Shipyard
Seahorse Marine
We had visited the old Seahorse Marine shipyard in China several times before signing the contract. There were a few finished hulls of Diesel Duck 462, Sedan 462, and Oceaneer on the premises.
This was (is?) a major problem of SHM tactics of attempted cost saving: When an order for one boat came in they built two hulls. Hoping that some day a customer would show up buying the other hull. While three of the empty yacht shells sitting around looked reasonable, another one was already in a bad state. The insulation foam they had applied started rotting in the hot and humid South China climate.
This attempt of cost saving was even more evident when inspecting their storage of electric and electronic equipment for the yachts: SHM had sourced the yacht equipment in larger amounts to get a better price. But averaging an output of about 4 yachts per year these products were well beyond of what a customer expects to have installed on the newly built boat.
Why I chose Seahorse Marine
We were astonished by the woodwork of our chosen shipyard. All boats made by SHM we have seen have a very beautiful finishing. Real teak and holly floors, massive wood. Just amazing.
Steel work is good. Ask around in the, although small, Diesel Duck community. You will have difficulties finding anyone not loving the SHM Diesel Duck.
During our preliminary discussions Bill Kimley, the pro forma owner of Seahorse Marine, showed open to my requests of providing a lot of equipment myself. After years of research I had a pretty good opinion of what systems I wanted, which brands to choose and which to avoid. That is why most of the equipment installed on Eternaut is commercial grade. I have not seen any other shipyard allowing this practice.
Lily is the nautical architect and AJ the foreman. Even at this moment, just a few days prior expected delivery, they give me a helping hand to prepare installation for a few electronic items which I had missed to order in time. They will be installed when the boat arrived Hong Kong. That is very helpful and a big “Thank You” to the hard working staff.
What I should have considered
There is nobody in the shipyard keeping an eye subtleties: You might find a white antenna connection board sandwiched between a black power socket and a brown light switch. A white 220V power socket could be placed next to a black 110V supply. The screen for your chart plotter is not exactly straight. Or, as you can see in my home office post: You can find the bilge alarm panel in between engine controls and engine warning indicators.
Of course the yacht works perfectly in any case, but it’s the small items which can become an eyesore very quickly. Long story short: On Eternaut all switches and sockets are of the same brand and color.
Delay, Delay, Delay
During my visits at Seahorse Marine I had met a few owners whose boats were still in the production process. Three out of four were, I am using a modest expression, unhappy.
THE ANGRY GUY
nickname for unhappy waiting seahorse marine customer
So I had been warned: There were long delays in production. MASSIVE! HUGE! COLOSSAL! IMMENSE! GIGANTIC! COSMIC! I am running out of words to describe what sort of delays you will face!
I had neglected these warnings: Thinking when paying according to contract schedule the shipyard produces on time. But not everybody is as German as I am. As I write these lines the boat is overdue by 3 years, seven months and three weeks!
Seahorse Marine has few helpful staff working for them. I do not know whether I should emphasize on few or helpful. Because they are helpful. And there are only a few! The end result of the boat is fine quality, so the work force is skilled. But: I have also seen some skilled and knowledgeable staff leaving the shipyard to move on.
Management is a necessity, not an option
There is no project manager. While there is a foreman delegating the work, the factory still needs someone organizing and prioritizing the different projects. Seahorse Marine plainly is: unorganized!
The owners of the last three Diesel Ducks which had been produced before my boat have literally lived on the shipyard during the last months of production. I had planned to do the same. Unfortunately Covid-19 struck and until now there is no possibility to visit the shipyard.
Covid-19 travel restrictions also make communication more difficult. WeChat has a translation function and communication with staff worked out ok. It is communication with the Seahorse Marine management which breaks down. There is only one sort of email you can expect to receive on time: The invoice!
In summer 2021 I been given a proposed delivery date of December (2021). The generator, ordered and installed by the shipyard years ago, had not been commissioned until early March 2022. Why did the management give me a proposed delivery date?
The left hand does not know what the right hand does. And to make things worse: I have to assume that the management is lying straight into your face to shut you up!
Enough complains. At least the shipyard helped me to get a temporary mooring organized after I could not get my planned parking spot due to the late delivery of the boat. Candy for the angry customer.
Conclusion
Very soon I will end up with a beautiful boat. A boat which is built to my order. A yacht equipped the way I want it. Trust me, I am longing for it.
But it comes at a price. Not only for construction and equipment cost. It is the price of wasted three and half years of my life, the price of uncountable grey hair (of what is left).
Let’s face it: the basic price of a Seahorse Marine boat is a good deal. Add options, your own equipment plus installation, and you will have a reasonable price. Then add time, consider the money prepaid until delivery of the boat as invested and you could have gone with a different reputable brand (unless one of the Nuclear Weapon States just started to invade it’s neighbor).
Bill Kimley from Seahorse Marine once stated: “I should charge double or triple like Selene, Nordhavn and Kadey Krogen”. After my experience with SHM reply would be: “Bill, for that you would have to double construction speed, triple the customer service and additionally commit to the contract.”
To Summarize:
I would not do it again!
The workers did a good job, the yacht is a great product.
But unfortunately the shipyard is badly managed! The risk of loosing the deposit of 90% of the purchase price in case of insolvency is too high that I would sign up one more time.
I suggest: Either go with a used boat or look for a different shipyard.