bainbridgeisland
03-14-2005, 09:45 PM
I have admired Mike Allen's work for a few years. His company, Boatshop Philippines INC, builds a variety of multihulls using timber and the constant camber method. Here is a single picture and a link to more construction photo's for a 60' catamaran his company is building:
http://www.boatshop.com.ph/underconst/contructionpics/1.JPG
http://www.boatshop.com.ph/underconst/currentV18.htm
About the building pictures: Notice the Egyptian method of applying glue. Evidently they glue up an entire layer at once when building a hull. The only 'hi-tech' tools I saw in all these pictures are a shop-vac and portable compressor. These guys use very little personal protection when building. No steel toes, no dust masks - hard on the workers. Note all the hand sanding. Boy am I glad I am not doing that work.
I like a few things about this company. Their main asset is educated and skilled labor at relatively low cost. The biggest disadvantage is the cost and effort needed to import marine hardware and equipment. Therefore, specializing in multihulls makes good sense. These boats tend to require minimal hardware and lots of labor. Thus, they are priced lower than production multihulls.
Many of the boats built by the company are also designed by Mike Allen (the Visayan line). These boats are designed with a simplicity I admire. He has chosen light weight and extra length to obtain speed instead of high tech. Again this takes advantage of The Boatshop Philippines main advantage, low cost but skilled labor.
The simplicity carries over into the accommodation too. Notice how open, light and airy these boats are. Just what is needed for the tropics that these boats are designed for.
http://www.boatshop.com.ph/underconst/contructionpics/1.JPG
http://www.boatshop.com.ph/underconst/currentV18.htm
About the building pictures: Notice the Egyptian method of applying glue. Evidently they glue up an entire layer at once when building a hull. The only 'hi-tech' tools I saw in all these pictures are a shop-vac and portable compressor. These guys use very little personal protection when building. No steel toes, no dust masks - hard on the workers. Note all the hand sanding. Boy am I glad I am not doing that work.
I like a few things about this company. Their main asset is educated and skilled labor at relatively low cost. The biggest disadvantage is the cost and effort needed to import marine hardware and equipment. Therefore, specializing in multihulls makes good sense. These boats tend to require minimal hardware and lots of labor. Thus, they are priced lower than production multihulls.
Many of the boats built by the company are also designed by Mike Allen (the Visayan line). These boats are designed with a simplicity I admire. He has chosen light weight and extra length to obtain speed instead of high tech. Again this takes advantage of The Boatshop Philippines main advantage, low cost but skilled labor.
The simplicity carries over into the accommodation too. Notice how open, light and airy these boats are. Just what is needed for the tropics that these boats are designed for.