January 2009
I am seated in the engineering area at
Marlow-Norsemen Shipyard on a cold and very windy night, December 5,
2008. Another year draws to a close, to be followed by the excitement of
the annual Miami Boat Show in February near Valentine’s Day.
It is full darkness now on the China
Sea, with the Ocean wild with White Horses charging ashore, Southbound
and crashing over the top of sixty feet tall Granite headlands one mile
at sea. A surfers dream crashes one after the other onto the beach,
rolling the aboriginal fishing fleet from gunwale to gunwale. A young
moon has painted a million diamonds on the rough sea.
On shore there are four new Marlow
Explorers that must be loaded on a ship that is just undergoing its own
maiden sea trials in Xiamen, fresh from the China Shipbuilding factory
there. Our voyage will be its maiden one and it seems fitting that we
will cover its decks that from now on will carry 1200 containers to
ports all over the world. After we discharge in Port Everglades the
Motor Ship MEKONG RIVER is headed for Savannah for its first load of
containers to be ferried across to Germany.
The factory is incredibly busy now,
but then it always is and for that we are fortunate, as many in the
marine industry struggle to survive. We intend to continue to develop
new products, responsive to changing needs and times. In fact we just
put the finishing touches on what will be a very significant new entrée
into the yachting world.
We are nearly finished with a new
laminating and large-yacht-construction building, able to build up to
150 feet within its doors, while offering another 15,000 square feet of
laminating space to our fiberglass production department. This talented
work-force does its magic in Full Stack Infusion©, our own proprietary
developed system, to laminate the entire hull in one shot by opening a
valve in lieu of a horde of mop and bucket wielding crews nearly
overcome by typical styrene emissions. Our workers work without need of
a respirator or gloves in this exciting and exotic technology, while
emitting no toxic Ozone depleting chemicals into the atmosphere. Why
doesn’t every company do the same? Because it is an expensive and time
consuming learning curve and requires substantial capital investment in
tools and training. They will, if they survive, when you, the
public, demand they be responsible to the earth and build better yachts.
Until then they will pollute and build your boat with mops and buckets
of gooey low tech resin and garden variety fiber reinforcing fabrics.
 In
the R&D department we are bending, breaking and testing all manner of
materials, looking for a better way tomorrow. We are by no means
perfect, but we endeavor every day to build better products in every way
we can. We value our workers and their health, refusing to erect some
shed in a business park or worse, a bamboo framed tarpaulin covered shop
like we have seen more than once. We feed them great food, delicious
organics whenever possible, many raised by us. Our VIP center now is
100% organic vegetables and we are heading for 100% organic period. We
purchase nearly all our seafood from the native aboriginal fishing
village next door, as fresh as it can get. In so doing we convert our
needs into capital for a bustling community more prosperous than any
time in their 1000 year plus history. The vegetables we cannot supply in
adequate quantity yet, we purchase from local farms in Chi Hu Valley and
they are delicious, beautiful and nutritious.
Our teak farm is alive, well and
growing beautifully to replenish the oxygen and to assure a steadily
growing supply of the world’s most noble woods. While I may not be on
this ball to see them harvested in a sustainable manner, the earth can
use the oxygen, shade and soil replenishment they provide.
Marlow-Norsemen Shipyard is a
responsible member of the world business community, respected and
awarded routinely for superior practices from husbandry of the world’s
precious resources to technological breakthroughs once thought
impossible. We have been awarded the prestigious title of Best Design
and Functionality for both 70 and 86 foot yachts two years in
a row and won the first ever Environmental Award from Yachts
International.
January 2009
Michael Huang is named Chief
Operating Officer of Marlow-Norsemen Shipyard.
Huang Ming Chung, better known to us
as Michael Huang, has been with me since almost the beginning of Marlow
Yachts. My good fortune began when I flew to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to
inspect and interview a yacht building company owned by Volvo Asia as a
possible candidate to build the yet to be born Marlow Explorer lineup or
possibly to buy the company ourselves.
Michael was in charge of production at
Fadara Yachts, as it was called then. To limit his duties to that would
not take into account his value to the company when I observed his
"presence" in the factory or in the offices. It was obvious to me that
whenever possible, Michael made things happen.
I met Michael upon arrival and by the
time an hour had passed I had made up my mind that he could and should
be both an integral part of our plans and my friend as well. I liked him
immediately, finding him well versed in yacht building, customer care
and a host of other areas. Well versed in International politics, the
nuances of our industry and constantly trying to improve the area and
circumstances surrounding him. Michael is a perfect gentleman, polite
and good natured, while having the soul of a tiger.
