Who we are
Grist Designs is a family-owned business. We strive to provide excellent service in a timely and professional manner. Our goal is to ensure we support the individuals, businesses and departments that choose to use our services.
We pride ourselves on making the builds simple, ensuring all assemblies are easy to fabricate. We guarantee our aluminium kits will be the most hassle free available and all work is done by qualified Naval Architects!
HERITAGE
Founded by Adam Radford in November 2023, Grist Designs was a lifelong dream come true for our founding Director. Hailing from Perth, Western Australia, Adam was introduced to boats from a young age by his father, Craig Radford, known by many in the Australian fishing circles as Noddy.
At this young age, it was more about fishing than boats and although Adam remains a keen fisherman, his passion for boats was evident from a young age. Most, if not all, of Adam’s childhood drawings were of boats and in particular, WA style cray-boats featured predominately. Truly an obsession.
Upon finishing his naval architecture degree at the Australian Maritime College in 2018, Adam worked for some of the most renowned ship builders and naval architecture consultancy firms in Western Australia and contributed to over 60 vessels (and counting!) ranging for 5m to 42m in length.
At a crossroad in his professional career, supported by his partner Nikki, Adam made the big jump and started Grist Designs.
Vision
We have a vision for changing the narrative that aluminium boats can never possess the same seakeeping capabilities of their fibreglass cousins. Although old school fibreglass boats hold a special place in our hearts, the versatility of aluminium fabrication in boat design is undeniable.
However, aluminium boat building in Australia has lost its way in recent years, compromising on seakeeping and performance in the hunt for what many describe as “stable fishing platforms”. Unbeknownst to some, this is easily achievable without the compromises.
We believe that every boat is unique and such that, needs careful consideration during design to ensure she trims well at rest, provides a functional layout and rides smoothly. The combination of the above ensures that your time spent on the water, for either work or play, is trouble free.