Hello Everyone

[adamfocht]

My names Adam, I currently build vee-bottom performance pleasure boats for Sunsation Powerboats in Michigan, I've been building boats now for about 16 years. I started out working for my family building high performance offshore catamarans and since then have been working for Sunsation. I've been wanting to find something like this for awhile now, glad I found it and I hope to learn new things and be able to contribute a few things as well.

Nice to meet you all, I look forward to reading your posts.

Adam

[kach22i]

Welcome to the forum.

I went to your firm's website:
http://www.sunsationboats.com/

I've taken my small hovercraft to Algonac (seven years ago), and had some fun on Lake St. Clair. I had lots of fun there, been meaning to go back - I'm in Ann Arbor.

How are fuel prices affecting cigarette boat sales?

[adamfocht]

When they first went up in the latter part of last year, we seen a slight decrease in sales, but thats too be expected for the winter months. It seems as if our entry level model has slowed down in sales, and our mid level model increased a bit. We're releasing a 43' model for the spring, early summer, and starting the first actual boat this week. The bigger boaters dont seem to be affected by gas prices / economy as much as the smaller models do.

You get a chance, gimme a heads up and I'll take you through the shop.

thanks,

A

[kach22i]

We're releasing a 43' model for the spring

Question: On boat lenghts, 43' seems like an odd length. I seem to recall reading about 42' and 44' lengths, is this an arbitrary issue?

Is there a break for the owner on insurance if kept below certain thresholds?

Is length strickly a design preference or is it a marketing decision?

Thanks for the offer, might take you up on it one day.

[longliner45]

wellcome aboard ;longliner

[safewalrus]

Welcome to the chaos Adam, may your stay be long and profitable (it'll be interesting that's for sure - we have a little sport here called "Yank bashing" don't take no heed it's all in fun ( :P :rolleyes: :P )

Hey Kach whos this Ann broad you didn't say? (my are you a sly one!)

[kach22i]

Hey Kach whos this Ann broad you didn't say? (my are you a sly one!)
And I thought Americans were bad at geography.

AdamFocht is at the red cross on the map, I am way across the other side of metro Detroit.

http://www.german-shepherd.com/images/map_se_mi.gif

[DanishBagger]

Welcome, Adam

Kachi,

I seem to see a tendency where the manufacturer/boat builders tend to round upwards in small boats, and in bigger round down or up to the nearest five. Also, if they have two boats, and one is slightly (a couple of inches longer than the other, they might go for a higher number. I seem to recall baltic yachts, Nautor and X-yachts doing that back in the days.

I don't know the exact reason, but here it used to be very widespread using numbers not dividable by three. So much so, in fact, that to me 42 and 44' sounds and look weird. "53 feet", "19 feet" and so forth sounds more natural to me.

Oh, I just realised I need to make certain my bowsprit makes the boat at a length where it cannot be divided by two. Or if I can't, I'll have to add a boomkin :D

Andre

[yipster]

hi Adam, real nice boats!
that map remembers me of freeway 80 where i played roadrunner to SF long time ago :P
chinese gov is helping boat building but a trip there never realised. dutch gov yesterday on tv said competition in EU is fair :mad:
when asked gov said open trade with china is the only way to go never mind the setbacks :(
technology should be the edge i hear and see you do :p
stay around on the forum :cool:

[safewalrus]

Katch thanks for the geography lesson, I can see why I've never heard of this Ann person if she lives over by Romulus, always thought that was a place in deep space where the baddies lived (see various Star Treks to understand why - there again Detroit could well be, where exactly is Detroit, no don't answer it's of no importance (Detroit I mean, not Romulus):p

[adamfocht]

Originally we were going to release a 38' model, because our next boat down is 32', as we got playing around with the plug and evolving the design, we came up with 42'9", voila~ the F4 was born at 43'

Our next model will fill the gap between the 32SS and the F4, 43'

Looking forward to many interesting posts, thanks for the welcome all, take care.

A :cool:

[kach22i]

Cool.

Hey, I want to meet the crew of that boat on your website.:cool:

http://www.sunsationboats.com/images/32ss_pic7.jpg

[Wellydeckhand]

Hey........ Nice for u to joint us....... now pass out the beeeeeers!!!! :D:D:D

Kach22i which one in the pic are u? I getting really worry onto myself......:):):)

[bhnautika]

Nice to see you to have laws about wearing personal flotation devices on boats.

[kach22i]

Nice to see you to have laws about wearing personal flotation devices on boats.
Those are the "built-in" type, but they do start to sag drasticly after 40 years of use and need to be replaced with a newer model.

[adamfocht]

cmon now guys, im just a lowly "boatbuilder" not "boattester" i dont get too hobknob with those types very often (and when i do, i usually get myself intro trouble haha)

:cool:

[bhnautika]

So Adam, what are you saying, this is not standard equipment.

[adamfocht]

If that was standard equipment, I would immediately ask to be switched to the division that 'research and develops' options of that nature.
:p

[safewalrus]

If that was standard equipment do you think he'd have time to write to us guys? :P

[boltonprofiles]

Welcome to the forums Adam............

Hey Kach, think after 40 years they double as ear muffs - or knee warmers - suppose it depends which way up they are...............

[safewalrus]

From experience Paul I'd say knee warmers! and if 'she' finds this forum I may not have any knees! bless 'er!:rolleyes: