Delta Marine News

Delta Marine Industries has been the premier builder of yachts in the US for many yrs and not through the attrition of others in the U.S. closing up shop. A true custom builder capable of Steel, aluminum, and composite. After being involved with builds from Trinity, Christensen and Delta there's no comparison between them. Delta's attention to detail in the joinery, stainless work and fit and finish is exceptional for a U.S. builder and while the quality still isn't what's found in Northern European builds they're getting there. Deltas mechanical systems i.e. plumbing, fuel and seawater systems still need to evolve for access and equipment / fittings durability and common sense in some situations. Deltas paint systems are nearly flawless and they have a dedicated facility to insure this outcome. Delta's are priced comparatively to Northern European builds and that may be a issue for clients when building a 50 meter Christensen that is a sub 40 million dollar build and the same Delta is 10 million more but in the end your getting what you pay for. OB, Deltas are all around you in south Florida's marinas. I didn't comment on Westport as I've never been involved in a build with them. I've been on quite a few 40 & 50 meter Westport's and while the fit and finish seem top notch for a production boat, the systems and mechanical installations leave a lot to be desired. That being said, I still consider the 40 meter Westport to be the best Caribbean cruiser built at that price point.

Hardly a startup. You know Burger's history pretty much as well as I and the current situation that they find themselves in is a heartbreaker and doesn't make much sense to me. Here again is a full custom builder capable of building in steel and aluminum and has been in business since the late 1800's I believe. Burgers were (are) known for their exquisite joinery work and top notch electrical installations through the years and one of the few if not the only yacht builder in the states where an apprentice program was in place for the trades. It wasn't uncommon to see fathers working along side their sons or daughters in the shops. The town of Manitowoc has supported Burger with a deep labor pool and Henry and then Elias Gunnel rewarded the town with incredible longevity. Burger has recently invested in infrastructure in the last ten years building new shops and sheds but prospective clients aren't knocking at their doors despite having some really great N.A's on staff and really good looking new designs I've crawled through many a Burger from the eighties up to doing relief work on Mirgab in 2013 and was impressed by the evolution of workmanship and systems all around. Burgers quality is not at the level of Delta Marine in my opinion But its certainly a cut above the others mentioned. The VP of sales Ron Cleveringa is a NA product of Michigan State Univ. and was the staff NA for Broward's Saugatuck operation for many years so he knows his business well. Ron and crew actively market and are at all the shows so I don't know the reason for not having a full orderbook other than the trend to stay away from Aluminum construction vs GRP with the success of builders like Westport. I certainly wish them well and hope that they come out of this intact with a good book of business.

Thanks for the correction. I figured if wrong that you would set me on the correct course . Excellent rep for turning out NA's.