ABOUT US
A Little bit of history
Aussie Rules, the 87ft Oceanfast Sportfish designed for expedition fishing. We have to go back 20 years to when our Marine Editor was a callow youth to recount the launch of this stunning 87ft luxury Oceanfast Sportfish built in Western Australia for Greg Norman. It was circa 1996 and David Lockwood was bestowed the honour of being the first and only Australian journalist to drive this impressive boat, designed with Greg "The Shark" Norman's considerable input.
The 87 footer was intended to spearhead a range of long-range Norman Sports Classic line game boats from 80-120 feet built by Oceanfast. "I drove Aussie Rules fast down Sydney Harbour at daybreak, the MTUs roaring, the sound system blaring — some of the crew hadn't slept that night and the party was still going — as the towering boat in blue livery with red boot stripe cut an impressive figure before the weary Sydney ferries just booting up," he says. "It might be two decades ago, but this was a highlight of a boating hack's career. I can close my eyes now and still feel the power... and the energy of the crew including "Flash" partying hard at 5.30am." Those twin 1500hp MTU engines, and a 18,000-plus litre fuel supply, were central to this boat's design intent — expedition fishing, with luxurious living accommodations for extended periods on the ocean.
The boat has a 28-knot top speed (Lockwood says he reached that on the throttles), cruised at 23 knots and had an 800-1000nm range. Coming out of production US sportfishers, Norman wanted the ability to fish distant locations and Aussie Rules has apparently seen some of the world's hottest fishing spots over the years.
The custom fishing equipment includes a giant winch facing the transom door, huge fish box, lighted aquarium wells, Rupp triple spreader 41' outrigger, bait freezers, Murray Brothers helm chair, aft station, transom fish door with dive access and swim out, Marine Metal Fabrications tower and more.
The watersports and dive gear includes scuba gear storage, cockpit entrance, dive tank storage, bar fridge with ice maker, BBQ grill, rod stowage compartment under lounge, external head and shower and so on. As things eventuated, this boat was the only model in the adventurous Norman Sports Classic line produced by Oceanfast Marine Group, one of Australia's largest shipbuilders at the time. The promising venture intended to build luxury sportfishers from 80 to 120 feet in length, but Oceanfast ran into financial trouble.
Norman believed there was a market for bigger sportfishers — time has proven him right — and he believed that he knew what people wanted in them. Back in the mid-90s, Oceanfast CEO John Farrell told the Florida-based newspaper The Sun-Sentinel that Norman (who preferred to fish stand-up tackle) had firm ideas of what he wanted in his boat. "All of the boats will be built with Greg Norman's name on them and with Greg Norman's input. Norman's influence will be most evident in the boat's size, lines and cockpit area. "Greg is fanatical about the cockpit layout, the height of the combing, the location of the baitwell,"Farrell said back then. "He also has a particular idea on style." Aussie Rules was the showboat for the range that never eventuated. As such, it has a long list of features and equipment that you won't find on a production vessel. The loaded boat was selling for US$4.9m at the time, but has returned to the market with a US$1.89m asking price two decades later.
Now newly refitted, the interior sleeps 10, plus crew, while the decor — originally Australian silky oak — and updated AV electronics throughout the vessel are said to result in a fresh atmosphere. At the time Lockwood drove it, Norman's captain Gary Stuve, who skippered The Shark’s boats for six years, said: "You're not going to catch a world-record blue [marlin) on 12- pound line, but it handles good enough that you can catch fish in it.
The Refit
In 2018 the current owner of AUSSIE RULES, purchased this boat with a big dream put her in top shape for expeditions to travel with his family to the very best spots of fishing around the globe, the boat went for an extensive 2 year refit from bottom to top including mechanic, interior, electronic, painting and bottom work now the boat is ready for the first fishing expedition and he has decided to take the boat to a voyage of more than 3000 Nautical miles to the one and only BAJA. For those who doesnt know that term, BAJA CALIFORNIA, is one of the most magical places in the entire earth not only for fishing but also for explore the marine life around the area. From Loreto on the sea of Cortez to Mag bay on the pacific side BAJA offers BIG NUMBERS, this numbers can go in differnt ways , for fishing you can catch a GRANDER a marlín over the 1000 pound mark or you can catch more tan 100 striped marlín in one day, for marine photography you can witness sea lions, orcas, marlíns, sharks, all feading at the same time on a bait ball in mag bay. THE OWNER is gathering a team full of experts to charter his huge sportfishing yacht on the famous BAJA for custom purpouse depending on the clients demands.