Frank Bamford

Maritimo M70 – Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron

WE MAKE BOATSPERFORM BETTER.

Project

Frank Bamford

MARITIMO M70

Satisfied customer, Frank Bamford from South Australia shares with us a little about his boating experiences and what led him to fitting out his brand new Maritimo M70 Flybridge with an extensive Twin Disc transmission and control system along with a Seakeeper Gyro Stabiliser.

An experienced boat owner, Frank has owned a phenomenal 30 boats in his time including a Bertram 28, a Maritimo 48 and now, his pride and joy, the Maritimo M70 Flybridge “Braveheart”.

Having run successful Nissan and Renault car dealerships in Adelaide, Frank has also spent a lot of time boating in and around the waters out of his home base at the Royal South

“I think that once you get to boats of this size you just need to have them. With a bigger boat and more people on board – more people to keep happy – you want to reduce the stress on the skipper.”

Frank Bamford

Project Details

Products Supplied and Fitted

• Quickshift MGX5135A transmissions

• EC 300 controls with levers on four stations. See attached schematic

• EJS - Express Joystick System® x 4 stations

• EPS - Express Positioning System® x 4 stations

• Manual Thruster Panels x 4 stations

• Seakeeper 26 Gyro Stabiliser

Australian Yacht Squadron. SA boating has taught Frank plenty when it comes to what’s needed when heading out into the Southern Ocean and beyond.

Where do you do most of your boating?

We’re based out of the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron and spend a lot of time at Port Lincoln, Kangaroo Island, Gulf St Vincent, Wirrina either fishing for Tuna or just enjoying the beautiful waters of SA.

When did you decide to look at installing Twin Disc and Seakeeper products into the new Maritimo you had ordered?

I’d heard a bit about stabilisation products and it was at Sydney Boat Show in 2014 when I was talking to Bill Barry Cotter about my new boat that he recommended the Seakeeper Gyros.

I met with the guys at Twin Disc and they showed me the Seakeeper and Twin Disc products installed on their demonstration boat and I was impressed. After the show, I did a bit more research, watched some videos outlining the benefits of Seakeeper’s and then spoke with another Maritimo owner who spoke highly of the Seakeeper and the Twin Disc Express Positioning System, I basically made up my mind from there.

I also spend quite a bit of time in commercial marinas and berths when boating so the Twin Disc Express Joystick System was an absolutely necessity to assist with berthing and tie up.

Project

Frank Bamford

MARITIMO M70

Have the products performed to your expectations and have they made boating more enjoyable for you and your guests?

Yes! I’ve been very happy and impressed with the performance to date. When we were bringing the boat back to South Australia from Queensland we departed Eden on the New South Wales South Coast at about 3am one morning in the pitch black and chose a course a fair way offshore. Turning south and into a solid 5 metre swell, we turned the Seakeeper on and off to see the difference in large cross swell and it made such a huge difference. The crew enjoyed the additional stability in what where trying conditions.

I also find you can travel quicker with the Seakeeper, which is particularly beneficial when motoring away from some bad weather. You also need to know when heading out into the open ocean like we do that the products just have to work, and they do.

The Seakeeper is also great either underway or at rest as it means you don’t have a panic when a wave or some wash hits the boat worrying that glasses and bottles will fly everywhere. It limits breakages and means you don’t have to continually pack everything away.

I’m finding that our guests absolutely love the layout, style, fittings and finishes of our boat and the Seakeeper just ensures they have a comfortable day out so they can fully enjoy the boat and their time out boating with us.

What was your Twin Disc service experience like?

During the build process, I had four trips to the Maritimo factory and could see for myself the products being installed. That was comforting to see and to be able to ask questions at the time of installation.

Now with the boat back home, the service I receive from Twin Disc and their local service agent is very good. They are in touch with me regularly to check that I’m happy with the performance of all the products and actually come down to the marina prior to any big trips and check all the systems.

What would you say to anyone considering installing Twin Disc or Seakeeper products into their boat?

I’ve already told a lot of people about how good the products are and the first-rate service I’ve received. I had an issue with control system at one point and rather than try and fix the system they just replaced the whole unit. You can’t ask for better than that!

TWIN DISC PACIFIC PTY LTD40 Telford StreetVirginia QLD 4014 AustraliaPhone: +61 (7) 3265-1200Web: www.twindisc.com.auEmail: info@twindisc.com.au

Project

Frank Bamford

MARITIMO M70

I also think that once you get to boats of this size you just need to have them. With a bigger boat and more people on board – more people to keep happy – you want to reduce the stress on the skipper. We know these products work. The Seakeeper and the Twin Disc systems take the pressure off and ensure everyone has a much more enjoyable time on board.

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