NorthStar Heads to China

Several builders are starting to market their boats in China, and a handful have partnered with shipyards there to build their yachts, but NorthStar Yachts is taking the concept in a different direction. It's packing up its entire operation in Kalama, Washington, and re-establishing itself in the country of the Great Wall.

Why such a drastic move? In a one-on-one meeting last February, Keith Huzyak, president of NorthStar, told me that it’s just become too expensive to continue being a semicustom builder in the USA due to insurance costs and various requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard, OSHA, the EPA, and other agencies. On top of that, there’s the cost of acquiring machinery and other items the Kalama facility has never had, such as an overhead crane to move things more easily around the shed and a rail system for launching.

That’s why in May 2006, NorthStar started investigating yards in China. While Huzyak and the other principals met with 15 yards, they signed an agreement with yet another facility—one which would permit U.S. ownership and operation, he stressed, thereby avoiding the need to train an entire workforce and potentially creating a competitor down the road. Jerry Clark, the COO of NorthStar, and other department heads will be based in China and overseeing everything. In addition, NorthStar is retaining another group of department heads to remain focused on servicing its yachts; they’ll split their time between China and the USA. (Northstar is keeping its purchase department in Kalama to acquire and ship items not readily available in China.)

As for the yard itself, it’s in Zhu Hai region, in the Pearl River Delta, near Macau. It already has a 5-axis CNC mold and has been using computer-aided design and resin infusion on ferries and patrol boats.

NorthStar began shipping gear overseas in April. We’ll keep you updated on its progress, which as you can imagine is being followed closely by buyers and competitors alike.

Azimut

Last time I blogged it was to tell you about some factory tours I was doing in Italy, specifically Sessa. Shortly thereafter I moved on to Azimut, which turned out to be not so much a factory tour as a sojourn. For Azimut is both huge and about much more than building boats.

I began my tour in Aviglana, where Azimut manufactures boats to from 39 to 70 feet. This is a relatively new plant; the oldest parts are about six years old and one building was completed last year. Another is scheduled to begin construction later this year, Not surprising given its age, the facility is very modern, clean, well-lit, and virtually devoid of styrene odor. It was running at pretty much full capacity when I was there. From there I drove to Varazze, on the coast where the company has a big stake in a new marina project, complete with 800 slips (400 for sail on one side and 400 for power on the other), parking for 900 vehicles, water view apartments for sale, and a variety of shops. Although much of the shops and apartments are still unoccupied, it's nevertheless impressive. To my knowledge, no other boat builder is engaged in such a project.

From here we drove south to Viareggio, when Azimut builds Azimut motoryachts from 75 to 116 feet, the larger one in the recently purchased Lusben Shipyard, and in a separate facility next door, its line of Benetti composite yachts. The ex-Lusben works is also home to Europe's largest TraveLift, a 600-ton monster. My last leg was about an hour south in Livorno, where Benetti builds its full-custom, steel-hull yachts. There's yet another facility on Italy's east coast where the company laminates the hulls and deck for its composite Benettis, which are then brought to Viareggio for fitting out. Obviously Azimut is huge—there's really nothing in America—or for that matter in the world—that matches the number, size, and modernity of its boatbuilding facilities. I was bowled over.

Time for Bass

If you live in the Northeast and haven't launched your boat yet, it's time! We've been having some of the best spring weather we've seen in a long while, and it's bringing fish with it. These bass were caught right off the beaches of the South Shore of Long Island over the Memorial Day Weekend. The bite is on so call the crew and wet a line.

Green Ferries For Blue Highways

Fresh on the heels of solar-powered sun21's arrival in the Big Apple, New York-based ferry service Circle Line recently announced plans to update its Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry with a solar-powered, hybrid trimaran vessel.

According to published reports, a focal point of Circle Line’s bid for the renewal of its contract with the National Park Service (who manage the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island) is the Miss Statue of Liberty. The 115-foot vessel would hold 600 passengers (she’s got a 42-foot beam) and is based on an existing ferry built by Australia’s Solar Sailor; Sydney’s harbor boasts an 80-passenger sightseeing vessel (built by Solar Sailor) that utilizes solar technology that’s been in service since 2000.

Some of the Miss Statue of Liberty’s features include: a 23- by 50-foot solar “wing” that captures sun and wind and is computer-controlled for optimum sun-wind capture; two bow thrusters and a total of seven bow, midship, and stern thrusters for close-quarters maneuvering and on- and offloading passengers; and twin diesel engines capable of burning low-sulfur fuel. In addition, the solar wing can mechanically fold down in high winds—in this guise, its photovoltaic panels are still active and it also serves as a hardtop to shade seating on her top deck. Top speed is said to be between 10 and 12 knots (up to 6 knots on solar-wind power alone), with construction costs estimated at $8 million dollars.

San Francisco’s Alcatraz Cruises is also planning to introduce a solar-powered Solar Sailor-built vessel on its route.

Boating Bloopers