Seawind Catamarans

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Years gone by the Federal Government paid a 'BOUNTY' to builders in Australia to build commercial boats under the USL Code normally but also stretching to ABS and Llyods in an endeavour to expand a vital shipbuilding market.
I don't know of other incentives in Australia in fact i'd call most government action as disincentives..Or do you mean foreign governments?

Cheers Frank

Kinda the same as in the car industry. Which, in my opinion is a false economy with any industry. It either stands on its own two feet or falls away to nothing. Imagine if any country supported candle makers to resist the importation of a light bulb, or a farrier to resist the automobile. sadly for seawind the Lagoons and other imports have damaged the local market just as the frog and US boats have damaged the mono market.

But its happened in so many other industries. Try to find a tea cup that isnt imported or a TV. What is annoying is when local people complain about globalization but are driving a Toyota.

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by ozskipper

Kinda the same as in the car industry. Which, in my opinion is a false economy with any industry. It either stands on its own two feet or falls away to nothing. Imagine if any country supported candle makers to resist the importation of a light bulb, or a farrier to resist the automobile. sadly for seawind the Lagoons and other imports have damaged the local market just as the frog and US boats have damaged the mono market.

But its happened in so many other industries. Try to find a tea cup that isnt imported or a TV. What is annoying is when local people complain about globalization but are driving a Toyota.

Yeh the concept of Ships bounty was to build a ship construction industry which then becomes part of the nations ability to defend itself, pleasure boats never came into it other than the Chris Skase, Alan Bond et al's boats so in some ways the bounty got scammed BUT Aussies were being employed.

I'm not sure that we can become a nation of consumers with the only cash generation being resources, tourism and our own consumption. Sooner or later it will all crash, implode etc.

High dollar no doubt will be resolved as soon as a middle east punch up starts or Europe admits to recession....

I agree Australia itself is not a big enough pool for any expanding luxury/leisure product to forever be sold into.

Once everything was European then it went Japanese now broadly Asian soon it will be American, European and Aussie selling to the rich Asians,,,,,,

Cheers we gotta untie and go anchor in a bay, can't afford the Quay fees here in TROGIR for 3 nights in a row, but it's so nice!!!! Frank

[DevoDave]

Best wishes to the Seawind team. Interesting times ahead I'm sure.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

SNIP

Once everything was European then it went Japanese now broadly Asian soon it will be American, European and Aussie selling to the rich Asians,,,,,,

! Frank

Too true, the worlds economies and powers have been in a constant state of flux for centuries- actually, millennia now i think about it.

From the Romans to the Greeks to spain and even portugal- all wealthy leading powers in there day. Obviously, given the naturally changing state of power and strength comes new powers as old powers dwindle. It only stands to reason, that at some point in the future it may not be a western country. As you implied, in 50 years we will be making boats, shoes and crockery for China and India.

[terminalcitygrl]

$150k a year miners salary?!! Wow, that's probably news to them. And it's probably one of only a handful of occupations which I personally think would deserve obscene amounts of money to do what they do. Neurosurgeons are another. Investment brokers and real estate agents are definitely NOT on that list.
Oops, I was not going to get into a political discussion here...

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

$150k a year miners salary?!! Wow, that's probably news to them. And it's probably one of only a handful of occupations which I personally think would deserve obscene amounts of money to do what they do. Neurosurgeons are another. Investment brokers and real estate agents are definitely NOT on that list.
Oops, I was not going to get into a political discussion here...

150K is lower level, not many mines in QLD are underground most are open cut, construction in our home town (Gladstone) pays women in the position of PEGGIES a peggie cleans the crib hut and ablutions, collects smoko orders etc. A peggie would pull $1800 a week clear with 24hour accident and sickness thrown in.

No one wants to build boats for 16 dollars an hour when the choice is there...
Cheers Frank

[cat man do]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

Years gone by the Federal Government paid a 'BOUNTY' to builders in Australia to build commercial boats under the USL Code normally but also stretching to ABS and Llyods in an endeavour to expand a vital shipbuilding market.

Pretty sure we were building boats that were getting a the "bounty" when I did my time at Lloyds ships

Not exactly what I would call commercial vessels and this is all that was built in the yard, boats of this style


Lloyds Ships Motor Yacht: Power Boats | Boats Online for Sale | Grp | Queensland (Qld) - Main Beach Qld
Interesting to see this one is selling for double or more what it cost in the 80's

[waikikin]

Originally Posted by Lagoon4us

150K is lower level, not many mines in QLD are underground most are open cut, construction in our home town (Gladstone) pays women in the position of PEGGIES a peggie cleans the crib hut and ablutions, collects smoko orders etc. A peggie would pull $1800 a week clear with 24hour accident and sickness thrown in.

