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an investment strategy that has armed research vessels and a long list of patrol completely different. “There are some projects that you’ll get the yard with an enviable technology and pilot boat projects for various inter- “The expectations of the customer, midway and say ‘why did we take this base and skill set that is often found only national customers, including Bermuda, of the industry in general, are so much one?’ But our philosophy is to stick it in much larger yards. Key developments the Bahamas and the Colombian navy. higher,” said Peter. “The vessels and the out, deliver the boat and hope to keep in its history include: “We don’t say no to anything, we’ll con- level of detail are so much more com- a customer. Some of our worst projects • In 1977, the shipyard delivered sider just about anything,” said Peter. plex.” And while the advent of technol- have become our best customers,” said

America’s ? rst Z-drive tractor tug. Eying new opportunities falls under ogy, particularly CAD and 3D model- Peter, noting that nearly 90% of the boat- • In 1978, it joined forces with de- Peter’s guise, and today he sees potential ing, has advanced the design process, yard’s work comes from repeat custom- signer C. Raymond Hunt to build the in offshore wind. “We’ve been looking the boats that Gladding-Hearn build ers.

? rst launch with a deep-V hull, now an at the offshore wind service vessel sec- are still an engineered product which industry standard. tor, and while we don’t have an indus- require skilled and experienced design-

Yard Investment • It became an Incat Crowther licens- try yet, it will happen,” said Peter. “If it ers and trades. “We live in a time that

Investing any boatbuilding enterprise ee in 1987, becoming the second ship- happens in the way that the Department you can buy anything you want on your yard in the country to build high-speed of Energy wants it to happen, it will be phone, but we’re not selling a product, is a 24/7/365 endeavor, as keeping the plant in shape and adding new technolo- passenger catamarans. huge and there will be enough work for we’re selling a custom-engineered solu- “Today we build in steel and alumi- many yards.” tion,” said Peter. “No matter how many gies is a valuable tool in maintaining ef- num, and 30 to 165 ft. is our practical In some respects, the process of run- phones or computers you have, you can ? ciency and pro? tability. “First, you have to have good, devoted range,” said Peter. “Typically we don’t ning an ef? cient boatbuilding business only think so fast. There is no ‘catama- build anything with outboard engines, remains the same as it did in 1955. “Mr. ran’ button or ‘pilot boat’ button on my people, that’s where it starts,” said John. but as those boats are getting bigger and Gladding wrote ‘Appreciation of a Small computer, it has to be designed. You still “But you have to keep the plant healthy, and that is a continuous investment and bigger, we may.” Shipyard,’ – a SNAME Paper – in the have to think; you still have to get infor-

To date the company has built 88 pi- early ‘60s, and some of the principles mation on what the customer wants, and a challenge.” “About 10 years ago we got in on the lot boats – and in 2014 it built the ? rst and business systems that they devel- you have to understand what the cus- ground ? oor of small shipyard grants pilot boat application of Volvo Penta’s oped when they started this company in tomer needs.”

IPS drives in the U.S. – as well as 42 1955 are still in place today. There are While computerized tools and 30 years from the Maritime Administration, we high-speed catamaran ferries since it different tools, but the philosophies re- of experience certainly help, there are no got lucky and we quali? ed, allowing us started building them 30 years ago. The main the same,” said John. exacts in boatbuilding, which remains to invest in infrastructure,” said Carol. portfolio is rounded out with tugboats, But in other respects, the business is both an art and a science, as Peter admits Investment in fresh infrastructure is www.marinelink.com 37

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