Southern Trader was built at Clareville Beach in Pittwater, Sydney by Jim Perry from an Alan Payne design, with the gaff sailing rig by Warwick Hood. Engine is a 1956 Deutz A6L 75 HP continuous industrial 6 cylinder diesel with Lohmann & Stolterfoht hydraulic gearbox. Manly Steamship Company used this engine-gearbox combination very successfully in Sydney Harbour ferries at that time. Under previous ownership the sailing rig was removed and a large saloon with flybridge was built.The present owner since 1980 reduced the saloon and flybridge and reinstalled a sailing rig. The vessel was in survey in the 1980’s and was part-time home, cruising yacht and charter boat. From mid 1990’s has been based mainly at Coffs Harbour and in Tasmania.