U.S. Luxury Yacht Builder Moves Production To China

SAG HARBOR, NY, September 22, 2007 (The Boating Channel)



THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
KALAMA, Wash. -- North Star Yachts has laid off 60 workers in this Columbia River town north of Portland, Ore. The company is moving production to China for lower labor costs according to The Associated Press in a story reported two days ago.

About seven employees will remain at the headquarters and parts warehouse of NorthStar Yachts, chief operating officer Jerry Clark told The Columbian newspaper earlier this month.

"We tried to make it work here, but economics forced us to look at different options," said Jerry Clark, chief operating officer of NorthStar.

The company makes luxury boats from about 80 feet to 125 feet long with price tags of $6 million to $13 million, producing one to two a year. Competing yachts made in other countries are available for about $2 million less, Clark said.

North Stars 112' Raised Pilothouse Motoryacht

"A lot of the expense is labor," he said. "With cheaper labor, hopefully our sales will increase."

To maintain quality control, Northstar is establishing and managing its own operation in Zhuhai, a maritime business zone in China, he added.

"We originally went over there thinking we were going to subcontract with an existing company," Clark said.

The layoffs mark the end of three generations of yacht building in Cowlitz County. The founders of Northstar began by buying the assets of Tollycraft, which was founded in Kelso in 1936 and closed in 1998.

"This is really, really tough for me," Clark said. "I have been working with people here for 15 or 20 years, and they were like a family to me.

"Unfortunately, it's a game of survival. And this is also exciting. A few American yacht builders are already here, but in many ways we're pioneers."

The Boatswain's Mate (Article + Video)

SAG HARBOR, NEW YORK, September 20, 2007 (BoaterB,The Boating Channel)

U.S. Coast Guard Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Jessica Walsh
practices her technique with the Boatswain's Pipe

Have you ever thought about the a Boatswain's Mate? Do you know what a Boatswain's Mate is? I've never given it much thought myself. I knew the term, and might have even guessed the right answer on Jepordy. But, I wouldn't have known where to start in an open-ended question like "What is a Boatswain?" Fortunately, I came upon a Coast Guard Video Interview with Joseph Klemencic, from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Boutwell, about his job as the boatswain mate of the watch, otherwise known as a BMOW.

Mr. Klemencic does a good job of laying out the functions of a BMOW. He starts by telling us how the BMOW relates to the other major job functions that keep the Cutter Boutwell ship-shape, and ready for action. "The OD puts the focus on the ship, where we're going, piloting. CUMO makes sure the OD is getting the correct information as far as navigation is concerned, and "The BMOW is a watch standard, keeps all that running together, running smoothly." We're then taken on his tour of duty, checkin in on this and that, waking a guy at 5:00AM, rather thoughtfully considering the hour...

The full article and video can be seen at: BoatingChannel.com

Royal Caribbean Floats Out Its Next Jumbo Ship

MIAMI, FL, September 18, 2007 (The Boating Channel) – Royal Caribbean floated out the third ship in it super mega-ship class. The 160,000-ton Independence of the Seas was moved from dry dock to wet dock on Friday at the Aker Yards in Turku, Finland. The sister ship to Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will now undergo many months of finishing leading up to her May 2008 debut in Southampton, England.

She will be the largest ship ever to be home-ported in Europe and is a statement of the company’s conviction that cruise travel in Europe will continue to grow as more and more cruise vacationers seek destinations beyond the Caribbean, Alaska and Hawaii.

The official ceremonies were held at the shipyard and attended by Royal Caribbean and Aker executives, who joined together to turn the valve releasing 87 million gallons of water into the wet dock area.

Independence of the Seas, which will share the title of worlds largest cruise ship with Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, will be able to accommodate 3,634 guests, double-occupancy. In addition to new programs and onboard embellishments yet to be announced, amenities Independence will include the popular innovations introduced on her sister-ships, including the FlowRider surf simulator; the wet and wild H20 Zone aqua park; and cantilevered whirlpools suspended 112 feet above the ocean. The ship will also boast an ice-skating rink; a boxing ring; and the 1,215-square-foot Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps up to 14.

Royal Caribbean International currently has 21 ships in service and three under construction.