A surprise in Pipiroa
From the outside, Aaron Beattie’s workshop looks like any other shed on the road between Thames and Paeroa. Step inside, though, and the boat sitting in the middle of the floor takes your breath away. At 11.5 metres with lines both purposeful and graceful, this catamaran isn’t just another build — it’s a boat Aaron originally designed as his own. “The ultimate owner’s version,” he says, running a hand across the American cherry dash. Every detail speaks of a builder with decades of experience and the desire to get it right. Ironically, it’s now for sale. What was supposed to be Aaron’s final project, his personal boat, has been overtaken by another opportunity — a write-off Formula that captured his imagination for a new rebuild.
A life in boats
Aaron has been shaping boats for 35 years. He began his apprenticeship with Terry Bailey, went on to McMullin and Wing, Alloy Yachts, and finally Formula Cruisers where he eventually ran their interior wood shop, before starting his own company, Lifestyle Yachts. From his Pipiroa yard, he’s built everything from Ron Given cats to a Dick Newick trimaran and a 16-metre Roger Hill design. “This is boat number ten out of here,” Aaron says. “It was meant to be the last one.” His preference has always been for plywood and cedar strip construction — light, strong, cost-effective, and free from the expense of moulds. “It’s just nicer stuff to work with,” he explains.
Reimagining a Ron Given design
The boat began life as a Ron Given T9 catamaran, about 9.7 metres long. Aaron stretched it, shifting bulkheads and pushing the transom back a metre or so to create a more generous cockpit and saloon. The result is an 11.5m vessel with a beam of four metres and a shallow draft of just 750mm. “She’ll do 18 to 20 knots cruising, close to 30 at the top end,” Aaron says. Twin Austrian-built 230hp Steyr diesels power the boat — lightweight, reliable engines used in military vehicles. “It’s the sort of package that would cost over $200,000 alone today,” he notes. Everywhere you look, Aaron’s touch is visible. Stainless belting runs 10mm by 50mm solid around the hulls. Custom grills and fittings add polish. The helm mixes classic timber with modern function, and the upstairs flybridge helm folds away neatly, with autopilot and throttles taking the place of a wheel.
A boat for living as well as fishing
Though the plan included fishing — rod holders, bait board, the option for game poles — the boat is just as much about comfort. Step inside and you find a full galley with fridge, freezer, and gas cooking, an adjustable saloon table that drops into a berth, and a back-opening window that merges cockpit and saloon into one space.
Forward, there’s a spacious island double cabin and two singles aft, plus a toilet and shower. “It’s built for me and the wife to go away for weeks on end,” Aaron says. “Plenty of storage, all the comforts, and a finish I can be proud of.”
The timber throughout is American cherry, lending warmth that fibreglass alone can’t deliver. “I come from the superyacht yards,” Aaron adds. “If it’s not finished to that standard, I’m not happy.”
Smart details everywhere
The cat is filled with little touches that show the thought of an owner-builder. A 150-watt walkable solar panel sits on the foredeck, feeding gel batteries alongside alternator charging. Beaching keels and tilt-up stern legs mean the boat can nose onto a beach without fuss.
Range is around 180 nautical miles with standard tanks, but bladder tanks can be added for longer runs — enough, Aaron says, to push to New Caledonia in the right weather. LED lighting keeps power draw low, while Simrad electronics give straightforward navigation. “Radar can always be added, but most people these days would go for a FLIR camera,” Aaron notes.
For sale — but not a compromise
Despite the care poured into it, the boat is on the market. Aaron admits it wasn’t an easy decision. “Someone’s going to enjoy it,” he says with a shrug. The asking price is $635,000 — a sharp figure considering a commissioned build of the same standard would cost closer to $900,000. “We went overboard with the gear because it was for us,” Aaron says. “That’s why it really is an owner’s version.” The plan is to launch in the Waihou River in November, use it briefly, then, if unsold, show it at the Auckland on Water Boat Show next year.
Never really a last boat
For all his talk of this being the final build, Aaron laughs when asked if it truly is the end. “There’s never really a last one,” he admits. The Formula write-off sitting outside the shed is already calling for attention, and his hands are already busy again. Still, standing inside the Pipiroa shed, the catamaran gleams as a reminder of what one man’s craft and persistence can produce. It’s more than just a boat for sale. It’s a lifetime of skill shaped into timber, stainless and paint — an owner’s version in every sense.
CONTACT AARON BEATTIE TO LEARN MORE.
