T&T: A Cautionary Tale or the worst possible luck

[Faure, Marin]

Some boats have better construction techniques than Grand Banks.  Some
boats have better design features than Grand Banks (a subjective
opinion, I realize).  But what American Marine, now Grand Banks, brought
to the table in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s was consistency.  The so-called
Taiwan-trawlers--- CHB, Puget Trawler, Island Gypsy, etc., etc., etc.---
had a build quality that wandered all over the map because other than
the hulls, the construction of the boats was farmed out to small family
boatyards.  Each yard used different practices and materials and some
were more conscientious than others.  So CHB number 253 might be every
bit as good in terms of construction and materials as a Grand Banks, but
CHB number 254 might be a dry-rot disaster waiting to happen because of
the practices or materials used by the yard that finished the boat (I
made the hull numbers up).

With American Marine, every Grand Banks (and Alaskan) was made the same,
using the same materials, processes, and level of quality and
craftsmanship.  Discounting owner abuse and neglect, a GB made in 1973
will be as basically sound as GBs made in 1983, 1993, and 2003.  I'm not
saying GBs are the best-built production boats around,  and they
certainly aren't the perfect design, but starting with the original
woodies in the mid-60s, they came up with a design and a manufacturing
plan that called for top-of-the-line materials and building practices
and they've stuck to that plan ever since on every boat.

______________________________
C. Marin Faure
GB36-403 "La Perouse"
Bellingham, Washington