Not to Hijack the Thread . . . but, does anyone have any direct experience with Delta Marine? Apparently, they, too, build large vessels and Yachting has fawned all over one of their recent releases called Laurel, which, if I'm not mistaken, is 240 feet long. It has a steel hull and a composite superstructure.
Delta has been around much longer than you have. They build a good boat......I wouldn't rate them as good as Feadship or a few others, but I'd put them in front of Trinity and Westport.
I Just Found Something I just encountered a boat by Benetti called Reverie, which is 72m long and comes close to exemplifying the interior style I would like. Just to make sure I'm absorbing all of this technical information, this is a full displacement yacht, correct? BTW, Benetti isn't on my short list; I've read far too many complaints about quality and construction method. She is a very comely lass, however. I am frustrated that they don't show pictures of the wheelhouse, nor do they show any of the engine room. For some reason, I love those types of photos--perhaps most of all. I'm not sure why.
During the height of the RE boom, we had two members that were serious about a new build in the 150'+ range. In both cases, they were both so dismayed by Delta, they vowed to build anywhere else. One of them went to Trinity. Not sure on the other. In yet another instance, we have a build engineer on YF (he may be following this thread) that was so put off by the lack of competence and follow-thru with the marketing arm of Delta, he refuses to recommend or work with them. Delta lost a big contract with him. He took his client to a German yard. You can add my name to that list too. We don't provide coverage for Delta anymore and I can't in good conscious recommend this builder, unless you want to overpay for a boat. That said, they build one of the finest yachts in the industry and their facility in Washington is among the best in the business.
Brilliant but difficult, eh? Well, unless I'm commissioning a new symphony from Beethoven, I don't think I'm liable to tolerate that, so I guess I'll scratch them off the list. BTW, I thank you for your candor; I'm not sure if you've noticed, but there are a lot of sychophants in the yacht press. If I had a boat made from cardboard that was catered by McDonald's, I'm fairly certain I would get a glowing review by the writers of most of these periodicals as long as I provided a two-hour cruise. BTW, what is the RE boom?
R.E ? Relentless e-mails. Raised Estimates. Ruinous Electronics. Robbing Euro-marinas Raw End of a build Help me out chaps, I'm running out.
Personally instead of looking for a builder; I would be looking for a boat designer; someone like Vripack or an US alternative. Usually the design team will steer you towards materials and builders that are most appropriate to the boat designed for your needs. Unless you wish to buy an "off the shelf boat" Paul
Good on you Carl! This kind of honesty is as rare as it is expensive. If I had to speak of the people and organisations in my industry, who I know are what I call “impostors” to the level of what we build, then I would be taken to court. I know because there was a time when I actually believed I could speak/write what I believed and knew was true. However, in this world of litigation, there is no value put in honesty, only in who has the bigger and deeper fighting fund. Regards, George
Armed with 2012 first hand knowledege regarding a major refit, Delta bears some attention particularly since as Karl says they build good boats and have a good yard. A very close relative recently had Delta perform major surgery on an Al vessel for fuel tanks, hull repairs, repaint, electrical system redo and lower level interior tear out and rebuild. The work is exemplary and was on time and budget. Large vessel Captains I know in the PNW speak well of Delta. Delta's FRP fishing vessels are legendary and still much sought after. But yes, they can be expensive, as are all serious yards and builders. During the past few years of economic softness Delta has become aggressive in refit work on smaller vessels too, doing their best to stay alive in this tough market. Given the recent threads on Italian builders, China quality and bankrupt brands, Delta seems less troubled and worth considering.
i also have first hand experiance with delta after you get passed the personality issues the rest is good quality and i felt was and is a good value for the money spent travler
""""I read that kevlar-infused hulls are actually more susceptible to sea water if the gel coat is compromised and that carbon fiber isn't a viable solution because it shares this same characteristic"""""". Hi. Don't know about over there. But a lot of serious boats built here are not gell coated. It's porous. They are popped out of mould. Often by me. Crane operator. then they were two pack painted in leiu of Gell. Much more longer lasting. and pox proof. Regarding steel and corrosion. My last yacht. Still here on poles. (Australia) is '85 vintage. I grit blasted outer hull and reprimed. every 8 yrs reliously. Did with all my boats. Rerigged shrouds etc every 5 to 6. The interior. in bilges and round Chain locked. Steering gear. Are still the original Epoxy tar coating from prelaunch. Done right. and kept dry. They'll last long than you. I'm looking at a boat in Holland Steel. Ex Finland. '63 vintage. Stripped and refitted in '97. V8 Cat and new running gear. '97 vintage too Looks like new. and very nice interior. 93ft. Just nice. True ocean going and comfortable. At a fraction of the cost of these modern boats.. Bought. slipped. Sailed to Australia with crew. Around the $600k mark. Another one 80ft. '60 vintage Plate tested and built for ice. (8 and 12mm plate) lovely little 353 Cat plodder. 35ltrs an hr at 8.5 knots. Lovely looking mini ship $200k will buy her. Spend a hundred tidying up. and titivating master cabin and heads. Perfect. Beds for a dozen mates below... What more do you want. They have the looks. none of these plastic buckets could ever have. and in a seaway..... Just an alternative. if you after trawlers. Get a trawler.. A mate just bought a 135ft 2000 model Wet Fish Trawler in Holland. Waiting to hear from him..Looks nice too. He's going to carry his 35 Riviera on deck..
I know you guys have been waiting on new features and I'm not sure if you guys seen the latest one. It's on the Bering 60' Steel Trawler and can be found at the below link... http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/bering-yachts/19776-feature-bering-60-steel-trawler.html
Again a great feature, thanks Ron... the wait was it definitely worth!! The Bering is such a cute looking world explorer.
Yeah it was interesting working on that feature. I learnt alot but the brief from the chief was to keep it simple and utilitarian like the boat itself. So I hope that is how the feature came across.
Is there any specific reason why the review is not in the review section? I guess some people might miss it - and that would be a shame. Sebastian - Ah ok - just saw it: It's not a review but a longer feature article... Sorry - my bad...
Really... what is the difference between a displacement motor yacht and a trawler motor yacht... other than style... I cannot see anything else. Personally... I would not have something called a trawler... implies "work boat" not "pleasure boat"... which is the point of it unless you plan to do a little commercial fishing offset the bills.