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John Gross designed the "Fastback 43" and built eight of them at his Fastback factory in Thornlands, Queensland, just south of Brisbane. There have been more than fifty of John's "Fastback 30" and (later) "Fastback 32" catamarans also built at this factory. Our 43 foot long catamaran was hull(s) number three, finished in 1994. It was originally named "Pacific Dawn" and was renamed "Purpose" by its second owner. The second owner completed the interior fit-out in 1996 and based the boat in Raby Bay on a dock behind his house on a canal leading to Moreton Bay. From that base he and his wife cruised the east coast of Australia and twice rounded Cape York to explore the rivers of the Gulf of Carpentaria before returning to Raby Bay where they spent South Pacific cyclone seasons (November to April).
We purchased the boat in 2001 directly from the second owners. We had a complete survey made by Shawn Arber, a noted Australian multihull designer/builder. The survey showed the boat basically in good condition with some relatively small items needing work. The surveyor believed we would be very happy with this boat which he considered well-designed and well-constructed. He called it a "good solid cruising cat with performance better than average."
"Purpose" was a Registered Australian Ship, number 855015. Since we are not Australians we could not keep that registration. We made this catamaran a United States Documented Vessel. We also obtained a Ship's Radio License from the US Federal Communications Commission. We renamed the catamaran "Arctracer" the same as our schooner. We never heard of another boat with this name so it is distinctive. It fits a cruising boat which travels on the ocean surface where even a "straight line" requires following (or "tracing") an arc of the Earth's curvature. Our cruising friends know us as Nina and Jerry of "Arctracer" and most of them do not know our last name. We are still very happy with this boat name.
Our boat had twin Yanmar 3GM30 (27 hp) diesel engines, one in each hull. To protect the fixed propeller shafts from damage in shallow water and to enable the boat to rest on a beach, John designed and installed "skegs" which come down from the hulls just in front of the propellers. This was a difference from sister-ships which had a single (larger) diesel engine mounted under the helm seat and a retractable leg for the drive shaft which could lift the propeller out of the water for slightly better sailing performance. With skegs and fixed propeller shafts our boat had more drag in the water and with two engines we were heavier, but we felt greater reliability and greater maneuverability were worth a slight decrease in sailing performance. Our boat's sailing performance was still pretty good.
All Fastback boats were sold unfinished. That is, the factory completed the basic boat (including engines, mast and rigging) and then the interior was finished by the buyer. This was a low-cost way to obtain a boat, but the buyer had to invest considerable time and money to install all the furniture, electrical systems, winches, plumbing, etc. Neither of the first two owners of our boat had done much sailing so many of the decisions they made about fit-out were based on keeping initial costs low. They often underestimated the need to insure long-term reliability. The rate of deterioration of everything aboard a boat is remarkable because of exposures to salt water, salty air, tropical sunlight and the stresses of sailing. We replaced all the plumbing, most of the wiring, and many other items. Most of our maintenance was due to normal wear and tear. We believe it is essential to install the best equipment available and to keep it all in proper working condition.
After sailing this boat from Australia to the east coast of the United States (2001 to 2014) we sold it in Chesapeake Bay to a couple who moved aboard and cruised away. It was always comfortable and safe. We have many fond memories of life aboard this catamaran.