I will start a thread in due time for our boat. For the sake of this thread i'll try and keep my comments relative to Cabo and separate from our current venture.
There have been big efficiency leaps at hatteras since 2015 for sure, without sacrificing quality. Doing things like assembling the staterooms non-structural bulkheads/framework beside the boat then lifting inside the hull in one piece has saved a ton of labor without causing any difference in quality, just building smarter. Lot has changed since Brunswick days for sure
You mean they are doing things that production builders were doing in the 8o’s? Dropping stateroom modules as a pre-wired and pre-plumbed unit has long been done. As far as quality goes, it needs a measurement - maybe warranty percentage , like warranty expenditures versus sales price? Time will tell on that one.
Progress comes to a halt when you decide, typically long before you tell anyone, that you're going to sell a part of your business. Prior to that, they were often convinced the way they'd always done it was good enough. Better engineering and manufacturing discipline will ultimately reduce quality issues. Their warranty costs versus sales price will always run higher than some, simply because they fix things as opposed to arguing and disputing them. One poor choice though can always lead to many problems, especially when it's sourcing raw materials or products. Those are the types of things, and there is a recent incident not impacting the Cabo, that just put you behind.
I manage and run a lot of different yachts. I measure quality by how well they age and stand the test of time, as well as access to equipment and quality of equipment installed. If you look at 10 year old Hatteras MY's compared to all of their peers at the same age, the Hatteras by far are in much better condition than most all other motoryachts I see. They don't have any interior woodwork issues, they don't have interior wall covering issues, they don't need to be re-teaked like the Euro boats that come with thin teak to start with, they don't have any exterior fiberglass cracking,no electrical issues, the exterior paint is still in very good condition, as well as s/s things like hinges, bow rail, rub rails etc.
Everyone may have their own perception of quality - pre-purchase, at delivery and through the entire ownership experience. But what I gave you was the Manufacturer's view of quality, that is the metric they will use in-house. As far as the ratio's being higher than others because they will "fix" more things instead of arguing about them, I would say that they are no more customer focused than their peers or rivals, Viking being foremost.
Most likely. As you know, every show boat/first in production gets that treatment. Time will tell what the real labor hours are after they get a years worth of production under their belt.