Though I did not buy the company due
to a less favorable business climate than others offered, I did enjoy
Malaysia in general and found the Klang Valley region attractive. After
a road trip through Malaysia and onward to Singapore, New Zealand,
Australia, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Myanmar and India, I had several
possibilities under way but Michael’s talents kept coming to the
forefront. Upon making my decision as to where the first Marlows would
be built, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a communication from
Michael advising me that he had visited the beach on the eastern side of
Malaysia and the Northeast trades shouted to him that he should come
with me in my new venture, that it was to be his final place of
employment.
I hired Michael and he is Marlow
Yachts' first and therefore oldest employee. My initial appraisal of his
talents was very optimistic but he has exceeded that; in fact he has
continued to amaze me with his tireless work ethic and ability, while
keeping harmony among all. Michael is well liked by everyone who meets
him and most accommodating to any and all. Our customers tell us often
of how appreciative they are for his assistance in all matters. Many of
them refer to him as David’s Chinese son and I am proud to see it that
way. Our time together is always productive, fun and stimulating,
whether he is teaching me about the flora and fauna of Asia, making me
an exotic wild plant or animal dish in the wok, or discussing world
politics.
Many people see Michael and me
traveling about the world and I suspect that we have probably been
invited into more potential business partnerships than anyone else on
earth. The ventures range from plastics manufacturing, distribution
networks, real estate ventures, yacht building and numerous other areas.
Michael has since the beginning been
Head of Asian Operations, answering directly to me and he remains so
today but his duties have just become more diverse, as he has been named
Chief Operating Officer, or Managing Director of Marlow-Norsemen
Shipbuilding as well.
I cannot imagine anyone more capable
as we move Marlow-Norsemen into the future. Michael is a qualified
engineer, Naval Architect and a free thinker in business as well as
problematic minutia that would stop others. Michael has been with me
every step as we have continuously showed the fleet our heels in
technology and tomorrow’s yacht building.
Michael is married, with two children,
both of whom I enjoy visits with. One day I hope they too will decide to
mess around with boats.
September 2008
We have completed most of the
permanent molds for the new 86 introduced in Miami during February 2008.
These new tools should speed production allowing us to fill the orders
for yet another successful product launch.
We have completed a second
set of molds for the 72-78 series, which we believe are the most
advanced molds in our industry. They were designed and constructed
specifically to embrace the new “Full Stack Infusion” we have developed
in house. This exciting technology insures a laminate strength that
cannot be approached by common hand laminating and improves worker
safety and greatly reduces ozone depletion by eliminating the release of
the various chemicals that are aromatic in resins. These chemicals,
known by names like Styrene, Methyl Ethyl Ketone, etc. are part and
parcel of the fiberglass industry and until now the answer was to
release them into the atmosphere.
At Marlow-Norsemen we have a
better idea. We release no significant volume of these known carcinogens
and do our best to remove our workers from exposure through higher
technology. At the same time, the end product is far superior to that of
common fiberglass laminating as practiced by 99% of the marine industry.
By using closed molds there is no release of these harmful chemicals and
our workers love it.
There is no possibility of
the best hand laminator on earth getting close to our fiber to resin
ratio even in a small controlled test. In our Full Stack Infusion ©
process the entire product from stem to stern has precisely the right
amount of resin and fiber, all glued together by a specially formulated
modified epoxy that exhibits many times the adhesive power of the very
best polyester resin on earth. In fact, there are no
polyester resins on earth that carry a military adhesive rating. Simply
put, none have adequate strength to qualify. Now if the glue that is
holding your boat together is not strong enough to merit a glue rating,
why would a company use it? Well, there are some simple answers such as
cost. It is comparatively cheap and in today’s market, the temptation is
strong to buy lesser quality materials. But the real reason is that most
will not advance the state of the art until the art advances enough to
threaten their archaic methods survivability. It is a long and winding
road to learn and implement the technology but to be an industry leader
one cannot follow.
In truth, the inherent
weakness of polyester resin can be overcome by simply building it
heavier. But that too carries penalties. The additional weight causes
the boat to be less responsive to the sea and be battered by it rather
than dancing with the waves. The additional weight slows the boat down
at all throttle settings, consuming far more fuel.
