As an early adopter of computer design technology within Western Australia’s shipbuilding industry, we employ the latest in naval architecture software and CAD/CAM techniques, allowing Southerly Designs to maintain a position at the forefront of the industry.

Southerly utilize an extensive range of integrated software packages, including:

• The Maxsurf suite of programs for hulldesign, detailed hydrostatic and stabilityanalysis;

• Bentley Microstation for general drawing,3D visualizations and production modelling;

• Shipconstructor for structural detailing andproduction output.

Close consultation with owners, operators and builders, combined with modern technology and an extensive database of real world data - a result of a long association with the marine industry - enables Southerly Designs to continuously deliver innovative and efficient designs to satisfied clients around the world.

A typical Southerly Design package includes:

• performance prediction;• 2D & 3D visualizations;• structural design, system schematics;• main shafting and rudders;• fire and safety diagrams;• nested router cut part files;• comprehensive construction and approval

drawings;• stability analysis.

With a wide range of clients globally, Southerly have designed to most of the major classification society rules and government regulations. We offer high quality design packages to international classes such as ABS, Lloyds, DNV or BV,as well as to the local NSCV code.

Southerly Designs takes pride in delivering customized solutions to each and every client.

Our track record speaks for itself.

• Long range and high speed patrol vesselsfor multiple Australian and international military and law enforcement agencies;

• Offshore support vessels in oil and gas,construction and aquaculture;

• High speed fishing vessels;• Tourism, charter and motor yachts.

Company Profile

Southerly Designs has been at the forefront of high speed aluminium vessel design for over two decades.

Drawing on over 40 years of experience in designing, constructing and operating fast commercial vessels, our professional and dedicated team has forged an enviable reputation for producing robust vessels that are practical, handle well even in extreme conditions, are fuel efficient and offer comfort without sacrificing performance.

With shipbuilding partners in Australia, Singapore, Mexico and Vietnam, currently there are over 500 Southerly Design vessels from 5 m to 52 m operating in diverse roles globally.

From the early years designing the renowned Geraldton Boat Builders, lobster fishing boats that dominated output through the 1980s and 90s, Southerly Designs have expanded and diversified their range to suit a wide variety of applications and clients.

Southerly Designs is an established provider of quality vessel designs, including:

Approach

Our designs are focused on the operator first. Ride, comfort and operability on the job are our main focus.

The origins of Southerly Designs date back to 1962 when founding partner John Fitzhardinge began designing, building, operating and maintaining his own vessels in Australia’s Western Rock Lobster fishery. Function and comfort were paramount but always with due regard to being safe, robust, maintainable and aesthetically pleasing.

Over the years John began producing more designs for others but never lost the focus on the operator first. The clientele always consisted of owner-operators for whom their own day to day comfort and safety was of prime concern. In addition, these owner operators often worked in close proximity to each other and to John.

This environment ensured that any success or shortcoming in a design was immediately observed by the fleet and feedback both positive and negative would be instantly and emphatically delivered to everyone within earshot of these hard nosed fishing boat captains. To this day Southerly Designs retains close ties with our clientele, both past and present, and are able to tap this vast resource of experience across the decades and across many sectors of marine operations in order to maintain our products at the leading edge of design and technology and to adapt to changing work practices.

Southerly Designs have consistently maintained the vision that producing the best boat for the job is the primary concern. Rather than producing the smallest / cheapest vessel that can possibly satisfy a given requirement, our drive is to produce a vehicle that will enable the crew to perform their functions efficiently and in safety and comfort. We maintain an unwavering commitment to the final operator. We also maintain a strong focus on producing vessels that not only perform well and are eminently practical in function and arrangement, but are also aesthetically pleasing. We place significant effort into including style with function and have evolved a signature styling that is classic and appealing, while being inherently practical and devoid of gimmicks, and resists the often inevitable decline to pure utilitarianism.

Our holistic approach to vessel design and firm focus on the operator ensures that we have many satisfied and repeat clients, and that our vessels will never go out of style.