1967 Caribbean Galaxy Runabout Boat

Description

From humble beginnings, Melbourne’s Spooner family has forged a boatbuilding dynasty that has stood the test of time. Under the umbrella of International Marine, it is one of Australia's oldest and largest FRP boat manufacturers, having been manufacturing boats since 1958. Since founder Arch Spooner returned from the UK after WWII with expertise in a new product called glass-reinforced plastic – otherwise known as fibreglass – and set up a small manufacturing plant, Caribbean began making Australia’s first fibreglass boats; small displacement runabouts, using molds purchased from the UK. Since then, International has made well more than 50,000 boats under the Caribbean, Pride Sports Boats, Bertram, and Columbia Yacht brands. These have varied in length from barely 10 feet to large 49-foot flybridge cruisers. Model longevity is exemplified by Caribbean’s 35 model, which was first produced in 1970 and is said to be the longest-running production boat in the world.
Made between 1966 and 1968, the Galaxy V67 was based on  Bertram hull and was one of Caribbean’s earliest designs, aimed at the family runabout and ski boat markets. Design features included one-piece windscreen, back-to-back foam seating, side storage compartments, upholstered transom, console safety handle, ‘Rideguide’ steering, molded self-draining motor well and two-tone deck. As well as developing the Scoresby property adjacent to its factory into the famous Caribbean Gardens recreational park, the Spooner family also found time to transform coastal swampland into Australia’s first floating marina, what is now St Kilda Marina. Currently, International Marine’s 23 models from 5.4m runabouts to 49 flybridge cruiser are all branded Caribbean.