Metal Boatbuilding Start-up Needs Advise

I want start metal boatbuilding business in New Jersey.
Please advise on what does it takes.
Boatyard sellers are welcome.

 

What type of boats?

 

What type of metal?

 

Tug style live-a-board

Tug style live-a-board ocean going aluminum barges up to 50'.
I have Master Degree in mechanical engineering, 20 years of experience; mechanical, sheet metal, material handling, design and drafting; and AutoCAD(2D), SolidWorks(3D modeling), and Cosmos(FEA) expert. Will model 3D surfaces and convert AutoCAD into NC files.
The only missing things are welding experience and boatyard
Will be open for partnership.
Will be first guaranteed buyer of the first vessel.

 

Tug style barges? Like inland river pushboats?

I guess it would work...

Why aluminum then?

 

Because it light! I can't handle heavy plates, have no crane, and do not want use much help, want build myself, or outsource cheap. And maintenance cheaper than steel? Is it right strategy?

 

So, you're telling us you can handle a 2 x 6 mtr plate of 6 mm aluminium???

I think the answer on your original post - "what does it take?" is A CRANE.
Or lots of tackles, rollers, a forklift, there's so much you can do with so little.

 

Crane will work for me. Designed overhead and jib cranes up to 100 and upgraded existing ones for 3 years )))
I want to weld up to 3/4" thick aluminum 5xxx plates and frames. What welding equipment do I need? How much does it costs? Ball park idea is okay

 

5xxx for plating is oke, for stiffeners you can think of the 6xxx type alloy. Welding equipment - mig/mag, don't know about the costs

 

if you are building in aluminum for salt water use you are asking for trouble with electralasis. you will have to protect the metal with coatings and anodes to prevent same. if you have to sheild the metal for protection, you might a well use steel. in larger vessels like you are describing steel wont weigh any more than alum because you use thinner sections for the same strength. the one advanage that alum has is you can cut with wood power saw with carbide blades. talking of setting up a boat building company remindes me of the time i wanted to do that . hopefully you will hire a large man with size 14 boots to help you before you do. his first job is for you to bend over, and he kicks you in the butt time after time until you change your mind! if you paid him 5k for one day of service it will be the best money you ever sent.

 

I am 2 month in do-it-yourself boatbuilding, and I think you are right. No do-it-youself, period. At least for one-off project.
But finding not too busy shop to do the motor-away level of comletion is still on. I want find $7/pound of displacement boatyard.
Will see

 

one solution to your do it yourself boat building disease is to find a current project that the wife has nixed and carry on from there. many times you can buy that puppy for a fraction of the investment not counting time already put in. this assumes, of course, you do not have a mate that will kill you for what you have done. A friend of mine used his "what a deal" story to convince his wife he could not turn down the deal. he lied. told his bride he paid only $1,500 for the boat, when in fact he paid $8,000. then a couple of months later he sold out for $5,000 and told here he made a profit. dont think she ever beleived him, but at least that project was moved out of his back yard.

 

Don't be so ugly
Look at Bruce Roberts projects

 

the point is, when you want to build a boat check out all your options before you go off half cocked and plunge into something that can be very time consuming and takes a lot of investment. if you have never built a boat from scratch, you dont know just how much time it takes. even an experienced builder will spend a lot of time working full time. an ametuer will take three-four times as long to do the same boat. another consideration in building your own boat is the value after you have completed the project. if you want to sell the boat and the new owner wants to get a loan to make the purchase, he will have a difficult time getting financing on a home made boat. my advice would be." if you want a boat, buy a good used boat. If you want to build a boat for the experience, build a small one." the satisfaction in building a boat will be the same on a small one as a big one. ugly

 

I'm not familiar with this "oneuglyboat" guy, But all I can say is KUDOS! I couldnt have put it better myself. People dont realize the time it takes for a one off project. You WILL NOT make any money with one off projects unless you have unlimited finances to carry you thru. Profesionals with a lot of experience have a hard time making money with a one off(experience talking). The remark regarding financing is spot on. It's hard to get a loan on a no name boat. Jumping in the market with a boat the size you are talking, it is very hard to get a foothold. My suggestion: If you have a lot of money behind you, go for it. If not then you better spend a lot of time on your business plan. Designing a boat is the easy part. Designing a boat, then unleashing it on the market, then being able to respond to the orders you will generate is the hard part. You have to be ready to take on whatever the market wants. All your ducks need to be in a row. Your product needs to be ready to turn over to builders for assembly if needed, you need to know EXACTLY how much your boat costs to produce, etc. etc. It sounds like you have a lot of good education to get you started. My personal opinion is to spend your initial capital on development of your product so that it is not a concern when some dealer orders 200 boats. Dont get in over your head early(or late for that matter).
Remember, I'm just a small time aluminum boat designer/ builder and my views are based on what i have seen in my 20 years in the business. I'm certainly not Donald Trump I wish you the best of luck and I hope my two cents will be of some assistance.
Peace Joey