Significant exceptions to this Taiwanese dominance include two
U.S. companies: Brunswick and Marlow Yachts-Norsemen Shipyard. Brunswick has
sold 400 units to Chinese clients—more than any other company—and started
producing its Sea Ray 175 in China.
Top: The Chinese-owned Sunbird yard. Bottom: The Cheoy Lee yard. (Click images to enlarge)
"If the Chinese economy continues in the right direction, then
the market potential is unlimited," says Su Lin Cheah, regional sales manager
for Brunswick. "I personally hope that it doesn’t boom, as that may not be
sustainable, and we’re definitely here for the long term."David Marlow is chairman and the majority shareholder (but the
only Westerner) in the partnerships that own Marlow Yachts-Norsemen Shipyard,
which exports the majority of its ABS, Lloyd’s Register and ISO 9001-compliant
Prowler and Explorer series to the United States, while keeping an eye on the
emerging domestic scene. Unlike similar companies in China, Marlow set the
bar for environmental manufacturing practices in 2003 when the Xiamen facility
was built and went on to win the World Superyacht Environmental Award in 2006.
Marlow also believes that the common perception of Chinese products as being
inferior is often misplaced, pointing out that many components fitted aboard
some of Europe’s finest yachts are Asia-supplied.
Top: A sailboat in build at the Hansheng plant. Bottom: A joiner at the Yihong yard. (Click images to enlarge)
On the superyacht front, Hong Kong and Singaporean investors
such as Cheoy Lee in Daumen, Kingship in Zhongshan or Raffles Shipyard in Yantai
are building world-class steel and aluminum yachts at a cost that can only be
attractive to end users. During my visit to Cheoy Lee last April, the builders
were putting the finishing touches to 45-meter Marco Polo (ShowBoats
International, November), designed by Ron Holland and commissioned by MCC.
Cheoy Lee was a pioneer in fiberglass construction and GRP/foam sandwich
technology and this expertise was put to use with Marco Polo, which has a
steel hull and composite superstructure. Company Director Martin Lo reckons that building in China
represented at least a 20 percent cost savings to the German client. The
shipyard moved from Hong Kong in 1999 to its present site near Zhuhai in
Mainland China, relocating its skilled foremen in the process. Cheoy Lee
continues to build everything from ferries and tugboats to one-off custom motor
yachts, such as the Frank Mulder-designed, 172-foot SeaShaw, launched
in 2004. With a tank-testing facility nearby at Guangzhou University, its own
metal cutting and bending plant, propeller tuning facility and full-size lofting
shop, Cheoy Lee is able to build to any class in steel, aluminum or
fiberglass.
Top: A welder at work at the Cheoy Lee
yard. Bottom: Hard hats at the ready at the same
facility. (Click images to enlarge)
Also in April, Kingship launched 110-foot Princess K
(ShowBoats International, November), the first in its Magellan series of
elegant motor yachts. The yacht has an explorer-style range of 5,000 miles. The
first 90-foot hull in the upcoming Columbus series is also in build, and 125-
and 135-foot models are in the pipeline. Roger Liang, the Hong Kong owner and
founder of Kingship Marine in Zhongshan, has set out on a unique company
mission. By employing top naval architects Vripack, renowned designers such as
Pieter Beeldsnijder and Luiz de Basto and cutting the metal for his yachts in
Holland, he is effectively assembling a European product in China. "The perception is that Chinese build means lower quality,"
says Kingship consultant Phillip White. "We go to a lot of trouble to refute
this conception. Of course, we could build more quickly and more cheaply, but
our mantra is to provide high quality as standard."
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Email This
Printer Friendly Version
Reprints & Permissions
Most Popular Searches
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();){kind=link}