Sea-Trex Marks One Year Since Relaunch
Heritage brand, re-established by Tim Stessl in July 2025, signs five dealers and expands into NSW and SA.
Sea-Trex, the entry-level boating brand re-established by Tim Stessl twelve months ago, today marks its first anniversary since relaunch with a dealer network now trading across Queensland, Western Australia and Victoria, and expansion into New South Wales and South Australia already underway.
Originally established in 1983, Sea-Trex was retired for several decades before Tim Stessl took the brand back from his father, Alf Stessl, in July 2025, following Alf's 50-year career in Australian boat building. The relaunched brand made its first major public appearance at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) 2026, presenting eight boats under the line "Boating Starts Here."
The range is available now through Tim Stessl Marine's retail showroom in Ashmore, QLD, alongside four dealers signed in the brand's first year: Rockhampton Marine (QLD), Ford Marine (Goondiwindi, QLD), Midway Marine (Rockingham, WA) and Mozzi Boat Loaders (Echuca, VIC), with representation in New South Wales and South Australia to follow. "This brand was never about flash," said Tim Stessl. "It was about getting out there — giving people an honest, affordable way into boating.
A year in, seeing five dealers backing that with us, in three states, is exactly the start we wanted." The relaunch comes at a time when Australian households are notably cautious about discretionary spending, with consumer confidence tracking near multi-decade lows and interest rates elevated through 2026. Sea-Trex is positioned specifically as the accessible starting point for first-time buyers and weekend boaties, an offering the company says has underpinned dealer interest through a traditionally difficult trading period.
"Boating Starts Here isn't just a tagline for the show stand," Stessl added. "It's the reason we brought this brand back. Every dealer conversation this year has been about the same thing — people want a straightforward way to get their family on the water without overcommitting. That's the gap Sea-Trex fills." Sea-Trex operates alongside sister brands Makocraft and Tim Stessl Marine within the Stessl family's Gold Coast-based marine group, which traces its boat-building history back more than 50 years across three generations.
Sea-Trex 600 Sea-Force Cab Hard Top - July 2026