boat building in low-cost labor countries

My husband and I would like to build a custom sailboat but cannot afford the cost of US boatyards. So, we are trying to locate overseas boatyards that build fiberglass sailboats for low-cost labor rates. For example, we have heard that countries such as Taiwan, Turkey, Honduras, etc., may have boatyards like that.
If you have had a boat built overseas or know of such a boatyard, please email me with any information you have. Thanks.

 

Dear Hawkey,

If you ask about the project, I can advise "ALA" Group at Ukraine.

Spassky st. 68, Nikolaev, Ukraine, 54001
Ph. (80512)35373; fax (80512)359047

Is if you address to them, they will solve the problem both on designing and about building.

They have web-site: http://yachtbuilder.mk.ua/ala/DgALAE.html.
e-mail: ala@yachtbuilder.mk.ua

Probably it will help to decide your problem.

Yours faithfully
Dim.

 

Hi you may like to reply to this company, its located in mexico and they may be able to give you an estimate.


you may contact

Shipbuilder Eng.
Ivan Carlos Ojeda

ivanco@prodigy.net.mx
cgnyasociados@hotmail.com

this guys have some boatyards that they work with, they probably can give you a good idea.

 

Overseas yards can be of high quality, however there are differences in laws and working habits. For example, your boat may not be up to USCG standards, which would make it uninsurable. Also, consult a local lawyer for liability laws. In some places you may loose all your investment and have no recourse. Deadlines and construction schedules are unknown or disregarded in some countries too. In the US you would be able to sue for performance compliance. Have you explored Canadian builders? Their currency is quite low now.

 

How about checking out builder in South America, in Brazil: There is one posted. next to this section.

Gonzo's comment cannot be taken for granted. How about some Mexican yard next to the US border, so it is easy to bring the back and register and do some minor work to satisfy USCG. I think the vital part is safety regulations. Firefighting. As a pleasure vessel, there should be a lot of exemptions.

Building a boat out of country, must allow some travelling time and expenses. If this is the case, select a nice place for holiday waiting for the boat to be ready. Some boat yard have hull all ready. You just take a good look and select your engine, the boat will be ready shortly. Allow cost to register in US port with some minor addition of safety outfit.

Peter

 

I'm not saying all foreign yards are unreliable. Rather that some of the expectations that would be normal for a US yard may not be so elsewhere.

 

low rate boat yard

please see
WWW.HANYAMARINES.COM
CONTACT
Eng, USAMA YOUSEF
USAMA@HANYAMARINES.COM

 

Productivity vs. Wages

You have to look carefully at productivity, not just wages.

The best first world yards (including some in the US) do as low as 13 manhours per compenstated gross ton (a measure of boat size that includes effects of complexity and size). This is because high wages motivate management to find other solutions.

Some third world yards hit 150 MH / CGT.

Thus, the poor productivity means the wages are low per hour, but it takes ten or a dozen times more hours.

 

Guest,

This is an interesting area of discussion but I'm afraid your terms are pretty vague. Are you talking cad developed steel versus hand hewn timber. Are you talking commercial vessels of like construction? Do you have some specific examples?

I've been involved in manufacturing (non-marine) in the US over the past 30 years and in the past few years it has become abundantly clear that advanced manufacturing technologies are available pretty much world wide today. Is your experience as it relates to ship and boat building otherwise?

Doug Carlson

 

Right

You are correct about most of this stuff being available, but with a low labor rate, why bother? Or at least that is what I assume they must be thinking. Also remember, most third world countries have other cultural issues that block such investments, because it isn't just technology, but workforce empowerment and other stuff that just isn't on in many third world countries.

There are exceptions, notably Korea in large commercial shipbuilding especially, but they don't seem interested in small vessel construction, even commercial vessels, much less yachts.

Of course, lots of US yacht builders don't know anything about improved productivity either, so the combination of high wages and poor productivity is deadly. There is some room for someone to make killing here.

 

Guest,

I suspect you have the ears (eyes?) of a number of interested parties if you'ld care to flesh out your thoughts a bit.

If you have specific knowledge of under-utilized manufacturing techniques that increase productivity, would you be willing to share them with us?

I'm guessing there are a few out there who would like to make, maybe even share, a killing. Also, improved productivity would theoretically make better boats available to more people.

Doug Carlson

 

one alternative country

Hi there Hawkey,

After reading your post and replies from the members I think an alternative is South America, and as well Brazil is a good option, Argentina it is.

There are several good and low cost companies that would be more than happy to undertake your project, both motor or sail oriented. The subject is, what you´re really looking for and here I dont have information to go forward and humbly advise to whom ring a bell.

May I suggest you then to drop me a line and simple data of you boat and I will be glad to help.

Now, the other side of the story is as said someone. My country is a bit far from the States. The advantage: low labour costs actually. You need to be prepared to flight downhere at least a couple of times, just to follow up the project.

USCG regulations. There are several shipyards actually building boats and sailboats under EEC standards for export operations. Don´t see why we cannot here in Argentina fulfill that. We need to tackle our PNA guys, why not your CG ? But being serious again, I dont see much trouble in this point.

The legal aspects of the operation are basically easy in theory (don´t know an easy lawyer in this world), but I will suggest to hire and engineering co. or similar to be your eyes and ears in this project.

Just a couple of toughts. Pls drop me a line and I will be glad to help if possible.
My office mail is jkaniak@baya.com.ar

All the best,

J

 

just another chance

Sorry, forgott to say this and it is, I understand your project is a "dream boat" probably and respect that, but..........maybe another possibility is to buy an used american boat, no older than two or three years........the offer is huge actually, and a lot of people willing to sell. Best, J

 

I grew up in Uruguay, across the river from Argentina. They have excellent yards that do high quality work. Just think of Frers. Uruguay has a couple of yards that build in composite boats at competitive prices too. Most notably Astilleros Rosendo. I am not endorsing anyone, but just commenting on yards I know personally.

 

G´morning Gonzo !
You´re right man, Rosendo´s boatyard is well known and very good people work at it.

Re. Argentinian shipyards, I don´t know how long gao you haven´t been around here, but things had change a lot and probably few of those you can remember had changed propietors or even closed. Nevertheless, there a quite a few good and reliable ones.

Abrazo !, J@K