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Clinton News-Record, 1974-12-12, Page 17.Clinion, Ontario Thursday, December 12, 1974 Putting a yacht together can sometimes mean squeezing into tight places as, Peter Lantinga of Hensall does here while assembling a wheel assembly on a boat that is nearing completion. The Boat yard now has nearly 100 boats completed since it began operations two years ago. (News-Record photo) From a small church shed in Bayfield, Ted Gozzard has brought the Bayfield Boat Yard to ,International fame, but he credits their success to skillful, hardworking employees. • Here Ted transfers one of a hundred drawings onto a piece of wood. (News-RecOrd photo) Carefully mounting the teak handrail on the fiberglas deck, Jerk) Platter Of Bayfield must take tare hot to dent the weed, Moat Of the parts for the yachts are 'manufactured at the Vanastrei plant. (NOwodord phOto) The birth of a yacht at the Bayfield Boat Yard's , plant at Vanastra begins in the fiberglas moulding room, where skilled women carefully form the 'glass' onto moulds. Here Toddle Miller of Seaforth (bending,i,and Doris Chambers of Vanastra apply the fiberglas to a mould. (News Record photo) the galleys for the bOats are assembled separately in the plant% woodworking Section at the Bayfield Boat Yard's 46,000 souare.foot plant, Here Jay Pisher of Bayfleld puts together a galley that includes a sink, a fridge, and a stove. (News.Piecord photo) The cabins of the yachts turned out at Vanastra offer all the conveniences of home, Including a kitchen and Washroom. Here is a picture of an interior of the galley on a 32 foot boat that Is nearing completion. (News-Record photo) Sleek end smooth, the Bayfield goat Yard's "32" gives an indication of her SPOed AS she sits waiting for her final touches to be added.. The boats have drawn International recognition and the boatt are now In demand throughout the world. (News 4ebortf photo) *** *•)Niki‘ki.1.# t)k„. • **.z.ai, ,Azio0.01.1$4. Second Section 109 Year-No 50 Bayfield Boat Yard: from shed to international fame in 4 years BY ELAINE TQWN$HEND Vanastra's Building 22 houses the Bayfield Boat Yard, which boasts a short but productive history and faces a promising future. In 1970, dinghies and canoes were constructed in a 2,500 square-foot church shed: in Bayfield. Two=and-a-half years ago the builders switched to larger sailing ships. In the fall of 1972, production began on 25 foot yachts, and last year, a 32 foot model was introduced. Because of its increased production, the Boat Yard required additional space. A large building in Vanastra was leased last year. For several months, the work was divided between the two locations, Bayfield and Vanastia. In the autumn of 1973, Vanastra's Building 22, a for- mer school, was purchased, By April of 1974, the 46,000 square-foot structure enclosed the entire production plant. Only 26,000 square feet of the available space is now used. As the debris is cleared from the wings, the working area will ex- pand. Meanwhile, a custom plant in Bayfield provides local maintenance and repairs., The personnel of the Bayfield Boat Yard has also increased. Originally only two people were involved. Now, the business is currently controlled by five shareholders - Ted Gozzard of Bayfield, the president and chief designer; his wife, Jan, who serves as the secretary- treasurer; Nelson Gatehouse of Grand Bend, who is in charge of the plant; Don Hart of Exeter, who oversees the production, and the purchasing; and Gary Ferguson, originally from Toronto, who has been the plant manager since 1972. The firm now employs 45 workers including Carpenters, assemblers and secretaries. In- cluded in the staff are ten women. Manager Gary Ferguson predicts the number of employees could double during the next year. The construction of the Bayfield Yachts is primarily manual. First Ted Gozzard designs a ship, blending tested reliability with a modern look. From this completed ship, a mould is formed for the sub- sequent yachts. In the mould, the fiberglas is shaped and allowed to harden. A team of women with a female supervisor handles most of the fiberglas work, which is the heart of the operation. The quality of the fiberglas produced by them is higher than that achieved by their male counterparts. Chalk one up for women's lib! 'The sturdy fiberglas hull is extracted from the mould, and the shell is then cleaned and polished, After the galley is in- stalled, the cabin is fastened over the top. A unique teak trim is added on the deck. Finally, the water line .and a gold scroll are painted along the sides of the gleaming hull, The plant includes a carpen- try shop in which the galleys and the trim are formed from the teak wood. The Boat Yard purchases the engines and the sails for its yachts, From the drawing boards to the shipping cradles, the con- struction of the Bayfield. Yachts progresses altnost totally within the production plant at Vanastra. • At the current production rate, six 25-foot yachts and 'two 32-foot yachts are constructed simultaneously. Twelve days are required to complete a 25- foot yacht; 30 days are needed to build a 32-footer. The production target for the latter, however, is 21 days. The rising costs are evident. Last year a 25-foot model sold for $9,000; this year the price comes close to $12,500. During the next 12 months, the production plant will manufacture 200 yachts. These ships will be transported to retail outlets in New York City; Washington D.C.; Florida; Vancouver; Toronto, and other major North American centres. Many retailers now exist along the eastern coast of the United States, and the owners of the Bayfield Boat Yard anticipate future expansion into the western states. Because the United States enjoys a long sailing season, that country consumes 65 per cent of the Boat Yard's sales. Lawyers, doctors and` teachers represent the majority of the customers. With rising salaries and growing, popularity Oc,f-. sailing, though, pe6ple more varied walks of life are becoming involved in the sport. Enquiries about the Bayfield Yachts have arrived from Greece, South America, Mexico, Scotland and other countries. The high cost of shipping the boats and the risk of damaging the merchandise, however, prohibits overseas exports at this time. To accommodate such sales, the firm would have to establish a representative in the United Kingdom. The owners speculate that in a yea' exports may be considered more seriously. First, though, the plant must fill the North American demand, How is the Bayfield Boat Yard attracting this attention? International trade magazines contain advertisements describing the Bayfield Yachts. During the fall, a Bayfield Thirty-two and a Bayfield Twenty-five appeared at con- sumers' shows in Detroit, An- napolis and Chicago. Other shows in major American and ' Canadian cities will be par- ticipated in throughout the year. Manager Gary Ferguson adds that the vital publicity passes by word of mouth from one satisfied customer to another prospective buyer. He, explains, "We demand skilled trade from our employees, and we provide top quality in our productions. Our craftsmanship is now recognized as some of the best among Canadian builders." The Bayfield Boat Yard has come a long way in four years: from a church shed to a,46,000 square-foot production plant;. from a crew of two people to a staff of five shareholders and 45 employees; from the con- struction of dinghies and canoe's for nearby customers to the manufacture of yachts for retailers throughout North America; and from a local en- terprise to an internationally recognized business.