A great example of this extra
cost and loss of ability can be seen in the brilliant performance handed
in by REBEL YELL, hull number 72-18 in her recent non-stop offshore
voyage of nearly 1800 miles at an average speed
over ground of nine plus knots. After that performance, she then
traveled onward to the Maritimes of Nova Scotia waters and rested in the
Bay of Fundy with over 1000 gallons of fuel still aboard. REBEL YELL has
the ability to reduce speed very slightly and travel non-stop offshore
from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Key West, Florida and return to Halifax
without refueling. Much ink has been applied to the voyages through
Bermuda, then to the Azores and finally a third leg to the Azores by a
group of serious passagemakers consisting primarily of Nordhaven
products. In recent years that brand has emerged as the best promoted
offshore cruiser, though I do not share the vision of their suitability
for my purposes. I find them archaic in construction, with a metacentric
height that frankly is frightening to contemplate if the stabilizers
quit. There can be no doubt they are capable of offshore voyages, having
demonstrated that many times. What I have not seen demonstrated that
would satisfy me is an acceptable speed over ground average or a ride
comfort I would tolerate without massive stabilizer fins. I do not want
to cross any large body of water at an average speed of 5.75 knots point
to point with any motor running and would prefer to go a good bit faster
if under sail.
Marlow-Norsemen will one day
introduce a yacht that is more heavily weighted to continuous offshore
cruising across very large bodies of water but it will have speed
capabilities of double that typically seen in the current range of
“trawlers”.
Stay tuned.
June 2008
At the
Marlow-Norsemen Shipyard near Xiamen, China we are running hard to keep
pace with orders and continue to develop new and proprietary ways to
build fine yachts.
We have
successfully developed what surely is one of the most outstanding large
yachts over the ages with the new 86. It is successful beyond
expectation and performs far beyond the most optimistic scientific
performance predictions, optimistic guessing and even our hopes. This
new model exceeded every parameter including internal volume, ride,
speed and economy. How much speed? How about 31 knots with C-32
Caterpillars? Ride: like a big stretch Limo. Economy: non-stop at 15
knots from Florida to the Azores with only 3900 usable gallons of fuel
aboard!
The orders
have flowed in on this newest flagship of our fleet from the Antipodes
to the Great Lakes.
In the
Marlow –Norsemen yard, there are currently 14 yachts under construction
with two more on ships bound for the States. Busy, you bet!
We have
just completed and released our second set of tooling to allow us to
build our largest models and have successfully blended the ever popular
65C and 70E into the
production facility.
Our
teak plantation has weathered its first serious test, enduring perhaps
the worst winter in 50 years along the China coast. Although these
fledgling trees lost most of their leaves to the bitter winds and salt
spray, virtually 100% of them have budded out as the spring rains came
in abundance.
We have
just held our annual employee picnic party and we counted just over 600
full time employees here now. We had a fully catered feast and gave out
various gifts to exceptionally productive workers and new uniforms for
all. In neighboring Zhang Pou City, the streets seemed to be filled with
Marlow-Norsemen workers celebrating.
We have
just broken ground on a new laminating facility measuring approximately
250’ by 200 feet. Designed to allow ever more efficiencies in our
proprietary Full Stack Resin Infusion (RIVAT) ©, we will soon be able to
employ every proprietary tool of this exciting new process! This new
laminating facility will allow further expansion of our production
facility while improving worker safety, health and clean air.
We are
often asked to participate in joint ventures with other companies from
around the world. Though we are flattered, thus far we have observed the
current state of the boatbuilding art and find most of it archaic,
relying on technology more than 40 years old, as current as last year’s
newspaper. Thus far we have found nothing in others offerings that bring
significant advantages to any process undertaken. Though some of the
companies carry world class reputations, the reality is that they have
not invested for tomorrow, riding yesterday's (and in some cases
yesteryear's) knowledge far beyond its useful life.
It is a
fact that in today's competitive world no viable company can rest on
yesterday’s accomplishments. The world is filled with hungry tigers
looking for their place at the table of plenty and the inertia of
success.
We at
Marlow-Norsemen have been fortunate to assemble a talented group of
bright young people, tutored and encouraged by masters willing and able
to pass on trade secrets and methods that only artists may possess.
We thank all of our
customers and supporters for their loyalty and decision to favor us. Be
assured that our duty to you is clear and held sacred to do our best.
January
2008
At Marlow-Norsemen
Shipyards, the pace could be described as frenetic. We are currently
breaking ground on another laminating facility on site to take full
advantage of our proprietary “Full Stack Infusion” © process. This
process is simply light years ahead of the now old technology of hand
laminating employed by the industry at large. A comparative might be
using a hacksaw to do fine joinery if we were referring to furniture
making.
That section alone
(furniture) could occupy a few chapters as we continue to develop space
age methods of construction for all phases of our yachts. Though what
will be seen to the eye in accommodations areas is at least equal to the
great masters of the Renaissance period, beneath the carefully milled
and selected veneers and hardwoods beats the structure more akin to a
space shuttle. Stronger by far, a comparative laughable equation that
learned people would not engage, with absolutely stability for the age.
