Tag: Manufacturer
Exploring the Surge in South Africa’s Multihull Manufacturing: Innovations & Insights
Innovations & Insights:
Exploring the Surge in South Africa’s Multihull Manufacturing
Featured by Marine Industry News
Multihull Manufacturing Boom in South Africa
South Africa’s prowess in multihull manufacturing is not only sustained but flourishing, with new boating enthusiasts driving both growth and design innovation.
As highlighted by GMBA chairperson Veda Pretorius, the nation stands as a colossus in the catamaran building arena, second only in size globally and leading in the power catamarans sector. Phoenix Marine Manufacturing emerges as a key player in cementing this status.
Over the past decade, catamarans have witnessed a remarkable surge in popularity worldwide, cutting across the cruising, charter, and even the superyacht domains. The allure of multihulls lies in their spacious design, offering expansive living areas both above and below deck. This spaciousness, combined with their enhanced stability, makes them particularly appealing to yachting newcomers. The minimal heeling and shallow draft of these vessels further enhance their desirability, enabling easy access to beaches and secluded spots.
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Phoenix Marine Manufacturing
Cape Town’s Boatbuilding Landscape
The boatbuilding industry in Cape Town reflects global trends, undergoing significant consolidation over the past 15 years. Despite a reduction in the number of boatyards, the output of yachts has seen an uptick. However, challenges such as ageing infrastructure and a scarcity of skilled labor persist. Phoenix Marine Manufacturing and Xquisite Yachts collaborate are shining examples of success within these constraints and continue to innovate with award-winning designs like the Xquisite X5 Plus and the forthcoming Sixty Solar Sail catamaran, both of which are testaments to the industry’s resilience and ingenuity.
Xquisite Yachts’ adaptation to market demands, particularly in the power catamaran segment, demonstrates a keen understanding of its clientele’s evolving preferences. The introduction of a Sixty Solar Power catamaran equipped with a kite for enhanced fuel efficiency underscores the brand’s commitment to innovation. Additionally, the strategic shift to manufacture closer to its primary market in Aveiro, Portugal, speaks volumes about its agility and customer-centric approach.
After-Sales Excellence
Xquisite Yachts – in a dedicated base in the Bahamas – sets a benchmark in customer service, mirroring practices from the automobile industry to ensure unparalleled after-sales support, giving a two-year warranty to the client with a paid service plan available following that term.
Xquisite Catamaran Center
Full-Service Marina – featuring comprehensive Boatyard & Maintenance services, seamless Customs & Immigration assistance effortless Bahamas entry, expert Yacht Training, a Gourmet Restaurant & Bar with a Heated Pool, exclusive events for Xquisite Family members, a lucrative Charter Management, a fully-stocked Ship Chandler, a 24/7 showcase of our Xquisite models & Much More!
This, coupled with in-house training initiatives aimed at empowering the next generation of boatbuilders, underscores the industry’s commitment to excellence and sustainability.
South Africa’s legacy in the multihull segment continues to thrive, with catamarans serving as the cornerstone of its boatbuilding industry. The collaborative efforts of Phoenix Marine Manufacturing and Xquisite Yachts, among others, are pivotal in advancing this legacy, ensuring that South Africa remains at the forefront of the global multihull market.
A special thanks to Veda Pretorius & Marine Industry News
for showcasing our story!
About Xquisite Yachts
Xquisite Yachts is a luxury yacht brand known for its innovative designs, comfort, and sailing performance. The company produces a limited number of multi-award-winning catamarans each year using the latest technology. Customers can purchase finished yachts or place a custom order, with the option to try before they buy through the company’s charter program.
Xquisite Yachts is a luxury yacht brand known for its innovative designs, comfort, and sailing performance. The company produces a limited number of multi-award-winning catamarans each year using the latest technology. Customers can purchase finished yachts or place a custom order, with the option to try before they buy through the company’s charter program.
About Marine Industry News
The Marine Industry News serves as an independent online trade publication and daily newsletter focused on the leisure marine, superyacht, and commercial marine markets. It strives to inform and inspire by covering the latest stories and events across the marine industry.
The Marine Industry News serves as an independent online trade publication and daily newsletter focused on the leisure marine, superyacht, and commercial marine markets. It strives to inform and inspire by covering the latest stories and events across the marine industry.
Luxury Yacht Enthusiasts Rejoice: Xquisite Yachts Achieves Two Major Production Milestones!
Luxury Yacht Enthusiasts Rejoice:
Xquisite Yachts Achieves Two Major Production Milestones!
Sixty Solar Sail
SIXTY SOLAR SAIL and POWER:
The future of sustainable yachting
Xquisite Yachts has exciting news to share about its latest vessels. Firstly, the SIXTY SOLAR SAIL has been completed at Phoenix Marine Manufacturing in South Africa and is currently being assembled for its upcoming debut. Secondly, the first hull of the innovative SIXTY SOLAR POWER has been lifted out from the molds at Xquisite Yachts’ new production facility in partnership with Walby in Portugal.
