Build Quality - how do YOU define it

[ontheplane]

Sunseeker have it....

Some here seem to claim Sealine don't... (the one's I've seen look really well made)....

My question is this... what does everyone think is "Build Quality".

I got an invite to go and look at the BMB's once.. Went down on a jolly after reading how "well made" they are - all that I could see were huge great gaps filled with acres of mastic sealant that dribbled out over everything - on a £170,000 boat ?? that is well built????

To my mind build quality is like Finish - but not quite the same. A boat can be well built but poorly finished - i.e. strong but a bit naff...

Similarly, a boat may be superbly finished, but falls apart the first week....

What is everyones view on this - and who do you think makes the Best boats in terms of Build Quality and Finish

.... and why do so many seem to knock Sealine here?? They seem to me to be well made, well finished (tight panel gaps, no obvious nastiness) and much better value that a similar sized Princess for example.



<hr width=100% size=1>Why can't we work 2 days a week and boat the other 5????

 

[mjf]

What has dishwasher powder got to do with it anyway?

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[pistonbroke]

I'm suprised to see that you think Sunseeker have it. I'd have to agree that they have style and a good finish, but not quality.

You need to have a look round the factory and check out the voids and dry spots in the laminating and the huge amounts of sealant needed to make things fit. The end product may look good, but I can assure you the quality is suspect. And yes, I'm talking from experience as well as being pals with a number of guys who work in the laminating shop. Now they can tell you some real horror stories!

I've even seen them on the pontoon spraying the hull of a Million + £'s boat with aerosols repairing an air bubble prior to delivery!

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[Planty]

I suppose I have contributed on occasion to this feeling of knocking Sealine on "Build Quality", however I can't fault your analysis in the final para. Its just a sort of niggling, "what could come loose/break" feeling when you've had her a while. Can't really explain it but the service backup doesn't always feel "quality" either, though always polite, friendly etc, perhaps a little and I hate to say this, inefficient, perhaps. Which sort of pervades the ownership experience, although I struggle to find a better replacement for what is a fabulous boat in the F43.

Sea Trialled a Sunseeker Manhattan 64 last week, lovely boat, just the same sort of niggles though, Phantom 58 of a mate, never ending story of little niggles.

For me build quality is when something feels right, solid, engineered, thought through. Got that feeling on the Fleming 55 at SIBS, just too damn slow. Mind you looked around the Elegance 64 in Portals last week, what a beauty!! Western Design and Engineered, built in Taiwan. Anyone got £1.2mill to spare so we can get one in 5 months from placement of order, Custom Built!! Paul

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[Kevin]

Hi

I think that there is ahuge difference between build quality and fit and finish and they can be mutually exclusive, it wouldnt be past manufacturers ( not neccessarily boats) to have mediocre build quality but finish it off nicely to give the impression that its built well, lets face it if it looks good it may be years before actual bad build quality comes through. Trouble with many boats is that they throw shiny wodden cupboards into a boat and let the glow of light blind the customer away from the real build quality issues.

I think a good finish, close fitting cupoboards no mastic etc can be a cheap way of giving a good impression but proper build quality ( decent hull construction etc) is obv.costly thats why peoples long term experience of a particular brand is all important. That too me is the sign of good build quality a product the customers are pleased with in the long term.

Sealines may have great build quality but they check their hull designs by laying a huge lump of soap into it and seeing if it sits right, sunseekers dont come from the factory shrink wrapped they come with a leopard print thong around them and fairline get delivered wrapped in a headscalf and mine came wrapped in a false hairy chest wig and a medallion as an anchor and chain

Kevin

 

[halcyon]

Were does the Sealine lump of soap theory come from ?

Brian

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[PhilF]

I always felt the Sealine was "fragile, don't know why. Don't feel that about the Cranchi tho

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[Wiggo]

sposed to look like a big plastic soapdish...

<hr width=100% size=1>Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

 

[hlb]

Once met some one with an 89 sealine. Same age as my Princess. That was knackered, mine still looked like new at the time. Thats the difference.

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[oldgit]

It is a long established tradition on this forum.

called baiting a Sealine owner.This involves baiting your hook(post) with a mild sort of adverse comment on any Sealine and then wait.Some irritated owner then rises to the bait and bites.The owner can then be hauled up into the air where he is left to dangle in the wind,while assorted neer-do-wells take pot shots from behind the safety of their keyboards.
Next week.On how to annoy owners of vast mega yachts by indicating that your boat will do 1 gallon per hour and you do not give a stuff about red diesel prices./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

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[Wiggo]

Though to be fair, Haydn, Sealines don't tend to have 45 gallon oil drums in the lazaret, so they could never really compete in the same 'build quality' league...

<hr width=100% size=1>Nihil curo de ista tua stulta superstitione.

 

[oldgit]

Tee Hee

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[hlb]

No. It would probably drop out the bottom../forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1> Flags Solly MFBR</font color=red>
Haydn

 

[Kevin]

Re: It is a long established tradition on this forum.

Do you notice though that its always sealine that people have a go at! and normally they do rise nicely to the bait! thats why its done, if they didnt it wouldnt be worth it! I presume its because ultimatly they feel slightly bugged that the sealines arent put in the same league as sunsseeker, fairline and alike so they feel they have to defend them more verhmently when they should just let the comments slip off them- like a lump of wet soap might out of a plastic dish

Kevin

 

[nedmin]

Forget your fibre glass palaces,working on my son in laws grp and the manufacturer had used self tappers into grp!! what an engineering balls up! give me a good steel hull any day.My wife can walk round it without being a tightrope walker and it doesnt blow all over the place when its windy.Still I am biased! If I want to go fast I go in my car!!

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

IMHO you can have a good finish on a boat with poor build quality but you cant have a bad finish on a boat with good build quality
I suppose you could define a product with good build quality as being one that delivers maximum customer satisfaction through minimum defects and, in this respect, I dont think any boat I've owned qualifies except perhaps a Broom

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[[2068]]

Re: It is a long established tradition on this forum.

It's also possible that if you throw a dart at these people, they are not the sort to go "O, a hole in my arm". Rather, they remove the dart and chuck it back at you, whilst scowling.

dv.

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[halcyon]

Re: It is a long established tradition on this forum.

May I point out that some of us rely on Sealine, amongst other's, to pay our mortgage, some one reading these threads that is not savy to the humour here may take it as the truth, and buy a French boat.

From little acorns, etc.

Therefore on behalf of my wife, family, myself and other marine trade people I would like to thank you all for doing your utmost to bankrupt us, and hope you have the same furtune with people related to your trade.

Brian

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[ontheplane]

Re: It is a long established tradition on this forum.

If you re-read my original post, far from knocking Sealine I was actually saying I think they are well built, and offer good value.

Of course people might buy foreign boats, like they buy foreign cars, but I for one am looking to the English manufacturers when I buy my first "big" boat, and I think Sealine will be well up (if not at) the top of my list as they seem to offer very good value new - and even better value used.

<hr width=100% size=1>Why can't we work 2 days a week and boat the other 5????

 

[oldgit]

No one is trying to bankrupt anyone.

At some point in the future one of the less overstyled Sealines/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif could well be on my list of mid 35 ft boats.Was well impressed with Suncoasts 36ft beast.I suspect that his reaction to all this as a Sealine owner is to smile and make sure I buy the beers next time we meet and try to get me to see the error of my ways.
Folks have had hours of fun with Skoda over the years and quite right to,but through producing a product that people actually wanted to pay real money for,they now offer an excellent range of cars.If anything is any good people will buy it.



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