Rot proof and requiring zero maintenance, the honeycomb cores we employ
are not glued cardboard, as some companies have embraced, but highly
developed hexagonal cells of polypropylene. Moisture will have no
effect, nor will temperature extremes.
Our teak plantation,
begun with approximately 1000 seedling trees, is now as large as waist
high. Yes, it is many years until they are available for use, but less
than when we began. And over their life cycle they will help cool and
cleanse the earth, along with more than thirty thousand other
significant plantings we have voluntarily undertaken. We will continue
to plant ever more, refining our processes to reduce the burden on our
precious resources. We will develop our products to take full advantage
of what we will learn tomorrow blended with what we know today.
The factory is full
to the brim, while our assumed competitors lay workers off. It is
obvious that the yachting public has embraced our proven technologies.
The doubting rumors so salaciously spread by those without ability or
impetus to move technology forward, have been ignored.
Our Research and
Development department runs at full steam to keep Marlow-Norsemen moving
in the direction of tomorrow. Our plans for today will pay dividends in
reduced fuel usage, solar energy and other advancements vital to the
continued health of our industry. We have embraced, proven and built far
stronger, yet far lighter vessels and will celebrate yet another
milestone in February, in the production of our new 86.
Though the tired old
gibberish of “heavy makes a good ride” still circulates through segments
of our industry it has been so thoroughly debunked that it hardly
deserves another treatise. Write it on the wall of knowledge, Heavy,
makes a non responsive slug that requires excess energy (fuel) to move.
Heavy does not make strong. In fact, the opposite, actually
contributing to the inertial factors that tear objects apart due to the
“G” forces that must be reversed, over and over as the yacht reacts to
the sea. Heavy does not make a smooth ride, as the yacht cannot dance
the ballet of the sea, reacting as the clod hopper clad farmer at the
local barn dance compared to a nautical Nureyev.
In February 2008, we
will introduce the new Marlow 86, of which several are now sold to
retail customers. It is shaping up as the most successful introduction
in our history, though each and every yacht we have ever developed began
life with a strong backlog of orders.
This yacht will be
hull number 100 for Marlow, a significant milestone in itself. But the
true benchmark will be hidden in its structure and technology, but
revealed in its performance.
Though this new
model should in theory reach a speed of approximately 21 knots with its
power package if we compare it to the industry’s present crop of
obesity, its initial speed trials, fresh out of the box revealed a speed
of 27 knots, with twenty persons aboard. WOW! This is for a yacht with
the required structure to obtain Bureau Veritas Classification, a title
that less than one tenth of 1% of the products in our industry can
achieve. It is referred to as the “ice class yacht” appearing to be
structured to take on the Bering Sea, and it is.
At the Marlow-Norsemen facility, we have just welcomed as head of engineering the
former head of Offshore Yacht’s Asian operations, Mr. John Sun. John is
well known to the industry, having more than twenty years experience in
design and oversight of yachts. John brings a huge databank of
knowledge, integrity and will to the ever expanding power base that is
Marlow-Norsemen. John adds to our ever growing resume of resources,
human and mechanical.
New sets of tooling
are underway. New machinery is being developed, built and utilized. Our
processes are constantly being reviewed and improved, tested and
certified.
We have just
received full certification for Bureau Veritas, Lloyd’s Germanischer,
National Association of Engine and Boat Manufacturers, American Boat and
Yacht Council and other prestigious rule making-enforcement bodies. We
do not avoid or fight their guidelines; we embrace them, many times
offering new and advance materials from the bright minds at Marlow to
them for destructive testing to rewrite the standards.
All the while, we
recognize that none is possible without a vital ingredient...You, our
most loyal and valuable customer base who place your trust in us.
We will make
occasional mistakes, as humans do. But that is not the final arbiter of
the equation in our view. The final judgment will be how we react to our
errors, the knowledge we take from them and your evaluation of us as a
company made up of mere humans.
September 2007
The news at Norsemen
continues to be the rapid ascension of the company into the ranks of the
finest boat builders on earth. We often hear amazement in the voices of
various people; many of them experienced tradesmen in the marine field
as they observe The Miracle of Chi Hu Valley. For those of you who have
not visited us at our Fujian Province facility, Chi Hu is the once
remote fishing village valley where we chose to set up camp for a most
remarkable and rewarding experience.
Chi Hu, when we came
had one small store, and a central live market where livestock,
agricultural and seafood products were offered. I am told that I am the
first “white man” or “Gwailo” to be seen by most of the villagers.
Gwailo, loosely translated means “ghost man”. I’m not, because I just
stubbed my toe and it hurt. Ghosts don’t do that do they?
