Cats from China . . . ?

[ireaney]

Tao, Very interesting your stats. I have been to China twice on business and the changes there are mind boggling. Two of my main suppliers have their own power stations (on a small scale) so that when they know they will not be getting power, which they know in advance as the main grid cannot supply all the factories 24/7, they turn it on for the 2/3 days to keep their own factories producing.
With regards to river pollution, if you look closely at the picture below ( I have other pictures) you will see the colour of the water and also thick globules of tar a diesel, this little boat took me half way across the Yangtse river to an island where the locals laid all their rice on the roads to dry and were trading small fish/crabs out of rusty buckets, in the middle of the (small) island was a golf course, to be a member of it cost $10,000 a year (amazing wealth divide, but they don't seem to care - very happy people even though they have almost nothing - the majority I mean), by the way the boats throttle was controlled by the driver with a bit of string, I was glad to get back to mainland.

[Stranded Mariner]

Look at it this way. I live in China for 14 years. I am in the marine industry here, and know everybody that builds yachts here in China. But I decided to have my boat built in South Africa. After checking everything in Asia. Guess that tells you something.

[Adaero]

I've had a clarification about the R&C press release. This is my take on what was said: -

Recently R&C sold 30% of the company to an investment company called Treacle. The money received for the 30% is to be used to increase production in SA whilst Treacle wanted a fast return i.e selling the licence to China. The Chinese company will be making the Leopard 47 powercat under licence in China soley for the Chinese market. These boats will not be sold anywhere else in the world and South Africa will not be importing parts or materials from China for use in the SA operations.

I'm still not sure this is the full picture because why state in the press release that "this deal will give the company access to Chinese materials and components" and then deny that they will be used in SA?

You will have to make up your own mind.
Regards
Adaero

[fastcat435]

We started building boats 6 years ago in South Africa and have looked carefully China and the Far east for Production of our cats.
The reasons for Going to South Africa are many.
It is far easier to communicate with a English speaking person at the same time of the day as we live in in Europe instead of A person from the Far East trying very hard to communicate in English but not succeeding , 9 hours of time difference does not help. The Freight to ship a catamaran half way around the world is more than double if you can find a shipping company to do so.
70 % of the cost a building a boat is material cost and where you build makes no difference but building in China would raise the cost to ship products and goods there before manufacturing.
The fact that Child labor is permitted, and Intelectual property does not exist in China did not help.
For all these reasons I preferred to produce in South Africa .
I have seen 3 boats manufactured in the Far east recently one was a Fusion 40 , just
the hull deck and bulkheads and noticed that resin was poorly applied and in some spots it was even dry so I will not sail in A Thai made Fusion 40 , I like my life to much. I have also seen a Flying Tiger built in China and this boat has nothing to do with any kind of Quality. Another boat was a trimaran on the La Rochelle boat show where I mentioned to the sales person why all edges in the boat where sharp and he answered that this was only hull number 11 and this would all be ironed out later .
I did not dare to ask him how many more of these Tri,s needed to be produced before simple things like this where Ironed Out.
It will be a long time before the Chinese will built a competing product but the added cost of shipping parts there and shipping boats back to Europe and the States will delete any cost savings.

I wish you all a good 2008 with lots of good sails ahead
Gideon Goudsmit

[Celestialsailor]

Also be aware that China is starting to manufacture liferafts now. Who would be around to complain if they failed.

[senormechanico]

Lead paint on your kid's toy is one thing, but a Chinese life raft??

Gimme a break!!

Steve B.

[fastcat435]

It all depends if your small kids chew on toys but it could kill them as has happened before so in both cases watch out, you only have one life unless your name is cat !!!

[KIWI]

With what I am hearing about China you had better not go flying
They have just been awarded the contract to supply parts for the Air Bus by france