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"We have a saying here," laughs Howard Chen, president of
Jet-Tern Marine: "Made in China by Taiwan." After 15 hours on a plane, a
three-hour bus ride and two taxi rides to get to Chen’s factory in Xiamen,
China, my short-circuited mental capacity didn’t entirely grasp the significance
of his statement. Yet after four days of speaking with several builders in
mainland China, I realized that the nation is quickly emerging as a booming
boat-building market, and Taiwanese builders fuel this growth.  Doesn’t China have its missiles aimed at the rogue island
nation, looking to pounce at the first opportunity to head across the strait and
claim Taiwan? Well, try telling this to the Taiwanese businessmen and their
Chinese associates. In fact, according to trade magazine International Boat Industry, 90 percent of boat-building investment in China has its roots in Taiwan.
Taiwanese boat builders like Chen are beginning to flock to mainland China
mostly in search of cheaper labor as Taiwan becomes a more developed nation.
"You can build whatever type of boat that you want in China," says Andy Cutt, a
Hong Kong–based marketing consultant for Jet-Tern. "It’s just a matter of what
you want to build." (Click image to enlarge)
In fact, ShowBoats
International’s Global Order Book 2006 (SBI Dec./Jan. 2006)
showed China moving up two places from the year prior, claiming sixth place
among the top 10 builder nations, based on total combined lengths of all builds. Amazingly, China did
not even make the top 10 in 2004. During the same two-year span, Taiwan moved up
from sixth to fifth before slipping down two spots to seventh in 2006.
Although Chen exports smaller models—36 to 62 feet under the
Selene brand—he’ll have the ability to build larger models as demand increases.
Similar to other builders in Taiwan and now China, Jet-Tern works closely with
U.S.-based dealers to ensure the product is on target for the market. More
important, this collaboration will ensure that owners have the necessary
aftermarket support.
Top photo: Hong Kong is China’s most westernized
city. Bottom photo: The country’s globalization has attracted companies like Johnson
Yachts. (Click images to enlarge)
Jet-Tern, for instance, benefits from a tight collaboration
with its dealers, including Ted Hood’s Portsmouth Marine. It’s fitting that the
noted naval architect and America’s Cup sailor launched his venerable Little
Harbor sailboat series in Taiwan in the later 1970s, long before the country
earned a reputation for quality builds. Now his influence is felt in China.
Boat-builder David Marlow followed a similar path, scouring the
globe for a yard to build his Explorer and Prowler series of motor yachts
(models range from 37 to 78 feet). His quest took him around the United States,
Europe, Turkey, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. At one point, Marlow was close to purchasing a yard in Thailand outside of
Phuket. "Then the hands started coming out of the pockets looking for payouts," remembers Marlow in his charming
Southern twang. "And we hadn’t even purchased the yard!" Needless to say,
the penny-wise builder packed his bags and continued his search.
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