Project Manager/Site Coordinator

JCB-Va · 02-25-2008, 07:27 PM

Hello all,

I'll be ordering a larger yacht here within the next 8-12 months and was looking for advice on what to look for in a Project Manager/Site Coordinator or someone in general to work with the yard. Would it be better to hire someone who is a Captain, or a Naval Architect/Designer? Should I be hiring both, or should I just deal with a broker/agency?

All advice/criticism/abuse welcome and appreciated.

AMG · 02-26-2008, 03:01 AM

Hi, if it is a new design, the design office would be your best option to talk to. They may have the right project manager or know who they would trust.

The future captain is another option and he should at least be hired six months prior delivery. But having a captain that you don´t know as the only project manager is better if the yacht is a semicustom model.

If you are dealing with a good broker, they will help in the selection.

JCB-Va · 02-26-2008, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AMG

Hi, if it is a new design, the design office would be your best option to talk to. They may have the right project manager or know who they would trust.

The future captain is another option and he should at least be hired six months prior delivery. But having a captain that you don´t know as the only project manager is better if the yacht is a semicustom model.

If you are dealing with a good broker, they will help in the selection.

Lars,

It would be a new design, and from what I understand a yacht takes around 3 years to build. I have been avoiding dealing with a broker, from what I have been told about certain brokers I am turned off from even dealing with them.

Would it be advisable to hire a Captain now 3 years out, or just wait?

- JCB

AMG · 02-26-2008, 05:34 PM

I doubt you will find a good Captain who will stay ashore for over three years..? Perhaps it is better to hire a dedicated project manager who can share his time between a couple of yachts...?

K1W1 · 02-27-2008, 01:39 AM

Hi,

JCB-Va, AMG has given you some good advice here just as I think I did with the e mail I sent you the other day.

3 YRS build time will certainly be enough for a large yacht, you also need to allow time for planning and the specification even if you take one from the yard and adapt it to what you want, just be careful if you get a spec rather than writing one from scratch that the yard don't also give you a price that they want to increase for everything you want to change.

There are brokers who can be trusted. Do you have friends who have built boats or bought large ones who could possibly refer one to you. Or, Are you worried about the commission the brokers collect from the yards?

I do contract work for probably the best known company of Marine Surveyors and Consultants in the business. Drop me a line and I will give you the web address - that way you can look for yourself anonymously and there is no pressure or obligation to use them.

C4ENG · 02-27-2008, 05:05 PM

Here's something that I have seen time and time again from an engineers veiw points..I have seen Captains get placed on a build, who probably were good sea handling Captains, but get in this postion that they think they know things when they don't know things, and cause changes to happen to a build that is not good for the boat. The yard usaully does not want to argue with a captain and just gives him his wishes even though they know it is not good...

Example: A build I was on once planed on having 4 fuel tanks mid-forward like a square box divided in four sections. That was good. The build captian had it changed for what ever reason to be only two fuel tanks. But he had them built as a forward and aft tank butted together oppose to being port and stb tanks. Bad mistake..you could then not balace the boat with it's fuel to take away any list. Then they had to load lead wieght to one side of the boat causing more weight meaning more fuel burned causing the owner more money..

However don't get me wrong..being on a build I find it highly productive to have people there to help ensure the build get's done right. You can not imagine how many headaches I fixed before it was to late that would had cost major time and money!

JCB-Va · 02-27-2008, 05:43 PM

K1W1,

Thank you for your email, I have replied to it.

I do have friends with boats who have used brokers, but would not recommend using those brokers again. I also do not like the commission that most brokers collect, if I can do the leg work myself I have no problem doing it.

AMG,

Thanks again for the great advice, I will be looking at hiring a project manager to work on this.

JCB-Va · 02-27-2008, 05:47 PM

C4ENG,

I guess that would be a good benefit of having an engineer on the build as well

I really would like to stay within budget on this build, and on future activities. So saving money now on the build wouldn't be worth it if I had to spend an extra $250,000 - $300,000 everytime I took it out.

