Norman R. Wright & Sons

08/10/2026

Nice to see our 12m XLW Class Patrol and our valued relationship with Marine Area Command - NSW Police Force featured.

06/10/2026

Thank you DPI/QBFP for placing your trust in Norman Wrights for the design and build of this important new vessel.

We are truly excited to bring innovation to the 20m plus patrol class through our proven combination of highly capable and efficient XLW hullform, long-life corrosion free lightweight advanced composite structures, and efficient Volvo Penta IPS performance.

Meet the newest addition to the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol fleet, set to hit Far North Queensland waters. 🛥️

The purpose-built, $11 million 21-metre vessel and 5.5 metre tender vessel will support the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol to undertake extended offshore patrols focused on fisheries surveillance and inspections to ensure compliance with marine safety rules and regulations.

Brisbane-based boat builder Norman R. Wright & Sons has been awarded the contract to construct the vessel, which will feature modern navigation and communications technology, improved manoeuvrability, a longer fuel range and enhanced onboard accommodation to support patrols of up to 10 days. Construction is expected to take 18 months.

📸 This artist's impression of the vessel on the water was provided by Norman R Wright & Sons.

02/10/2026

MARINE SURFACE PREPARATION ROLE

Norman R. Wright & Sons | Brisbane | Full-time

Experienced marine surface preparation person wanted.

Norman R. Wright & Sons is looking for an experienced person to join our Brisbane boatbuilding team.

Surface preparation is the main focus of this role, including:

Sanding, fairing and filling
Preparing composite and timber surfaces
Epoxy primers and undercoats
2-pack polyurethane and marine coating systems
Masking and preparation for high-quality finishes
Antifouling preparation and application
Spray application and conventional painting experience also highly regarded.

We’re looking for someone who knows how to get a surface right before the paint goes on and takes pride in producing a quality finish.

Experience is essential. You’ll need:

Proven marine painting/surface preparation experience
Good knowledge of marine coating systems
A high level of attention to detail
A reliable, practical approach to your work
The ability to work independently and as part of a team

Full-time position | Brisbane

Remuneration will be commensurate with experience and ability.

If you’re an experienced surface preparation specialist or marine painter looking for a new opportunity with an established Australian boatbuilder, we’d like to hear from you.

Apply with your resume and a brief summary of your experience to:

[email protected] or call us on 07 3890 0899

20/09/2026

Odern - the little boat that could. Pictured last week in Dwejra Bay, Malta.

https://archives.wrightsons.com.au/archives/2004-2

09/09/2026

Our new 20m XLW Class Patrol suddenly got very real last week…

17/08/2026

Our award winning 12m XLW Class Patrol vessels just got a new big brother - the 20m XLW Patrol - now in production!

14/08/2026

The monthly RQYS Topic Talks is coming up for August! Join us in the RQYS Auditorium on August 20th at 7:30pm to hear from Bill Wright ⛵️ Bill is a third-generation member of the renowned Norman R. Wright & Sons boatbuilding family. Come along to hear stories from over 45 years in the industry!

RSVP now: https://www.rqys.com.au/event/topic-talks-designing-building-and-skippering-timber-boats-with-bill-wright/ 🔗

06/08/2026

With 5 new builds under contract, you'd think we wouldn't have time for refit and maintenance. Not so! The last couple of months have seen a stream of diverse Norman Wright builds in for annual maintenance and refit works - from our 2025 carbonfibre Autonomous Drone "Reefcat " to our timber classics Bali Hai and South Pacific II.

10/07/2026

We're hiring again! With a number of exciting new builds commencing, we are looking for quality shipwrights and composite technicians to work at our Brisbane River yard. See our yard and contact us here: https://www.wrightsons.com.au/contact-us/

05/07/2026

NRW's reputation for efficient designs with excellent seakeeping comes not just from decades of experience, but also through continually investing in the latest design technologies. In recent weeks, our Naval Architects have been burning the midnight oil using cutting edge CFD (computational fluid dynamics) software to analyse the seakeeping performance of new designs for both ourselves and production boat builders. We were analysing the same things back in the the 1960's for development of the 75ft class pilot boats - except cutting edge looked a little different (and more fun!) back then.