No one wants to build boats for 16 dollars an hour when the choice is there...
Cheers Frank

Hi Lagoon4us,

I never see those mining jobs advertised(Not that I've been looking for one) but are they in the Gladstone times etc or through agencys etc.

I've been to Gladstone about 18 years ago, was a pretty good spot, went up the "narrows"? on the way north & a channel between the islands on the way south(& got a little lost on dark making my way to the harbour/marina in the dark- not my best navigational feat!)

I interviewed at Seawind around 4+ years ago, the rates were a couple of bucks better than that back then but plenty lower than available in Sydney & working in a production "cell" didn't really appeal.

I really hope Seawind does prevail, esp in regards to fulfilling orders already underway & it would be great to see the vessels still constructed in Aus especially those sold into Australia. Considering the disparity in labour rates & the Aus dollar value, the moves already made must make economic sense but it would be great to see some transparency in regards to health & safety aspects of offshore construction, as this would strengthen the brand for purchasers to be confident that the production staff were being looked after.

Regards from Jeff.

[muskoka]

Originally Posted by waikikin

Considering the disparity in labour rates & the Aus dollar value, the moves already made must make economic sense but it would be great to see some transparency in regards to health & safety aspects of offshore construction, as this would strengthen the brand for purchasers to be confident that the production staff were being looked after.

Regards from Jeff.

That's why companies offshore production: You get to externalize and ignore all costs related to the environment, health & safety and employee benefits. And workers expect less. Without imposing duties, the offshore manufacturer literally has a killer advantage over domestic industries.

We did the robber baron industrialist society in the 19th century and it just wasn't that much fun for most people. I'd like to thing the appeal of modern economies lies in the fact that we've collectively decided that quality of life counts for something.

[Lagoon4us]

Bechtel handle all employment for 3 or 4 LNG plants there they don't usually speak money till final interview, Gladstones paper is the Observer, i think most jobs now emanate from Bechtels website SEEK etc..


Love the Narrows Yellow patch and Sea Hill.....

Seawind i think know what they are doing, i think if you look back at their preparations it makes sense.

Cheers Frank

[Lagoon4us]

Originally Posted by cat man do

Pretty sure we were building boats that were getting a the "bounty" when I did my time at Lloyds ships

Not exactly what I would call commercial vessels and this is all that was built in the yard, boats of this style


Lloyds Ships Motor Yacht: Power Boats | Boats Online for Sale | Grp | Queensland (Qld) - Main Beach Qld
Interesting to see this one is selling for double or more what it cost in the 80's

LOL i was in competition with them i had only a yard on a creek bank and i built almost the same boat as you pictured.

Mine was a Fred Borlase steel hull with Ally cabins it was for Max Allen, her name is Spirit of Freedom and TUSA Dive own her now. From memory her build cost was 3.5 whereas Lloyds quote was nearer 9 mill. Spirit sold for 6mill i think.

They were all 34.9 metres long to avoid having a second skipper and under survey of some form, it was just that some never saw work in there life whereas Spirit did.

Lloyds worked the Bounty over big time, it was payable to the builder only and was treated as the builders profit.

From memory Keith Lord owned it when i was building freelance. Originally it was called Striker boats prior to Skase, he approached me to work for him BUT he was very tight with paying the doers and very loose spending on outreagous crap.

Cheers Frank

[ausaviator]

Seawind i think know what they are doing, i think if you look back at their preparations it makes sense.

It certainly does look like that now that it has happened Frank.

To confirm what I'm thinking you'd need to look at the recent split of sales between the 4 main models.

[dirkdig]

Originally Posted by terminalcitygrl

$150k a year miners salary?!! Wow, that's probably news to them. And it's probably one of only a handful of occupations which I personally think would deserve obscene amounts of money to do what they do. Neurosurgeons are another. Investment brokers and real estate agents are definitely NOT on that list.
Oops, I was not going to get into a political discussion here...

I am a real estate agent $150k per quarter maybe

[Lagoon4us]

LMAO I have a mate a Neurosurgeon try 400k.....

[Alasdair]

There was something on the local Wollongong news the other day that Seawind will continue but move most if not all its production overseas! It won't be long now and Australia will not manufacture anything at all!