Argosy · 02-28-2008, 01:20 AM

There is a great book for questions like these: Megayacht Wisdom II by Buddy Haack & Doug Hoogs. It includes chapters on new builds, refits, etc., and is written for owners to help them avoid the common pitfalls. It is available from Bluewater Books. (I have no connection with the book or it's authors.) I have found it useful, as a yacht captain and naval architect, and recommend it to new or existing owners alike.

C4ENG · 03-01-2008, 08:33 PM

Here's something else I have seen on builds that seems quite common place....

I think the ship building yards doing some amazing complicated feats of engineering that are really impressive to wittness, but then something very unique happens..When it comes to the small details of the simplest of things..they get retarded or something. And these small simple details can cause all kinds of issues..

Example: On a build I once saw where all of the air handlers where installed with out proper insulation work done on the chilled water lines attaching to the fan units. Such a small silly thing over looked but the consequences could had of been enormous with the condensate water ruining all kinds of interior wood work. It was corrected before hand.

You definetely want to have someone experienced there to catch all those small details that are just to simple for the complexity of the ship builders naval architectural mindsets...

nilo · 03-03-2008, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCB-Va

Hello all,

I'll be ordering a larger yacht here within the next 8-12 months and was looking for advice on what to look for in a Project Manager/Site Coordinator or someone in general to work with the yard. Would it be better to hire someone who is a Captain, or a Naval Architect/Designer? Should I be hiring both, or should I just deal with a broker/agency?

All advice/criticism/abuse welcome and appreciated.

I can share my recent experience with you. I was building with a quality yard in Holland, but I decided to work with a consultant, who are also brokers. They had a straight forward approach and because I have done a lot of foot work, they only wanted to charge me a fixed consultancy rate. They were indeed helpful in many respects. I also had the chance to employ a captain through them, who had been working as a project manager in one of the leading yards in Holland over 25 years and hence I had a smooth building period.

Hope you have as good luck as I had in finding the right people. It is the individuals that makes the difference.

aeronautic1 · 03-05-2008, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C4ENG

Here's something else I have seen on builds that seems quite common place....

I think the ship building yards doing some amazing complicated feats of engineering that are really impressive to wittness, but then something very unique happens..When it comes to the small details of the simplest of things..they get retarded or something. And these small simple details can cause all kinds of issues..

Example: On a build I once saw where all of the air handlers where installed with out proper insulation work done on the chilled water lines attaching to the fan units. Such a small silly thing over looked but the consequences could had of been enormous with the condensate water ruining all kinds of interior wood work. It was corrected before hand.

You definetely want to have someone experienced there to catch all those small details that are just to simple for the complexity of the ship builders naval architectural mindsets...

Or mounting RACOR filters in such a position where you cannot lift the elements out of the canisters without tilting them at a 50 degree angle. Or mounting generator against a bulkhead so you can't get to the backside of the unit to change a raw water impeller. Or my favorite; installing the main induction valves under the main propulsion so you cannot get a purchase on the valve handle. Difficult battery locations, engine mounted oil filters outboard when a remote sender would make things cleaner. Yacht designers have no sense of what the word functionality is. It's more like 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag with them. It takes an engineer qualified captain (I was an engineering officer in the US Coast Guard) to keep an eye on the details. It is not my intention to redesign the wheel, simply keep it in balance.

Marmot · 03-05-2008, 08:10 PM

"It takes an engineer qualified captain ..."

In an industry where it is increasingly difficult to find a deck qualified captain that is a big order.

In the few weeks of sea time required to obtain a yacht captain's ticket it is hard to squeeze in much engineering exposure.

K1W1 · 03-05-2008, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marmot

In the few weeks of sea time required to obtain a yacht captain's ticket it is hard to squeeze in much engineering exposure.

Hi,

You have to be an Engineer

It is also difficult for some of the recently qualified "Captains" I have encountered to squeeze much of anything practical into that time either.

JCB-Va · 03-10-2008, 07:36 PM

I'd like to thank everyone here for the advise I have recieved.

I've decided to go with a project manager, and will be inking out a contract with them hopefully shortly.

I'll also pick up that book that was recommended to me, and take everyones stories/thoughts/advice into consideration.

I'll keep everyone updated on my progress with the yacht here.