Two Continents, One Gold Standard
Even though they were constructed on different continents, both of these exceptional models will undergo stringent quality and safety checks, in line with Xquisite Yachts’ longstanding tradition. This has helped establish the brand as a leader in the catamaran industry, with these new models set to join its prestigious lineup of multi-award-winning luxury yachts.
Sixty Solar Sail
More Updates to Come
We are eager to showcase these new luxury yachts to the world, and we invite you to stay tuned for more updates. The launch of these two new models is scheduled for later this year.
For more information on Xquisite Yachts and our stunning range of luxury yachts, please visit our website or email us at info@xquisiteyachts.com.
Need a Yacht? Just Push a Button…
Need a Yacht? Just Push a Button…
Xquisite Africa acquires southern Hemisphere’s largest five-axis CNC milling machine – a game-changer
A starburst of European technology will arrive in SA later this year in the form of Africa’s first large five axis CNC machine, due to be installed at a brand new facility outside Cape Town in July.
Say goodbye to plugs and moulds; say hello to a 20m x 5m x 3m monster machine that has a volume of 300 000 litres – equal to ten midsized swimming pools. The technology has been available in Europe for about two years but has yet to be installed south of the Sahara.
Clinton Johns, spokesperson for Xquisite Africa (a joint venture between Xquisite Yachts International and Johns), told SABBEX the machine would have immediate application to his company Phoenix Marine Manufacturing which is due to start tooling up with a 60′ performance sail catamaran and thereafter a 60′ luxury power cat. Phoenix Marine already produces the successful Xquisite luxury X5 50′ catamaran at its Atlantis facility.
“It’s a complete and absolute game-changer”
– Johns said.
“This changes the industry’s whole way of tooling and the number of man-hours it takes to build a boat mould and plug.”
Smaller CNC machines are widely in use but the new Mega 5 axis variety is a huge step forward in both scale and innovation. Johns said the new five axis would dramatically reduce boatbuilding production time from currently about 24 months to about 8 months in exceptional cases.
Johns said: “You don’t have to have wooden stations, you don’t need plugs – the machine does everything.”
The machine, dubbed Shawu (largest Elephant in recent history with largest tusks), will be able to do both milling and 3D printing. The 3D head installed on the machine allows it to make some of the largest 3D printed objects in the world. The 3D head can ‘print’ thermoset resins, foam, plastics, cement, and even recycled plastics.
Said Johns: “This option gives a totally different dynamic to the current thinking of manufacturing any large components.”
The new CNC facility on a 42000 m² erf will be based within the fringes of Cape Town and only 20km from the city centre. It will be a full custom factory to allow other boatyards or industries to take advantage of both the 5 axix milling or the mould-making facility adjacent to it. Some ‘hot desking’ and ‘pay as you go conference facilities’ for CAD/CAM designers will be available on the facility for jobs requiring intense 24/7 work.
Johns expects the machine to have immediate application far beyond boatbuilding, such as in the renewable energy sector where South Africa is already manufacturing wind turbine components. Target markets include yacht building, filmmaking, aerospace, road transport, automotive (electric vehicles), wind turbines, and sculpture.
“In fact anything you can imagine in Solidworks/Rhino/Blender or any other 3D program/Gaming Engine – this machine will be able to mill or 3D print” – Johns said.
Johns, with 35 years of plastic industry experience as owner of Duroplastic, said the cost of milling could be significantly reduced as many of the finishing and tooling materials such as the tooling board, tooling paste – Easyshape, hi-build Sprayshape putties and Gloskote that are traditionally imported had been in the Duroplastic stable for decades.
He said access to the technology would help local manufacturers compete in the global marketplace.
Video tour of the Phoenix Marine factory, the birthplace of the Xquisite X5
Check out the video tour of the Phoenix Marine factory,
the birthplace of the multi-award-winning Xquisite X5!
Enormous thanks to Craig and Janice for this video tour. Please visit their channel for more Cruising Off Duty.
Craig: ‘I was really impressed with all the attention to detail and level of quality put into Xquisite X5 at every stage that allows this boat to adhere to the high ISO 9001 standards.’
Click for more videos
The Xquisite X5 manufacturer – Phoenix Marine – moved to a New State of the Art Production Facility
The Xquisite X5 manufacturer – Phoenix Marine – moved to a New State of the Art Production Facility
Our partner in South Africa, Phoenix Marine Manufacturing, the builder of the Xquisite X5 has moved to a new and much larger production facility. This new state of the art factory allows us to streamline the production and have three boats under construction at all times in different stages on the production line, this way
launching a new Xquisite X5 every 3 months, a total of four boats each year
The second bay in this new factory shortly will become as busy as the first one, as tooling for our next model,
the XQUISITE POWER catamaran will start soon.
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months
A new Xquisite X5 launching every 3 months