Sorry if I wasn't clear. The hull and deck molds were built in Italy. One hull and one deck were laminated and left in the mold while in italy. The molds with the parts still inside were shipped over from italy to the Bertram facility in Miami. Once here the parts were removed from the molds and then assembled to create the boat that you see in the show.
So future S will be laid in Miami and built/assembled in Miami? Exotic coring? I heard some rumors that Bertram was moving to the hills and parts of the old Miami plant was getting use as a movie studio.
Why wouldnt it be a US built boat? The number of hours spent to finish the boat after the hull is ready so so much more than spent in the hull.... and basically a hull isnt a boat if it isnt finished... Even some of the big name dutch yards will purchase the steel work (hull/superstrcture) from a specialized source and then have it floated in to them for fitout... I know of one supplier that is from russia, does that make the boat less "dutch" and more "russian"? In this case however, it seems that the european hull was only with this particular boat, as to optimize time or something, so they laid a hull in the mould and shipped the bundle over... Why would it be a scary thought though? If I had my pick, i'd get my hull laminated pretty far from here LOL... methinks these shores dont like keeping bertrams together... j/k...
I can see the assembly hours angle, but my understanding of the old school "where the keel was laid" may apply. It would be interesting to inquire about the hull serial number. Maybe some of the more senior (old school) guys can offer their thoughts on this.
I understand your "keel laid" argument, i'm partially even inclined to agree... afterall, the "build date" is supposed to be the date the keel is laid, not when the boat is leaving the factory, for example... But in practical terms, it does make more sense (IMO) to consider where the yacht is fit/furnished, rather than where the skeleton (hull/superstruct) is built... This is a bit harder to grasp for smaller yachts since the processes might seem more intertwined...
The US Coast Guard, which has something to say about Hull Identification Numbers, mandates that the hull lay-up date factors into the HIN. The completion date a/k/a the 'model year date' is up to the manufacturer. How do I know? The last few 58 Motoryachts constructed by a venerable boat builder in Miami were laid up in the late '70s-early '80s with some being finally finished years after lay-up due to the recession at the time. The HIN on the transom reflected these [dissimilar] dates.
That would be back when that certain manufacturer was a bit more honest that they are of late. I've seen several instances recently where that manufacturer as well as their main rival make new old stock boats "new" again...
But, if the hull is still in the mold and has not been popped out of the mold yet, then technically the hull has not been completely finished and is also physically impossible to stamp a hull number on. I've heard from someone that a manufacturer can now stamp the boat when it is completed at the factory, not when the hull was laid up. As to making an old boat new, I don't know. I've seen parts in many yachts from different manufacturers that were VERY old compared to the year of the boat.....Sub zero refrig's that were 6 years older, tv's 5 years older, engines that were 5 years older, you name it......I did see a 65' yacht at the Miami boat show that had the hull number on a crude HIN aluminum plate that was temporarily attached to the rubrail with the rubrail screws and not permanently attached to the hull.
When we built boats back in the good ol' days the first thing that went into the hull mold - after the release wax - was the hull number.
afaik its the first thing that should go in and you need to file papers immediately for... as for model year vs build year, i dont know much since i dont have much experience with smaller production boats, but i guess its similar to cars? model number is basically anything the mfgr wants to call it... i've often seen next year cars launched in the first half of the year....which always seemed pointless to me but its obviously a "marketing ploy" to try and "seem" more ahead of the competition...
The completion date on the USCG builders certificate is the generally accepted date and the vessel can be represented and sold as such. As posted earlier, the date on the hull number and the completion date can be years apart. The USCG builders certificate accounts for that with phase of construction dates. The Feds have a form for everything. The real question is... is it an American hull if the foreign mold gives birth in the USA?
And also, I imagine an American builder needs to have their forms pretty much in line with production, but what does that mean for the rest of the world? As we know most of the boat building is going on over-seas, so what goes on CG forms then? Just out of curiosity, is Bertram/Ferretti building any bertram models fully in italy for non-US consumption?
Foreign yards who build for the US market use the same HIN standards and the same USCG builder certificate on the initial transfer of title for a new vessel - then when it's documented, the USCG assigns it an official number - and from then on that's the number that matters. There is no USCG paperwork required during production. The USCG does not inspect or approve construction of pleasure craft. They only get involved when the boat gets wet.
I'm not sure of what some folk here are trying to say. I do know, if it's a foreign hull, it gets a foreign hull vin. Different from any documented hull number or any US built vin number.
Maybe this will help. There is no such thing as the "foreign hull vin" that you refer to. There is no such thing as the "documented hull number" that you refer to. There is no such thing as the "US built vin number" that you refer to. Regardless of where the boat is built, a hull identifcation number (HIN) is required for the initial title transfer of a new vessel into Coast Guard documentation - at which time the USCG assigns an "official number" to the vessel.
When you say the USCG assigns an "official number" to the vessel, I assume it is similar to any flag state that assigns an official number to a vessel? So basically, regardless of where the vessel is built, and regardless of where it operates, it has 1 HIN "hull identification number"... and regardless of where it is registered, it will have 1 Official Number... I dont know how the USCG does it as I have never had a boat registered in the US, but for larger boats flagged elsewhere, regardless of build origin, you will have the HIN, and then an "Official Number"... I suppose the USCG conforms to IMO on this? God Bless Globalization?
Excuse me. I did mean HIN. I'm sure most people understood what I was refering to even with out your help.
Yeah... maybe most people did. I didn't. I'll tread lightly here... HIN or VIN, either way your post regarding "What I do know..." was incorrect. I replied with a concise, correct explanation which you in fact asked for in an earlier post on this thread. So... anyway, whenever my post needs correcting, please feel free.
