Cairns custom craft?

[airlock]

The boat hunt continues, a pair of perfect contenders have popped up not dar from me and id like a little advice on Cairns Custom craft.
I've never come across them before but its a 5.2 aluminium cat hull, seems well looked after and should be nice and light for towing/single person launch and retrieve. Can anyone tell me how these things ride, the other boat is an 18 foot noosa cat, i know the glass will ride better then the tinny but for nearly 5K extra i wouldn't be averse to a little more discomfort as long as it was still fairly comfortable compared to other in the class.

I know the noosa cat hulls vary too much to really get any useful info on other to go and water test the thing, witch ill aim to do for both but i'd be keen to know if the custom craft is considered a reasonable contender in the small cat class.

[AndrewB]

Almost 30 years ago while living in Darwin I rode in a 4.3 centre console CCC cat with twin 40 Yamaha 2 strokes with 3 big blokes, the things that stuck in my mind were the boat would stand up quite high in the front and come down extremely soft. I think they had not made many at that point in time so assume they would have had plenty of time to make improvements.
Impressive little cat.

[Moonlighter]

F&B magazine had one as a camera boat a few years ago, had a tuna tower above the console for the cameraman. It was a 5.7m model and they ran twin 70hp Johnson 2 strokes on it from memory.

I believe that it was then sold to a fisherman after a couple of years, probably with the tuna top removed as their would have made it difficult to trailer (low bridges etc)

CCC were a well respected boat building business for many years with a qualified naval architect at the helm. Built boats big and small, commercial and recreational. I think the GFC may have caused their demise??

The boat you're considering would be well worth a sea trail if it looks in good condition.

You could contact Peter Webster at Australian Boating Magazine to discuss the boat as he was editor of F&B at the time, I am sure he would tell you straight his views on the boat.

cheers

edit : here's a link to the ABM magazine library, if you scroll down you'll find a review of the CCC cat that can be downloaded for a small fee of $5.

http://www.australianboatmags.com.au/sea_library/fandb_projectboats.php

[The Woo]

CCC also did cats in a foiling configuration. They were known as a CCC Hysucat. Peter Webster's testing of the period was favorable. All CCC have been well respected craft.111174

[airlock]

thanks for all the info, as ever its incredible what you lot seem to know.

[gofishin]

Didn't know they were not around anymore! Or does he just design boats these days, as he must be getting on a bit?

Marcel has been a legend of this alloy game for a very very long time, and was a very early pioneer of this market. most of his work was probably to supply to the commercial sector, however he made an awful lot of boats, of all sizes, for the private sector - custom and production models. His cats (and Hysu cats) were very well regarded as per ML/Woo above. If I recall even Warren Steptoe had one for a time.

Quick Google on the phone provided this...
http://www.cairnscustomcraft.com/profile.htm

Cheers
Brendon

[Short Fuse]

Brendon is right. Warren Steptoe did have a CCC Hysucat a number fo years ago. He used it quite extensively back in the days when the Brisbane Sportfishing Club used to do their annual week long camping trips at Wathumba Creek in Hervey Bay. His boat was powered by a pair of 90hp Yammies. From memory he named the boat Flat Cat, and was very happy with how it handled the sort of conditions that places like Hervey Bay and Moreton Bay threw at it.

By the way, Marcel's son (known to all as Frenchie) currently works at the Tackleland store at Carseldine.

cheers

Jeff

[Moffy]

Yep Marcel no longer running cairns custom craft but still doing design work as far as I know - some of his team have opened up a boat building/ repair shop near Bentley Park (South cairns suburb) with Marcel still designing for them as far as I know. His cats ( and his other designs) were very well regarded. A Mate had a 26 (28?) black watch and sold it with the aim of getting a 6m ccc cat as he was over looking after a moored boat and the 6m ccc cat he'd been on did everything he needed anyhow. They do sneeze into a head sea with a broad flat tunnel but otherwise are very well mannered as far as I have heard and read but never been in one myself - recently (couple of months ago) just bought a ccc centre console off marcel himself and had quite a good yarn to him at the time.

moffy

[Smithy]

I've been in a 5m centre console one. Ride better than Websters. Can be a little bit more whoopy downsea and you have to get the weight balance right as well as the wing in the right spot. If it ticks all your boxes go for it. The guy who owns the one I have been on does everything with it. Way offshore and also has a bow mount electric for dams and estuaries.

[marto78]

F&B magazine had one as a camera boat a few years ago, had a tuna tower above the console for the cameraman. It was a 5.7m model and they ran twin 70hp Johnson 2 strokes on it from memory.

I believe that it was then sold to a fisherman after a couple of years, probably with the tuna top removed as their would have made it difficult to trailer (low bridges etc)

CCC were a well respected boat building business for many years with a qualified naval architect at the helm. Built boats big and small, commercial and recreational. I think the GFC may have caused their demise??

The boat you're considering would be well worth a sea trail if it looks in good condition.

You could contact Peter Webster at Australian Boating Magazine to discuss the boat as he was editor of F&B at the time, I am sure he would tell you straight his views on the boat.

cheers

edit : here's a link to the ABM magazine library, if you scroll down you'll find a review of the CCC cat that can be downloaded for a small fee of $5.

http://www.australianboatmags.com.au/sea_library/fandb_projectboats.php


Old Buttercup is still going strong moonlighter.

We did a week long trip with it and another boat last October up at Bathurst Head and they fished 5 guys in 25knt winds pretty much all week without a drama.

111201111200

[Moonlighter]

Nice! And I see you've still got the 70's on her as well! Solid motors.

PW would love to see those photos, I am sure. I bumped into Ruth C at ###### Marine & RV the other day,bought a Simrad GO7 off them.

[AndrewB]

Pretty sure the Nomad 80 ft mothership was built by CCC so versatile mob in their day.

[airlock]

It looks like they made just about anything and everything so i'm guessing there aren't many of any particular design around. by the sound of it though they new their stuff and made some great hulls so i'll be going ahead and looking seriously at the thing.

[Dogtoooth]

They are good at making big tourist cats, sport fishing cats like Nomad, that's the work they mainly target. The company has been around since christ, which is a good thing, and hasn't gone broke. I see a lot of old one's around which is good to see.

[airlock]

Well thanks for all the help, the hull and its lay out are pretty much perfect. unfortunately i'm not happy with the engines, the hours and the speed/economy figures just won't cut it. Shame as i really do like the hull but i don't think i could put up with a 50kmh top speed.

[The Woo]

Not sure how many small cats you'll find that will do much better than that speed? Buoyancy limits the hp that can be carried. Not sure how much more speed is truly required anyway......