DEREK RODWAY, ONE HALF OF THE FATHER-SON DUO BEHIND OCEANWORX, SHARES SOME INSIGHTS ABOUT THE SYDNEY-BASED BOAT BRAND AND THE NEW OCEANWORX SQUADRON SC 4.8.

How did the Oceanworx story begin?

We officially launched the brand at the Sydney International Boat Show in 2023. I own Good Times Marine, so my son Samson grew up around boats and was fascinated by hull shape from an early age. Through my dealership background Samson also had exposure to a plethora of trailer boats, so he studied the impact of various hull shapes in the water. All of this led to Samson developing his own hull technology for Oceanworx.

In your opinion, what sets Oceanworx apart from its competitors?

Oceanworx is a 100 per cent Australian-designed and made, which is a big factor for many people. A lot of other boats are sold on the basis of their interiors, rather than focusing on the hull. With Oceanworx we went the other way around; we designed and built a hull which performs phenomenally on the water. Once Samson had the hull really dialled in, we stepped inside and looked at the steering wheel and the helm seat, and focused on the ergonomics of the interior.

Tell us more about the Oceanworx hull design.

We run a very aggressive bow stem transition to get the hull into the water. By doing that we’re creating a longer waterline length than would normally be expected for a hull of its size. Which means you feel like you’re driving a boat with a bigger hull than what it really is. We also run with an aggressive bow cut water deadrise angle which delivers that super soft ride. If you look at the bottom sheet of the hull, especially when they’re upside down, there are curves heading in every direction. Many hulls have a fairly flat sheet from the keel to the chine. If you look at the bottom of our boat, there’s nothing flat anywhere in the bottom sheet; there’s always curvature. Because of that, it’s very rare to get a bang out of the hull. It’ll always be a soft landing.

So, that design detail is key to a smooth and dry ride?

Yes, that’s what gives you that ride. If you look at our hulls when they hit the chop, the water wraps around the side, it just slides off the hull and comes out the back. That’s why Oceanworx boats are so incredibly dry riding, and fuel efficient, because they’re not forcing their way through the water. They’re literally slicing through the water.

What’s the essence of the Oceanworx brand?

There’s a pretty straightforward response to that. We, both Samson and I, are both ‘thalassophiles’, someone who gets great joy and fulfilment from being in and around the water. We first heard that word when developing Oceanworx and latched onto it, and it has become a guiding principle for us ever since. Oceanworx exists to give our fellow thalassophiles access to on-water adventure.

If someone wanted to box the brand up, they might say Oceanworx is just a fishing boat brand. But if they looked at our research and development, and future plans for model releases over the next two-to-three years, they’d realise we want Oceanworx to be a lot bigger than just fishing boats. The brand is really a movement; a celebration of on-water adventures and our vast coastline. There’s so many things that people can do with a boat. Some people just love driving a well-engineered boat; that’s what they get their excitement and enjoyment from. Our goal with Oceanworx is to provide exceptional on-water performance tools that allow those people to access their own ocean adventures.

What sort of buyers does the Squadron appeal to?

The Squadron is made from 5083 marine grade aluminium and shares many of the design cues from our renowned high tensile models. We’ve had some first boat owners jump straight into a Squadron, but typically a Squadron might be a buyer’s second boat. Someone who has perhaps previously owned a cheaper tinny and wants to step into something that’s going to give them a better ride and stability, and an all-round better boating experience. What are some of the key optional upgrades people may want to add to the Squadron? The Squadron already has most things you commonly need up front as standard, including a nine-inch Lowrance screen, plumbed live bait tank, front rear casting decks and premium seats. So, we do find many people don’t want to option up. However, there are various options you can add into the boat, such as a stereo system, U-DEK foam flooring, two-tone colours, or perhaps a plumbed-in keep tank in the bow.

How do you approach customer feedback?

We have great relationships with our customers and are very flexible when it comes to their feedback. We’re always looking to take it on board and adopt the best of that feedback. We’re constantly improving and evolving our boats, based on our own on-water experience, as well as customer feedback. We’re never going to just be satisfied with our boats and say ‘that’s it, they’re done’.

What’s next for Oceanworx?

We’re basically becoming a global brand. We’ve had enquiries from around the world including across Asia, Europe, the UK, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. We also have a North American build facility that has just begun production and once we launch our forthcoming 5.2 hull later this year, we’ll be looking to officially launch the brand in the US. Closer to home, we’re in conversation with a few dealers in New Zealand, and for Kiwi buyers we already have the capacity to ship boats from our factory in Sydney to New Zealand.

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