Article from Sea Spray magazine October 1970.

A family man and an enthusiastic fisherman Claude Archer of Sydney found that when well offshore in his 24-footer things could become a mite trying when the weather threw a tantrum.

So he commissioned Peter Bracken to design a 32-footer which would be a versatile layout. since it had to be adequately roomy to sleep eight, required a flying bridge for spotting, a spacious area aft to be used as a fishing platform and, of course, for cruising comfort, it required a serviceable galley , shower and toilet facilities and all the rest. There was to be no suggestion of roughing it.

But above all else hovered the No. 1 desideratum: “It has to get me back no matter what”.

So Peter scaled down his stock 36ft design and has come up with a 32-footer that seems to have lost nothing in the way of roominess or comfort in the reduction.

Albacora was launched last week. She is cold moulded with two skins of 1/2in Sariah – a species of maple – and she is Dynel sheathed. Hull lines are very trim.
The beam of 11 ft. appears to be in excellent proportion to the 32ft LOA. Deadrise angle is 10 deg. at the tuck and the hull carries that dead rise for the last third of its length and has a normal entry with well-rounded forefoot. The keelson is 10 in by 4 in. spotted gum. Topsides are flared right through – there is no tumblehome aft – and she gives the impression of being moderately dry. Decks are in white beech. The amply proportioned windows to the centre wheelhouse and saloon and to the fore-cabin are in toughened glass and carried in anodised aluminium frames. Fore and aft window angles are just right. Indeed, Peter Bracken has a stylist’s eye. The windscreen, cabin forward windows, flying bridge apron are all raked at the same angle. Rear edge of rear wheelhouse windows, after edge of the flying bridge, even the rearmostend of the single-tube pulpitcum-deck rail all assume another identical angle. The effect of symmetry, together with the clever use of a blue boot topping, blue strip round the deck coaming, a pale blue flash below the wheelhouse windows and a pale blue cabin roof all serve to break up the top hamper and take away any sense of chunkiness which could have resulted from the scaling down treatment.

The fact that a measure of luxury was to be built into the design has been touched on. I t has’ been done ‘ in. excellent taste. There isn’t an ostentatious square inch in the boat, but luxury there is aplenty.

The saloon is entered through a sliding teak door, louvered below window level. To starboard are two settee berths in two tiers and to port a dinette which converts to a double berth.

Forward of the dinette is the galley, a practical L-shaped area comprising a stainless-steel sink unit fed with hot as well as cold water (there is a pressurised hot-water system), Roden Rambler stove, Formica-topped benches and cupboards galore.

Space utilisation incidentally is little short of remarkable. Almost irrespective of where you find a horizontal surface above~ floor level you may expect to find storage space under it. Alongside the galley to starboard is as comprehensive a control console as you could wish for. Instrumentation (largely by Stewart Warner) includes hourmeter, rpm indicator, ammeter, temperature gauge, oil pressure gauges for both engine and gearbox, a fuel pressure gauge and a VDO Sumlog. The helmsman’s section of the windscreen is fitted with a ClearView. Close by is a Transceiver Marina 60 ship to shore radio and a cassette stereo player. Finally as befits the ship of an enthusiastic fisherman, there is a Faruna FG 200 echosounder.

Keel laying celebration for Albacora In the foreground boatbuilder Keith Oldrey and apprentices John O’Connell, Steve Miller, Kevin Ball and Strawny. In the background are the owner of Albacora, Mr Claude Archer and the owner of Sailfish Mr Eric Howarth; both very fine gentlemen.