The first fibreglass Elite AT43 hull came out of the mould at Allan Tongs Boat Builders (ATBB) on Tuesday May 7, looking beautifully straight and fair. The AT43 is a Bill Upfold design for moulded GRP construction.
Bulkheads and engine girders were installed prior to releasing the hull from the mould and the team at ATBB is currently hard at work with interior fit-out and engineering. The GRP deck moulding was ready to be released as this magazine went to press.
Making the moulds for a vessel of this size is a long and involved process, which has taken ATBB a full year, including the work so far on this AT43. But with all the moulds now completed, subsequent AT43s will take much less time to build.
Allan Tongs Boat Builders expects the first AT43 to debut at this year’s Auckland On Water Boat Show in October.
www.allantongsboatbuilders.co.nz
