Factory tour

[Beachcomber]

I'm going to be near the Hatteras plant in the next couple of weeks and was wondering if they have tours of the factory available and if anyone has the name of the person to contact for this.

Thanks,
Roger

 

[season]

While I was a factory rep in the consumer electronics industry I sold Hatteras infrared repeating systems and 220v sub woofers for the boats headed to Europe. My contact point was one of the head electronics engineers who oversaw the line during build process. His name is Aldon Harris and I believe he has worked there over 30 years. He gave me several tours.

 

[Milacron]

Ervin Little might arrange a tour for you if he's in a good mood. It's way more likely to happen if they determine you are a qualified prospect to buy a new Hatteras.

If you just email or call to say you have an old Hatteras and want a tour...maybe it will happen, maybe not. Sans the "I want to buy a new Hatteras" trick, more likely to inspire them if it's a group of you, like your local Power Squadron.....that's how I toured their High Point plant decades ago.

I've been to the Hatteras plant in New Bern recently, but only for an auction of surplus yacht stuff, and only "toured" their incoming shipments building and loading dock !

elittle@hatterasyachts.com

========

As an aside, the Hatteras plant in High Point (which is where they started production in the early 60's) was vacated by them just a few years after I toured it. The interesting part is that it is now occupied by Slane Marine, headed up by Tom Slane....son of Willis...founder of Hatteras. Super nice guy, have talked to him on the phone about old Hatteras designs before..... here's their website... http://slanemarine.com/about.html

If you go to Slane be forwarned what was the only Rolls Royce dealership in the state for decades has now relocated from High Point to Raleigh

 

[Freeebird]

I'm going to be near the Hatteras plant in the next couple of weeks and was wondering if they have tours of the factory available and if anyone has the name of the person to contact for this.

Thanks,
Roger

Call Steve or Doug at SAM's. They'll hook you up.

 

[BobWaz]

I lived in New Bern 12 years ago. I went on a tour with a few of my boating neighbors from Fairfield Harbour. Don't get me wrong I love the Hatteras line and in the process of buying my second Hat. In the tour we were on an elevated walkway that went around the plant. From the fumes I had a blazing headache that took 2 days to subside. In looking down saw many workers with only a paper face mask for protection. Up north in the NY city area, a manufacturing plant could not get away with those conditions. I happen to be a life/health insurance agent. In a number of appointments in the area there were people that stated my husband, brother etc worked at Hatteras and wound up with all kinds of cancer. Hopefully conditions are better there now.

 

[Freeebird]

Yeah, it's a well guarded secret that we in southern states get preferential treatment from the EPA. We don't even have to filter our moonshine.

 

[Milacron]

In the tour we were on an elevated walkway that went around the plant. From the fumes I had a blazing headache that took 2 days to subside. In looking down saw many workers with only a paper face mask for protection. Up north in the NY city area, a manufacturing plant could not get away with those conditions. I happen to be a life/health insurance agent. In a number of appointments in the area there were people that stated my husband, brother etc worked at Hatteras and wound up with all kinds of cancer. Hopefully conditions are better there now.

Now that you mention it I vaguely recall a similar situation at their plant in High Point. I didn't get a headache or anything and know nothing of the FRP/cancer possibilities....but it has struck me that laying up glass mat/resin and worse, grinding it after hardening, would seem a pretty miserable job.

Even on small parts like videos I have seen of folks making surf boards, I am amazed at the lack of proper dust collection sometimes.

 

[Freeebird]

Now that you mention it I vaguely recall a similar situation at their plant in High Point. I didn't get a headache or anything and know nothing of the FRP/cancer possibilities....but it has struck me that laying up glass mat/resin and worse, grinding it after hardening, would seem a pretty miserable job.

Even on small parts like videos I have seen of folks making surf boards, I am amazed at the lack of proper dust collection sometimes.

And how many years ago was that?

Sounds like the New Bern plant tour people could avoid a couple of headaches by simply reading this thread.

 

[Milacron]

And how many years ago was that?

It was soon after we moved to SC so probably 20 years ago. I grew up not that far from High Point in Sanford, NC. Used to build hardwood furniture myself for a living in Raleigh, attended the big furniture trade show in HP a couple times. But not till we moved to SC did this tour opportunity come up.

Speaking of work chemical hazards, friend of mine built Chippendale reproductions in Raleigh and had an old black man who sprayed the laquer finishes. He'd been doing that every business day for decades and never wore a mask. When asked about it, he's say "that's what yer nose hairs a fer boy"

I probably inhaled too much mahogany, walnut and red oak dust myself in the mid 1980's. And remember stuffing a rag soaked with mineral spirits up my nostrils to clean out the Minwax stain we sprayed. Not real bright thing to do looking back on it, but we (most woodworkers) all did the same back then.

 

[capttonyf]

Speaking of work chemical hazards, friend of mine built Chippendale reproductions in Raleigh and had an old black man who sprayed the laquer finishes.

"Chippendale" Reproductions? I didn't know you were into that lifestyle, all their bulging muscles and bulging other things and what not. I figured you guys always used Spray Tan out of a can.

