndrive. And the diesel motor is just a few knots slower.

CRUISING THE RETROSUN
My turn, my turn! Time for a drive on the Gold Coast but first, a few details. The slate-grey (hull colours are many) demonstrator was fitted with a 250hp Steyr 256 straight-six turbo diesel engine with a Bravo One sterndrive leg. It proved a very quiet engine thanks also to plenty of soundproofing.

The hull has a variable-deadrise shape, with 14 degrees in the transom, two strakes aside and five-degree downturned or reverse chines. Construction is solid GRP on the hull bottom with foam-cored sides and deck, and that trademark mahogany inlay.

All the deck fittings are cast 316, there's LED courtesy lighting, a very chic windscreen, forward mast and a smart cutwater. Oh, and docking lights. The carbon-fibre accent panels and dash, with VDO gauges, add to the old-and-new theme. The boat has keyless ignition and, ordinarily, the stylish wheel would be linked to non-feedback steering.

The aft sunpad can easily accommodate a couple and all the seating, including the aft lounge for three and the two helm seats are covered in smart Italian-made upholstery. The boat also has 60lt of freshwater for the deck shower, a teak floor and a table that's stowed away when you're cruising.

Storage is a highlight: under the armrests for personal effects; in two big underfloor lockers; via a champagne cooler; in sidepockets; and behind an aluminium roller door to a huge dry hold under the bow. The co-pilot has a glovebox and, in due course, there will be an optional pop-up DVD player on the dash.

Last but not least, the cabriolet canopy is a wonderful example of Pegiva's craftsmanship, unfurling from its concealed position and, with one hand, clipping to a custom-made fitting under the windscreen. Quick as that: shade and protection from passing showers.

As for wet-track form, I will add that the Pegiva excels as a calm-water boat. It's not that it's unseaworthy, only that it's retro hull displaces a lot of water when the going gets rough. That it was on a Broadwater with boats darting about in all directions. Every now and then when crossing the tsunamis, I had to duck my head to avoid getting wet. Full marks for the deep windscreen.

But true to form, and my wishes, there was plenty of driving pleasure. The boat turns well, turns plenty of heads wherever it goes, and before the Steyr had an injector issue, it had plenty of poke. Wyllie quotes 44kts top speed, but the mid-range cruise was just so smooth and sophisticated you wouldn't have it any other way.

Pegiva now has a larger 31ft classic cruiser with twin engines and accommodation on its drawing board. Where will it end for the family boat builder?

"I decided long ago I would rather wear out than rust out and still find the boat building business exciting," Wyllie says before resuming work on another boat bound for Europe.