In Chi Hu Village,
the dirt roadway ended. The nearest hard road was eleven miles away over
what only an optimist could call a road. I am fairly tolerant of
discomfort and I call it eleven miles of mud hole hell. From Chi Hu to
the oceanfront site where we would begin was another almost nine
kilometers, with not a sign of a road. The closest thing to a road were
several meandering ruts through woods and granite hills with an
occasional mountain. The ruts were the pathways for the free roaming red
cows and water buffalo that pulled a plow when caught and hid among the
trees until they were.
We began by mixing
concrete on site, welding beams from raw steel and built a beautiful
factory overlooking the China Sea. My view at work is similar to a
painting of idyllic beaches and a cove filled with ancient fishing
vessels. Today nearly 300,000 square feet of manufacturing and support
facility produce what we believe is one of the three best boats on
earth. And we are closing in on arguably being the best, period.
We refused to let
the ancient fishing village that lies alongside be torn down for
progress, instead offering jobs to those who were interested. We built a
road (after two years of nightmarish rides across hill and vale) that is
a smooth concrete ribbon of eight kilometers connecting the fishing
village and Chi Hu. Today, Chi Hu is bursting at the seams with new
construction, now boasting many dozen shops and we have our own brand
new traffic light everyone ignores. The valley now has almost six times
the inhabitants, all fully employed and prosperous. Six hundred of them
work directly for Marlow-Norsemen in a model of vertical integration,
from raw materials to finished goods. We have developed metal and
fiberglass technologies that to date no other boat company on earth has
mastered. Most have never considered them, content to follow. For us at
Marlow-Norsemen, that would be like following one of those old water
buffalos every day; the view and aroma is not great.
In the town
government, there are now more than two hundred factory applications to
join our green environmental valley. Already more than forty are up and
running producing everything from exquisite granite art to fine
glassware. Nissan Corporation has purchased the land next to Marlow
Norsemen and will soon begin building boats alongside us. Competition?
Yep, tough competition, but I’m pretty sure we can pass muster. And if
we can’t, well, that’s just the way it is supposed to work. No
guarantees, just opportunities.
February 2007
Marlow Yachts is a
world leader in the exciting new technology of resin infusion. This
technology literally infuses each fiber with precisely the right amount
of resin while in the mold, with no room for human error in resin
content. This is very important in that one drop of resin over the
required amount to wet the fibers reduces the laminate strength. Our
RIVAT© (Resin Infused Vacuum Assisted Transfer) process is simply the
highest expression of this state of the art methodology. At the same
time the exclusive closed molding process employed with RIVAT©
eliminates ozone depleting chemicals dispersion from the process.
The panel stiffness
of a laminate is dependent on the cube of its thickness hence a sandwich
laminate will have much greater panel stiffness and therefore less
flexing than a single skin laminate. This prolongs the life of the
laminate, preventing stress cracks with far better resistance to water
penetration of the laminate by any method including the nemesis,
osmosis. Experience and testing show that the retention of strength of
a laminate will decrease dramatically with increased panel flexing. The
more one allows a panel to flex the faster its properties will decline.
This applies especially to the very brittle Ortho-Polyester. Most
builders today use Ortho-Polyester in combination with E-glass woven
roving and chopped strand mat. From an engineering point of view this
combination represents a relatively low quality and low cost laminate.
Some yards using this method are yards with a high quality image and a
good reputation.
At Marlow Yachts, we
have used from the beginning, unidirectional stitched fibers such as
Kevlar and other specifically engineered fabrics in combination with SAN
foam sandwich construction. Through the years we have developed our
laminating systems and today the minimum requirement for any part of a
hull laminate is Iso-Polyester. There is no Ortho resin allowed. Our
standard boats have vacuum-bagged Modified Epoxy laminate using Corecel
foam as sandwich material and a hybrid roving Kevlar/glass
unidirectional as basic fibers in the laminate. There is no question
that a sensible high tech laminate will be stronger, lighter and last
longer thus increasing the life and second hand value of a yacht making
it a good investment in safety, comfort and reliability for the owner.
February 2006
At Marlow Yachts
Ltd, we continue to advance the state of the art with advanced boat
building techniques like our proprietary RIVAT© infusion system. RIVAT
is the acronym for “Resin Infused Vacuum Assisted Transfer”. Though we
are not yet fully infusing our products we continue to advance the state
of the art. It is our opinion, well supported, that we are the leaders
within the yacht building industry in new technology, implemented after
long R&D programs designed to prove or disprove their merit.
Our systems are not simply geared to
improvements in the mechanical side of yacht building, but encompass the
esoteric along with the mundane. Our goals are not only to build the
very best available, but to bring the products to market at a value
relationship that causes the industry to continue shaking their head,
asking “how?”