I didn't realize you used hazardous chemicals and laquer. I figured that was just for the women dancers. Lastly, maybe you know. What guage stainless pole is required to support 200lb men compared to the women normally dangling from them?

Tony

 

[Freeebird]

It never even dawned on me to take a tour when my son and I went right by New Bern a few weeks ago when we went to the OBX. Wish I had thought about it. Had talked about it before, and it was not going to be a problem to do, despite the fact there is no way I would kid anybody about being in the market for a new Hatteras. I'm sure their tours are more about PR vs seeking only qualified purchasers.

 

[Milacron]

despite the fact there is no way I would kid anybody about being in the market for a new Hatteras.

Neither would I but I thought by chance he might actually be in the market for a new Hatteras.

 

[Milacron]

"Chippendale" Reproductions? I didn't know you were into that lifestyle, all their bulging muscles and bulging other things and what not. I figured you guys always used Spray Tan out of a can.

I didn't realize you used hazardous chemicals and laquer. I figured that was just for the women dancers. Lastly, maybe you know. What guage stainless pole is required to support 200lb men compared to the women normally dangling from them?

Tony

Took me a minute to realize what in hell you were talking about. Kinda sad when one mentions what is probably the most famous furniture design classic in history and what comes to mind instead is exotic male dancers ! (sad for a hetero male anyway !)

Not to mention the fact I never said that *I* made Chippendale reproductions. My company tended toward more contemporary and Art Deco designs such as below jewelry box I designed.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...94566-photos-shop-made-mallets-mirrorbox1.jpg

 

[Freeebird]

Neither would I but I thought by chance he might actually be in the market for a new Hatteras.

Nah, Roger is one of "us".

 

[Milacron]

Nah, Roger is one of "us".

ok, never mind then . It would be interesting to me to see their land to water launch setup, plus any temporary docks they have. I know at one time they would keep new boats temporarily at Grand Marina in downtown New Bern, but there were none there when I was at that Marina for two days doing the survey on the Hatt 60 at the end of April this year.

 

[capttonyf]

Took me a minute to realize what in hell you were talking about. Kinda sad when one mentions what is probably the most famous furniture design classic in history and what comes to mind instead is exotic male dancers ! (sad for a hetero male anyway !)

Not to mention the fact I never said that *I* made Chippendale reproductions. My company tended toward more contemporary and Art Deco designs such as below jewelry box I designed.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...94566-photos-shop-made-mallets-mirrorbox1.jpg

Maybe the joke didn't hit home with you, but I found it funny, even if just a little.

Tony

 

[BobWaz]

When I lived in New Berm the boats getting custom work by outside contractors would be kept at that marina.The contractors would stay at the Sheraton and only have to walk out the door to the dock to do their work.

 

[captddis]

All the boats were brought to the Sheraton [ the Holiday Inn before] for owner/Captain pickup.
One of the make ready guy's would bring the boat to the Sheraton. No one else was allowed to take a new boat from the plant.

Once riding along on a new 52C, the whole boat rode over something big and came up out of the water. Laird turned around and went back to the plant for a prop change.

 

[Milacron]

All the boats were brought to the Sheraton [ the Holiday Inn before] for owner/Captain pickup.
One of the make ready guy's would bring the boat to the Sheraton. No one else was allowed to take a new boat from the plant.

Once riding along on a new 52C, the whole boat rode over something big and came up out of the water. Laird turned around and went back to the plant for a prop change.

That's where I was in April... Grand Marina at the hotel....except the hotel is now a Double Tree inn. Nice place to live aboard....cheap rates ($6 a foot per month) and easy walk to downtown or the Double Tree for Pain Killer drinks.

 

[season]

Anyone interested in Hatteras's factory set up can, if you have it downloaded can use Google Earth and just type in Hatteras Yachts NC. It will take you right to the factory. The second largest building is the hull facility for molds and their layups which are vacuum bagged which is also the method for most of their FRP parts . They hulls are then moved to the largest building next to it where there are two parallel assembly lines usually with one for SF's and the other for MY's with the elevated catwalks mentioned earlier in this thread. Wiring and propulsion is the first station. The interiors are built separately by room or space and lowered into place into the hulls in a choreographed sequence. When Hatteras acquired the Cabo line it was set up there alongside of the Hatt line. When the boats are near completion and watertight, they are picked up off their cradles by one of the two travel lifts you see in the Google images and lowered into the water between the two covered docks. These docks were, in a good year, completely full of boats with commissioning crews doing woodwork, furniture, electronics and entertainment systems and all things detail and final assembly. If you look at the Google image currently available (12/31/2011) there are five bows protruding from the finishing docks. When I was active as a rep working with Hatteras the house you see on the point next to the long dock on the channel to open water was the sales department which was set up much like the realtor/builder's model office where Hatteras displayed interior material choices and worked with buyers on their choices of layouts and upgrades from the standard boat. As mentioned earlier in this thread the boats upon completion are run over to the docks downtown. I have driven over the bridge on SR70 multiple times and you can usually see a couple of Hatts tied up waiting for captains or owners to take delivery and commissioning. All in all it is a very fascinating and rewarding experience to see it from the inside and I highly recommend anyone who loves these boats to make the effort to find a way to get a tour.