Andy Smith Boat Works is a franchised yard for building Wharram Catamarans. They have a close relationship with the designers James Wharram Designs, where JWD will assist the Wharram boat customer with their choice of design and handle any design queries or modifications. It is seen as a three-way relationship between Designers, Yard and Customer where at the end of the day all three parties are proud of the boat built.

To assure our customers that they get a quality built boat, we have established a number of safeguards.

Plywood & Timber, storage and treatment:

We use export quality Philippine marine plywood to BS 1088 standard and local Philippine boatbuilding timbers by the name of White and Red Lauan and Yakal (hardwood), kiln dried to assure good seasoning of the wood.

There is a fear amongst many w ould-be boat owners that boats built in the tropics can pick up wood borers during the build. We have taken various measures at our yard to prevent this happening.

1) Our boatbuilding sheds are made of steel and have a clear, smooth concrete floor. All floors are swept and vacuumed daily to prevent any build-up of wood debris that could be the breeding ground for insects and wood borers.

2) Plywood and timber is treated with insecticide on arrival at the yard and stored in closed steel containers also fumigated once a month and recorded. All wood is coated with epoxy as early in the build process as is practical.

3) We regularly check the boat s in build for any signs

These measures have been effective, as we have experienced no problems with borers since we established the yard at its present premises at Bolod Panglao Island 6 years ago.

Customers checking their boat and visiting the yard:

We encourage new customers to visit the yard to inspect our working conditions and meet the people that will build their boat. At such a visit, discussions can take place to determine all the customers wishes and how they will be met.

Once the build is in progress customers can arrange more visits to inspect the build and have further discussions.

Customers who reside locally during the build of their boat are allowed to visit the yard once a week to inspect progress at which time they are asked to sign an acceptance/complaints slip (copies of which will sent to James Wharram Designs if their boat is a Wharram Design)

This is a practice we have recently established when we found that having too many customers and visitors at the yard at all times, seriously disturbed our workers and confused them with conflicting orders being given by customers instead of the yard management.

Overseas customers on a short visit do not have these restrictions and will be given all the time they need to inspect progress and discuss requirements for their boat.

Changes and additions asked for by the owner during the building of their boat are put in writing and signed, so both the customer and the yard have a written record of negotiations.