boat yards

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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Ok this may be about as stupid of a question as there is but why do I not find any kind of yacht building companies advertised in the DR. In fact when I look anything up on the net all I can find is marine chandlers and repair services for merchant ships.
The Island is big enough. The proximity to the prime cruising grounds seems to beg for it. People pay over 10% of the purchase price of yacht to have the shipped from China to the US.
The cost of a Drive away Hull is 700% in the US is over the the cost of materials. I just was wondering why it is not something that is found there or am I looking in the wrong place.
John
 

Ken

Platinum
Jan 1, 2002
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I'm sure there are a combination of reasons. Some that come quickly to mind:

1. The national market isn't big enough to support it.

2. The DR is not a yacht-friendly country. For example, you can't lift anchor and go for a day trip like you can most other places, you first must clear out with the port commander. And the harbors that permit yachts to enter and anchor/moor are very limited. For example, on the north coast the yacht harbors are Luperon and Samana. Going between the north and south coasts is often difficult due to conditions in the Mona Passage and the shallow banks that extend far into the Mona Passage off the east coast.

3. The pool of skilled craftsmen necessary to support a yacht building industry doesn't exist. Measurements must be must more precise than those used when building houses here, for example.
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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yachts

It just seems to me that with the material cost for a steel 15 meter yacht being under 50k and a retail price of 250k and up I just do not believe it has not been setup.
John
 

Hillbilly

Moderator
Jan 1, 2002
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Very good answer. It cleared up a few things

#3 was particularly funny, since I can imagine a boat with one side of the hull 25'6"and the other side 26' !!! YOu are qquite right. Although they do seem to build Yolas pretty good.

They are building fiberglass bodied open boats in Santo Domingo, and there is a top of the line Marina with full repairs in La Romana...Where else?

Ken, can't you park a boat in POP harbour? Risky but possible?

HB
 

BushBaby

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Jan 1, 2002
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www.casabush.org
Yachts & Yachting supplies are not in much demand here YET! Give it another 3 or 4 years once the Cofresi Marina has opened up & this will doubtless change somewhat. A number of yachts moor up in Luperon I am told, but what the chandlers supplies to the are like I would hate to ask!!

I HAVE seen hulls being built & repaired in the Puerto Plata port & if your enquiry gets to the stage where you want me to find out more, just PM or e-mail me. I WON'T give any refferences for them as I don't know he operation, as I say, I have just seen the hulls there!! - Grahame.
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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at least two years

It will be at least two years before I do anything. I still have 378 days until retirment from the USN and I am doing a year or two merchants to build up my stupid money. But also if I come down to get a boat built I would be in the area and I may as well just rent the space and build it myself.
John
P.S. Did I mention I am really looking forward to get out of the USN
 
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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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HB, yes, I believe it is still legal to anchor in the Puerto Plata harbor. But it is not recommended. Holding isn't good, thieves are abundant, etc. Better for the big ships, since it is a commercial harbor.
 

Hillbilly

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Jan 1, 2002
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Sort of what I figuered.

I told Ladybug yesterday that it would be risky to leave a boat anchored in POP harbour.

And there really are not any good anchorages near Sos?a, are there??

There is a guy in Navarrete that build boats!..Yes he does. He has built three or four rather large steel hulled craft over the years..Right there in front of Bar Kenia.

Well, John has some time to plan all of this and who knows, maybe in two years ship chandlering will be a big business in POP area.??

HB
 

jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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Boat support needed

With the DR in the middle of the prime yacht grounds I can see why it is not developed more. I can remember my last port call to St Thomas and it was everywhere as well as Yact brokers and chandlers. Anything you needed was there.
Seems like a sleeper business to me.
John
P.S. 375 days until I retire
 
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jsizemore

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Aug 6, 2003
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Steel Boats

Hillbilly what about this guy in Navarrete that builds them? Are they sea worthy? Could he go from plans supplied?
I looked for info about the equivelent of a Navy Yard on the South Coast and I saw nothing that gave me a good warm fuzzy about them.
I know that St Thomas in the BVI is Yachters paradise and it is a shame the DR is not more service oriented.
Many of the live aboard crusers spend $3500 every three years to have the boats hauled out of the water and the hulls refinished and that is mostly labor cost. It seems a shame not to have facilities set up for them to do it there. Since liveaboards do not have aplace they really call home they will go for price and quality over location.
With the size of the island and infrastructure setup for no refridgeration lifestyles it is the perfect place for Yachters to do their outfitting. The proximety to airports and the direct flights make a good crew swap spot.
With Cuba for the most part off limits to American Flagged boats it seems like a under utilized resource for income.
Just my thoughts.
John