The infusion process is well known in
aerospace applications and had found its way across the manufacturing
spectrum to diverse products ranging from FRP bus and coach bodies built
by companies like Toyota, high performance aircraft components, racing
car frames and onward to the incredibly light and strong windmill blades
being produced by the thousands to ease our dependency on foreign oil.
To compare common open molding with polyesters and generic fabrics to
this cutting edge technology is akin to comparing the Wright Brothers
first airplane to the 747 by Boeing.
In the infusion process we have
developed, we begin by cutting the reinforcement fabrics layers out in
patterns geometrically shaped to fit our hull. These are then numbered
and labeled so that we can place them exactly where they should go in
the hull, deck or bulkhead and floor molds.
The resin remains in drums awaiting
the proper time to be connected to a labyrinth of piping that is
designed to carry the resin to a grid of flow transfer media.
Essentially a highway for the resin to travel to the exact spot in the
exact quantity.
All the fabrics are placed in their
designated spots and covered with a heavy duty plastic film covering the
flow media described above.
The enormous vacuum pumps are then
started, removing 100% of the air from beneath the bag. Sensitive leak
detection devices are used to check the entire perimeter and seams for
even a minute vacuum leak.
When all is well a valve is opened and
the resin swiftly begins to flow to the hull, deck or whatever part is
being laminated. The piping is transparent so the flow is clearly
visible. In less than one hour, an entire 38’ hull can be infused to a
standard that is physically impossible in any other form of laminating.
The perfect amount of resin has permeated every fiber but no thick pools
of brittle excess can be seen in the laminate. The tremendous pressure
exerted by the high volume vacuum pumps has squeezed the laminate to
form an extremely hard laminate absolutely free of voids or excess. Even
under laboratory conditions, no hand laminators can approach the
strength obtained or the precise resin to fiber content that produces
the finest laminate available. It is well outside our ability to
understand how companies today are still rolling low quality resins in
open cavity molds using generic bulking fabrics like woven roving to
thicken the laminate.
Much of our laminating process is done
by very sophisticated vacuum bagging. Even ordinary vacuum bagging is
far superior to hand laminating in an open mold. Hand laminating with
generic resins and fibers is truly yesterday’s newspaper so to speak.
Vacuum bagging, even at the lowest levels of technology is far superior
to any common laminating with polyester and woven roving. Vacuum
infusion is yet another quantum leap in laminate quality. Many companies
state they vacuum bag their yachts however under inspection one finds
they often do small parts only, if at all. Only about 6 companies
worldwide have learned and practiced the infusion vacuum process.
Other advantages of this closed
molding is that the workers are much happier and work more efficiently,
as they are not required to wear bulky safety gear that restricts their
ability to move freely or breath naturally. In infusion, simple rubber
gloves are all that is necessary for protection. There are virtually no
harmful fumes or chemicals released into the atmosphere and worker
health is vastly improved. It does not require an M.I.T. Summa Cum
Laude certificate to understand that a comfortable happy worker does a
better job. The workers are happy to be part of a high technology
portion of the factory production instead of relegated to mopping,
rolling or spraying resin and fibers with dangerous chemicals filling
the air.
So why doesn’t everyone do it? Well,
we ask the same questions we did six years ago when we led the cored
hull, modified epoxy resin, vacuum bagged revolution. Why the heck
doesn’t everyone do this? The reasons seem to be about the same now as
then. “Its good enough”, “It costs too much” and “we don’t know how”.
Perhaps, but we like the view from the front and we will continue an
active R&D program to learn everything we can about advance Fiberglass
Reinforced Plastics technology.
We will continue to read, build,
subject samples to extreme hardship and learn in this exciting new
field.
In February 2006, we introduced our
newest offerings with this exciting technology. The 72E LR and the new
Prowler 375 Open.
Marlow Explorer
72E-LR
September 2005
We are very proud to
report that we have achieved some very significant milestones at Marlow
Yachts. The factory is a beautifully landscaped example of what humans
can accomplish if they are sincere about doing the right thing. It is
comprised of well planned and constructed buildings with logical flow
plans for efficient manufacturing located on one of the most beautiful
beaches anywhere. Our basin allows us to launch directly into the sea
and do extensive sea trials, typically consisting of a 100 mile voyage
as the initial sea trial, followed by another 300 mile trip to further
check our work and the yacht’s performance.
The award of the
prestigious ISO 9001 standard was received with great
satisfaction and is proudly displayed in our factory. ISO stands for
International Standards Organization and 9001 is the level at which we
qualified.
ISO 9001 is the most
comprehensive of the ISO standards. It requires companies to design,
implement and maintain quality control processes throughout their
business activities. We have passed these tests with flying colors,
having zero reductions in the points total for failure to comply with
any criteria.
