Composites key to award-winning refit
At the 2026 Australian Marine Industry Awards, Norman R. Wright & Sons won the Commercial Project, Design or Manufacturer of the Year award for their outstanding, extensive refit of the historic 1962 timber vessel, South Pacific II – a vessel launched by the Brisbane shipyard in 1962.
This is the second consecutive year they took top honours in this category. In 2025, they received the Award for their 12-metre XLW Class Patrol Vessel, Sea Hawk.
As the team from Norman R. Wright & Sons explained at this year’s Awards event, “The two projects could not be more different: one an advanced composites high speed modern patrol boat, the later a long-range traditional timber motor yacht with refined interiors. They bookend the range and depth of experience at Wrights and we greatly appreciate that recognition.”
South Pacific II is considered one of the standout vessels from Norman R. Wright & Sons over their 115-year history. Originally launched as Beryl May in 1962, the 75-foot timber vessel underwent a massive structural and mechanical restoration in 2025.
With a team of naval architects, boat builders and apprentices on their team, the family-owned business continues to operate as specialists in wooden boat building, while embracing the latest techniques, materials and technology in construction.
For a wooden boat like South Pacific II, timber is part of its character and authentic appeal. But for longevity, durability, strength, UV resistance and light-weight characteristics, composites are ideal for certain sections of the vessel.
ATL Composites has been working with Norman R. Wright & Sons for 40 years, supplying the full range of WEST SYSTEM epoxy products, TECHNIGLUE Structural Adhesives, and high performance DuFLEX packages.
The engineering team at ATL worked closely with NRW’s shipwrights on this complex restoration.
“We used composites for optimising the structure where it makes sense to keep the boat light and strong,” explained Nicholas Cossich, Director at ATL Composites and qualified Aerospace Engineer.
“We favour the long lifespan of composites for the above deck installations, particularly for the pins where strength is required for the through-hull stabilizing fins, for the stress points where the davit is placed and to reduce the bulk on the awning.”
Retrofitting the latest Humphree fin stabilisation technology into a vessel that was designed and built over 60 years ago posed several structural challenges.
Both internal and external orthotropic carbon fibre epoxy laminates were chosen to encapsulate a section of the hulls’ existing 40mm spotted gum planking, offering the most structural effective solution for transfer of each 3-tonne fin load.
The use of KINETIX laminating resin, WEST SYSTEM epoxy and G/flex epoxy adhesive provided reliable secondary bonding to difficult-to-bond timbers, while ensuring the carbon fibre laminate performance was well matched to the existing planking, frames and stringers.
ATL’s composite capability also extended beyond the hull reinforcement. The project incorporated Techniglue epoxy adhesives, KINETIX laminating resins and a custom-built DuFLEX foam-cored 6-metre rooftop extension and deckhead. High-density inserts, CNC-routed from DIAB’s DNV-approved PY250 foam core, were integrated into the panels to improve stiffness and provide secure, efficient fastening points for hardware installation.
Over 18 months, the South Pacific II refit successfully brought the vessel up to higher modern commercial survey capabilities while retaining its classic charm for commercial charter and mothershipping along the Queensland coast.
At the other end of the spectrum, the state-of-the-art 12-metre XLW Class Patrol Vessel was built for the New South Wales Police Force and was one of three which also included Sea Eagle and Sea Dragon.
Combining advanced composite construction, Volvo IPS propulsion, and cutting-edge technology, the vessel redefines standards in its class, delivering exceptional performance, efficiency and crew comfort.
This vessel also won the 2025 Best Small Patrol Boat from Work Boat World in recognition of its “extreme quality and operability across the board”.
The team at Wrights channelled their expertise from building larger composite workboats and pleasure craft to the more compact 12-metre vessel.
Built using a lightweight, high-strength epoxy composite structure with foam core, E-glass and carbon reinforcements, Sea Hawk delivers excellent seakeeping in heavy conditions while providing improved crew comfort and amenity for multi-day missions, including policing, border protection and search-and-rescue operations.
The highly efficient hull form means it’s capable of tight, near-pivot turns without a bow thruster, making it a nimble coastal vessel able to manoeuvre in tight marine environments.
Its monocoque composite sandwich construction with large frame spacing also allows for more space than typical aluminium RIBs to accommodate the complex specification list.
Norman R. Wright & Sons Managing Director, Tony Riek commented, “Our goal was to set a benchmark premium product for this market and overcome what customers were experiencing as deficiencies in the existing dominant aluminium RIB offerings, including: limited offshore capability and range, high maintenance costs (associated with aluminium corrosion and inflatable tube damage), unsafe sidedecks, poor amenity for overnighting, and sub-standard air conditioning.”
The use of lightweight composites also resulted in reduced emissions, which is increasingly prioritised by commercial operators and private owners.
Congratulations to the entire team at Norman R. Wright & Sons for this most recent Award and for setting the benchmark in Australian shipbuilding excellence, craftsmanship and innovation.