GOING OUT IN STYLE
I’d have to say, there are mixed feelings as I think about this review. The Assegai 58 is a breathtaking an example of a modern game boat, but it’s the last one to come from Barry Martin’s Gold Coast yard. After 31 years and 18 iconic and much loved Assegai models Barry has closed the shutters on his shed for the last time, having achieved a well-earned retirement.
Our review boat was three and a half years in the making and Deploy is arguably the masterpiece from the Assegai yard. Owner, Sydney businessman Brett Cornish, commissioned the boat after having fished on several Assegais previously.
When he took his wish list to Martin, the plans came back with a length at 58ft. “It was longer than I had imagined,” Cornish told us. “But in practice, the boat handles perfectly and we have all the fishing and live-aboard comforts we need.”
Three and a half years seems like a long gestation period, but as Martin admitted, he promised more than he could deliver and ended up with three boats
