Page 26: of Marine News Magazine (April 2015)

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COLUMN BOATBUILDING

SHIPYARD SHAKEDOWN

Shipyard selection, whether it involves newbuild or repair, can be a daunting task.

It doesn’t have to be that way.

By Joe Hudspeth, Vice President of Business Development at All American Marine, Inc.

Selecting a shipyard is a challenging ness. Vessels can easily ship from coast to coast via ocean proposition, an investment really, but liner in as few as 20 days – so the west can play in the how does one choose the right one? Lo- eastern division and vice versa. The risk is realized once cation, capabilities, price, and availabil- you step up to the table, throw down a stack of cash, sign a ity are always among the ? rst variable to contract, and indicate that you are all-in. But, just because consider. Equally important, but some- the dice have now been thrown, it does not have to take times relegated to secondary concerns nearly a year before you discover winning success.

are craftsmanship, safety, integrity, and Seek a shipyard with in-house design capabilities, or technology. On the other hand, some operators remain least aim for one in with prior experience dealing with the tied to the same yard forever, owing to a comfortable fa- desired design ? rm. Avoid coming to the yard with pre- miliarity and/or simply due to a lack of consideration. paid and pre-designed plans as the yard will be forced to

With respect to the Jones Act, the U.S. still enjoys a interpret and redesign according to in-house construction healthy shipyard industry with yards dotting most mari- practices. This will add additional time and cost. If neces- time communities nationwide – something to strongly sary, select a designer to represent your interests, but have consider, the next time reform is mentioned. Today, there them work in conjunction with the yard to get on the same are many yards to work with, not all are the same, and by page before a bid and contract are created.

establishing a few priorities, setting realistic expectations,

UMBING THE ITE OF EPAIRS and knowing what to negotiate will smooth out the pro- N B R cess and ultimately, drive successful results. Taking your vessel to the repair yard is akin to a dentist vis- it. No one ever wants to go, but you have to before things get

ETTING ON A EWBUILD

B N worse. Anxiety looms over what damage may be found and

Finding a new shipyard for new vessel construction is there is always concern regarding how much it will cost before very much like walking down the Vegas strip in search of all is said and done. Location is critical, as getting in-and-out the most propitious casino. If you are a new vessel buyer, as quickly as possibly is the only way to mitigate downtime you may feel like you are holding all the cards as shipyards and revenue loss. Vessel owners are sometimes limited in their across the country would probably love to have your busi- selection of a preferred repair yard and can be at the mercy of

Courtesy of Chris Rochette

April 2015

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