The ISO 9001
standard provides a focus on system processes as opposed to elemental
areas. The twenty elements of ISO 9001 have been restructured into four
major areas or clauses to provide an even more logical sequencing of the
requirements, while allowing the guiding documents and record keeping to
be more precise and easier to use.
ISO 14001
accreditation means a company has proven to an independent auditing
company that it consistently delivers compliance to its stated
environmental manufacturing standards, it has established a system of
continuous monitoring and improvement of the activities related to that
standard and that it has developed effective process management systems.
The ISO 14001 family
of environmental management standards is published by the International
Organization for Standardization, which also oversees and publishes the
ISO 9001 quality management standards. While both families consist of
standards and guidelines relating to a company’s process management
systems they are independent of one another.
Meeting ISO 14001
standards means that we constantly monitor our progress toward meeting
our stated environmental goals, that we have processes in place to
identify shortfalls and that we have additional processes in place to
mitigate any adverse effects from any shortfalls.
Lofty standards? You
bet! We urge all companies world wide to take the first step in the
long march to these goals.
July 2005
The physical plant has
expanded to accommodate the growth in sales and the increased ability to
fabricate so many of our own components.
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This is the current
physical plant with the China Sea in the background. You can see
the changes and improvements made over time by looking at the
series of photos below that go back to the conception of
Norsemen. |
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The drafting department overlooks the
manufacturing areas with a pleasant atmosphere and a wonderful
view. |
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The well-stocked parts
department provides for efficient and orderly distribution of
the needed items. |
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January 2005
| As the landscaping matures, our
vision of a "green factory" is becoming a reality in
appearance as well as function. This is a view of the entry
way and front lawn of Norsemen Shipyards, Ltd as it looks
today. |
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This view is of the
business office building with the workers' apartments in the
background. The pear trees in the foreground produced a
large crop of fruit this past summer. |
| This is a view of the
China Sea from the beach in front of Norsemen Shipyards.
Quite an inspiring workplace! |
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Norsemen Shipyard,
Ltd. has provided for the local community in many ways.
These are some lockers built for the village school by our
carpenters. |
JUNE 2004
The gardens and landscaping are maturing, the
fruit trees are bearing fruit and quality yachts continue to come down
the production line with ever shorter production times and ever evolving
innovations. There will be completion of several new 78E's this summer
with one being delivered to Italy in late September.
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This completed 78E is ready for
launching down the railway and a trip to the ZhangZhou Port
where it will be loaded on a ship for transport to the US. |
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The local villages'
fishing fleet can be seen in this view from the back deck of the
78E above. The China Sea stretches to Taiwan in the background. |
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The 78E at ZhangZhou Port awaiting
loading on a ship. |
July 2003
Current Photos of the Norsemen
Production Facility
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The Main Entry to the
Norsemen Factory
Norsemen Shipyard Limited |
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Our
hand crafted three dimensional logo graces the wall of the VIP -
Reception Center |
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These buildings are our on site
apartments for our workers and our crew chiefs. They are new, spotless
and very comfortable with learning and teaching aids available to all
workers.
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This photo shows our shipyard offices where our engineering departments
and reception area are located
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This view shows our beautiful and modern
production buildings on the ocean. |
June 2003
New Photos of 78-02 and the Manufacturing Plant
February 2003 • The photos below will show the
progress we have made in our new facility with the buildings and the surrounding
landscaping. The enthusiasm and great work ethic of the people involved has made
this project move relatively quickly and smoothly towards completion while
honing their skills for the ultimate purpose of the manufacturing plant.
Craftsmen are building all the desks and workstations with the attention to
detail that we will exhibit in the yachts built here. They are installing
beautiful granite counters and floors in the office and reception areas. In
essence, the future boat builders are creating a yacht-like manufacturing plant,
dormitories, offices and reception/ VIP center. Before being accepted as a
manufacturing team member every worker has been through a gauntlet of tests
including full sized building projects under the watchful eyes of 25 masters we
brought from other manufacturing locations. These masters are veterans of many
years in yacht manufacturing and are at the top of their class in skill and work
ethic.
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The
construction of a granite wall around the plant and sea wall into the
bay is well under way. |
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Construction
continues on the property while the building of yachts is well under way
in the new buildings. On the right is an 80' yacht ready to be turned
over. |
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On the left,
workers have cut and are arranging several huge teak logs for drying. On
the right, a model for the hull is being prepared. A full sized mockup
built with exquisite detail was built of all models to be built here.
Only then were we satisfied the design was fully developed and the
skills to build it were cataloged, on hand and ready. |
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July 2002
• The photos below will give you a glimpse of what we are involved in and
hopefully pique your interest to follow Marlow Explorer
Yachts as we continue to develop and produce a line of world class yachts.
