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Choosing the right boat builder |
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Choosing the right boat builder either for direct purchase or for custom built boats is a primary consideration to ensuring that your investment will be well worth it.
Researching through the Internet, getting recommendations from boat dealers and other contacts as well as making personal calls can give a prospective boat owner with a long list of boat builders to consider. However, choosing the right builder largely depends on the client themselves. More specifically, the right builder should be easy to find when the client is well equipped with the needed information before building a boat.
Before a boat builder can provide a quote for construction to the client, the boat builder must have at least an estimating plans package. This consists of initial drawings of the actual building plans and design documents of the boat. Boat builders would need concrete idea about the boat’s planned exterior, interior and structural profiles and arrangements. They also need to know the vessel specification, scantlings, surface areas, structural weights, and equipment list.
With these information, prospective boat builders can more accurately provide the boat owner with a firm estimate of the boat’s construction cost. But without these information, a client may just get an alternative design or maybe even a boat that the boat builder already has in production.
Choosing the right builder for a boat depends on several factors including:
· The prospective boat owner
· The type of vessel being considered
· The anticipated level of completion
· The expected finish of the boat
In addition, it is also important to consider the boat builders suitability to the project at hand. Every boat builder would have their own fields of expertise and getting the right fit for the boat to be built is important to having a satisfied boat owner.
There are some builders that prefer to build only parts of the boat such as the metal hull, deck or cabin structures. Others prefer to build the entire boat. There are some that can build only up to a certain size of boat. Other boat builders would not like to handle power boats or sail boats.
In short, there are several qualified boat builders for every boat design.
Boat manufacturing standards and associations
Boat builders adhere to specific boat manufacturing standards ensure high quality for their vessels. In the United States, for example, most recreational boats are required to follow minimal federal manufacturing standards crafted by the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC).
ABYC has been writing safety standards for the design, building, and repairing of boats and their systems for over 50 years. Naval architects, boat builders, marine surveyors, marine technicians, lawyers, and many others in the marine industry use these standards as guides.
Boat builders, repair yards and marine surveyors are the biggest users of the ABYC standards, but it will not hurt consumers to have working knowledge of the standards to help in either completing do-it-yourself tasks in a compliant fashion, or ensuring that others do the work according to these standards.
If you are to buy a boat, or hire a boat builder, you should check if they follow the ABYC standards. Your marine surveyor and boat repair technician should also adhere to these standards.
Boat Manufacturing Standards
In a nutshell, the ABYC boat manufacturing standards pertain to the points below. However, note that these standards don't apply to canoes, kayaks and inflatables - or to sailboats without gas engines or generators.
Hull Identification Number (HIN). Identifies builder, model and year. Can not be altered.
Certification Label. Indicates boat meets all applicable federal standards.
Maximum Passenger, Weight and Horsepower Capacities. Exceeding these capacities will make the boat unsafe to operate.
Flotation Standards. Ensure that a swamped/capsized boat under 20 ft. will remain partially afloat.
Fuel Systems. For fuel tanks, hoses, pumps and fills, to decrease risk of fire/explosion on gas-powered boats.
Electrical Systems. For electrical components, batteries and conductors, to decrease risk of fire/explosion on gas-powered boats.
Ventilation Systems. Requires powered and natural venting to decrease risk of fire/explosion on gas-powered boats, including some with outboards.
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