Perfect Panga Project

I forgot to ask, could the boat be considered "home built" since all the buyer would be purchasing is a raw "component" of the final boat?

I made a boat once and registering it was easy.

Kim

 

Good Question. You need an Expert like IKE to comment. I think you need certification for bare hulls.

 

Couldn't a good quality boat be made using the old-school fiberglassing processes? Do you absolutely need the more advanced process?

 

Sure...hand layup, chopperguns , works fine. Toxic environment.

 

Hi Tinklespout,
If the idea is to leave behind a "startup" with export potential to USA then the proper thing to do would be to establish a sales and ordering network in USA as well as a business plan and SWAT analysis as marketing with honesty and integrity is the key to any sustainable business... The low wage environment would suggest a finished product as the fit-out is where the money and time goes...

 

If they are building them and exporting them to the US then the importer (the agent in the US who is bringing them in ) would have to get a Manufacturer's Identification Code from the USCG, HINs would have to be assigned to each boat, and the boats would have to meet the regulations that apply. If they are outboards under 20 feet, flotation, safe powering, safe loading, labeling. So they wouldn't be home built.

Now if the importer sells them as a kit, just a bare hull, they still need an HIN, but the rest would be installed by the consumer. Of course the importer would have to provide instructions on how to install flotation, the powering regs, etc. So it becomes just as much effort as selling a complete boat.

 

Yes, the business end could be handled by a non profit such as Ten Thousand Villages, unless someone else wanted to run with it. They already have the contacts and infrastructure in place. They also provide money up front for materials for items they will be selling. This item is quite different than the other things they sell but theres a potential for some big benefits here.
I'm at a loss for molds though. Perhaps the motor manufacturers would be willing to help out. They would get motor sales (and write-offs) from this.