ABOUT WAVEMASTER
Wavemaster was founded by a Steve Chapple, a Naval Architect and Mechanical Engineer with over 20 years of experience in aluminium kit boat design. Many popular models in the market today being sold under other brand names were designed by Steve.
Wavemaster is now the next chapter, a return to the DIY and professional kit boat market, but with a sharper, more refined approach. These designs reflect not only where I started, but everything I've learned since.
Wavemaster uses proprietary in house tools, combined with advanced 3D CAD software to deliver kits that assemble with precision and consistency. Every aspect of the design is crafted to save builders time and deliver superior on-water performance.
Wavemaster is now the next chapter, a return to the DIY and professional kit boat market, but with a sharper, more refined approach. These designs reflect not only where I started, but everything I've learned since.
Wavemaster uses proprietary in house tools, combined with advanced 3D CAD software to deliver kits that assemble with precision and consistency. Every aspect of the design is crafted to save builders time and deliver superior on-water performance.
A Return to the diy kit space
After more than a decade designing aluminium kit boats, including many models that became widely known and built across Australia and overseas, I sold the rights to my old brand name and a portfolio of successful kit boat designs, many of which are still being marketed and built today. I returned the commercial marine sector, where I had previously spent 10 years as a designer in a world leading shipyard that specialised in design and construction of high speed aluminium ferries.
At the time, with a young family, I was ready for new challenges. Working on larger, more specialised vessels such as large car ferries and super yachts gave me the opportunity to deepen my skills in all aspects of marine design, the kind of insight that only comes from high end commercial projects.
Once my trade restraint expired, I continued to design the occasional recreational kit boat for a few trusted builders who know the quality of my work.
Wavemaster is the next chapter, a return to the DIY and professional aluminium kit boat market, but with a sharper, more refined approach. These designs reflect not only where I started in the plate kit boat market over 20 years ago, but everything I've learned since.
A Moment That Sparked the Comeback
During my time working in the superyacht sector, I found myself onboard a sea trial on one of the vessels designed and built by Silver Yachts. By pure coincidence, one of the support boats operating as a shadow boat was a walk around kit boat design that I had created years earlier.
As I watched it cut cleanly through the chop, I thought: “I can make that hull even better.” That moment, seeing one of my original boats at work in a high end, real world setting, and knowing it could ride even better, lit the spark that brought me back to designing for the DIY and professional kit boat market. Wavemaster was born from that mix of reflection and reinvention. I didn’t just want to design alloy kit boats again, I wanted to do them better than ever before. But before making a full return, I had to ensure that my new hull shape would perform as expected. My good mates at Barrier Reef Boats were happy develop their Northern Explorer range based on my new hull shape and it has been a great success for them. Check them out at BarrierReefBoats.com.au. Thanks also to Jim at Marineline Boat Builders, Beau at Finaly Marine Fabrication and Ryan at Brisbane Water Marine Services.
As I watched it cut cleanly through the chop, I thought: “I can make that hull even better.” That moment, seeing one of my original boats at work in a high end, real world setting, and knowing it could ride even better, lit the spark that brought me back to designing for the DIY and professional kit boat market. Wavemaster was born from that mix of reflection and reinvention. I didn’t just want to design alloy kit boats again, I wanted to do them better than ever before. But before making a full return, I had to ensure that my new hull shape would perform as expected. My good mates at Barrier Reef Boats were happy develop their Northern Explorer range based on my new hull shape and it has been a great success for them. Check them out at BarrierReefBoats.com.au. Thanks also to Jim at Marineline Boat Builders, Beau at Finaly Marine Fabrication and Ryan at Brisbane Water Marine Services.