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This rendering of the Norsemen
Shipbuilding, Ltd. production facility details what the completed
facility will look like when all the building is completed. The
protected harbor of the China Sea is a tremendous asset that very few
shipbuilders world wide can boast of. This ambitious project will allow
us to create production lines that are well thought out and planned for
optimal efficiency. |
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The VIP center is the reception center for
visitors and houses several apartments for the factory principals and
visiting yacht buyers. The construction is fully completed and the five
acre property landscaping is underway. The interior floors are a beautiful granite
from a local granite quarry and production facility.
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The first of several large production
buildings have been completed and are ready for the various interior
work stations to be built. The large buildings in the photo to the right
can accommodate as many as 10 sixty five foot yachts at one time. This
building opens onto a spacious and beautiful work area overlooking the
Yellow Sea, a crystal clear
body of water. Since this photo was taken nearly 100,000 square feet of
buildings have been erected to create the finest yacht production
facility in Asia, if not the world. |
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The lofting shop has
completed its
first project lofting a motor yacht in the 80' range. We can
develop up to four 65' projects at one time in these reinforced concrete
buildings. Overhead cranes allow us to maneuver models as a complete
unit. We are now developing a new yacht with looks and quality to rain on
a lot of picnics. |
| The engineers and support staff will have a
very spacious and well lit workspace with a clear view of the production
facilities. Granite floors contribute to a healthy and clean work
environment. Note the construction overhead. We built these buildings to
survive a 200 mph typhoon.
Since these photos were taken our crews have
wrapped the support pilings in either granite or fine wood veneers,
while another crew hung sound absorbent ceiling and lighting to allow a
terrific atmosphere for working.
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The parts receiving and
distribution building is laid out for maximum efficiency and
organization. Fully computerized handling of bills of materials,
purchasing and related items are being installed now. Landscaping is
underway to create a lovely working environment.
* NOTE: Landscaping is now completed in June of 2003
and the parts department is full of perfectly organized and labeled top
quality parts. All are cataloged on a proprietary parts distribution
system that records in real time our costs on any yacht under
construction.
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It should be obvious that we are very serious about
continuing the tradition started with the launch of hull # 1 on the Marlow
Explorer series. No detail is too small, no task too large in pursuit of building
the world's finest yachts.
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Marlow-Norsemen
Shipyard is currently growing Teak and other seedlings
for a plantation now that will completely
mitigate our usage of hardwoods in the
production of our yachts, ultimately replacing
those used on a three to one ratio. This
miniature plantation will mimic a natural forest
ecosystem with a variety of hard and softwoods
including understory plants. Marlow-Norsemen to
date has planted more than ten thousand hardwood
trees including Mahogany, Teak, Eucalyptus,
Lychee, Dragon eye, Apple and Pear. In addition
100% of the vegetables and seasonal fruits used
in the galley at our VIP center now comes from
our own gardens, which are fertilized with ash
from our hot water generated from factory wood
shavings mixed with dust collected from
the furniture section at Marlow-Norsemen. No
pesticides or artificial fertilizers are used.
Irrigation is provided by a dedicated cistern
that is strategically placed along the river bank
adjacent to the center. Water that is used is
returned to the same river after filtration
through 50 meters of natural sand and stone,
cleaner than when removed. It is Marlow-Norsemen's
goal to reach 100% organic food production for
its 600 plus employees by encouraging and
supporting local fishermen and farmers
providing non chemically enhanced food products
with minimal distribution costs. It is our
belief that long term crop production can be
enhanced by eliminating the scorched earth
production policies that kill all insects
including beneficial elements of the life chain
such as honeybees, hummingbirds and
other natural pollinators. 
thick installed before
construction began. These elaborate filtration and collection
devices route all water to several 300,000 gallon cisterns where the
clean filtered water is then used to irrigate the lovely pear, peach and
apple orchard planted as landscaping. After percolating through
the crushed granite beds beneath the landscape, the water is routed
through roman drains back to the cisterns where it is reused over and
over again. It is also routed to the entire facility to act as a
superb fire-fighting tool for the factory and adjacent native fishing
village.
F
depth by 32’ of width each,
thus bringing the total under roof to about 300,000
square feet. Above, 40 feet of overhead with both
natural and energy efficient lighting allow working
around the clock, while Ten Horsepower electric
squirrel cage fans change the air each ten minutes
of operation, removing dust in the process. Overhead
cranes capable of lifting a 150’ long hull or deck
span the complete overhead so that a deck or hull
can be lifted over another and placed in any of the
six bays.
