Perry Catamarans are again being built on the Gold Coast. The Perry 57 is to be produced by a new company headed by highly respected Tasmanian boat builder, Allan Barnett. In establishing the new company he has employed the yacht's designer, Bryan Perry, to head the production facility based at Coomera.

The new boat building business has come as a consequence of the demise of the company previously building the Perry range of sailing and power catamarans. Barnett, the owner of a Perry catamaran, was adamant that the 57 was too good to be lost, so approached Bryan Perry with a plan to get it back into production.

“After working so hard with my family for so many years to put Perry catamarans onto the Australian and international scene, then see the company fail through no fault of our own, was extremely disappointing,” Bryan Perry said. “Now, with Allan coming on board, we have a business structure that we know will work. We've gone back to the way it was in the early days with me being very much hands-on in the factory, overseeing every aspect of production, dealing directly with clients, and making sure everything runs smoothly. We're back to being essentially a 'family' business and not a corporation.”

Two orders for the Perry 57 were confirmed within two weeks of the commencement of operations.

The new company represents the fusion of two highly experienced groups in the world of boating and boat building. Bryan Perry, a third generation boat builder, has seen more than 50 Perry catamarans built and launched. The Allan Barnett Fishing Company, based near Launceston, holds an excellent reputation in the commercial fishing industry and is well known as the builders of exceptionally seaworthy fishing vessels. The company is now venturing into the production of comfortable 'Explorer' type motor yachts at its Tasmanian facility with the release of the traditionally styled Chesapeake 58.

Barnett chose the Chesapeake 58 design after searching the world for a leisure vessel similar in style and construction to the trawlers that his company were already building. The principal requirements were that the vessel had to match the best available on the international market, and fit within the production capacity of his yard located near Launceston.

Two of the Chesapeake 58s are currently under construction. Once all major structural and machinery work is completed they will be motored to the Perry Catamarans yard at Coomera, where they will be fitted-out. The same shipwrights and boat builders responsible for the creation of the Perry 57 cruising yacht will be doing the work.

“It's exciting to be able to combine the exceptional talents of both yards to produce the Chesapeake 58,” Allan Barnett said. “We've been building trawlers since 1990 and have vessels in fleets in New Zealand, New Caledonia and across Australia, a fact that proves we know what we are doing when it comes to choosing designs and building this type of boat. And the international accolades for the design and construction of the Perry 57 are well documented.”

The Chesapeake 58 designers, Chesapeake Marine Design, in Maryland, USA, planned the vessel as a serious offshore passage maker that is an ideal size to cruise the world under power. The profile has been kept low to minimise windage and fin stabilisers will ensure the smoothest possible ride in rough conditions. The hull and deck are steel and the superstructure is aluminium - all to USL survey standards. Extended twin fins under the hull will help protect the propellers and allow her to sit on an even keel if ever there is a desire for the vessel to be beached. Two 255hp Cummins diesels will deliver a cruising speed of 10 knots. The displacement is 68 tonnes.