Terms: Following these basic terms will ensure a pleasant experience both before and after delivery of your new boat or hull for many years to come. Summary of terms: Hulls are not boats; only when the engine and accessories are installed is it called a boat. Do not buy a boat made for recreational use then put it to commercial use; if you want a commercial boat than pay the extra cost for added reinforcement. Do not order multiple boats then decide to stop with only one. Understand the terms of an invoice before starting the job. If you are going to use a boat to carry passengers for hire follow the USCG guidelines. When shipping boats we cannot be held responsible for damage or unexpected charges by a third part; please get involved in the shipping process by asking the shipper questions. Do not assume all commercial work boats will have the same refined finish as a boat made for recreation; ask which commercial boats can be made with the same finish as a recreational boat. If you are highly selective in detail finishing then come to Miami to inspect your boat before we ship it to you. if you are going to build a boat to carry more than 6 passengers, be sure you know what you are getting into.
1. Shipping – Payments made late will delay the shipping and delivery of an order. It is required for the buyer to visit and inspect each order before it ships to ensure the boat or hull is made to their specifications. Without personal inspection this company takes no responsibility for any misunderstandings as to the finished product after shipping. We send photos of every order to the buyer just before we pack for shipping. If an order arrives damaged it is the responsibility of the shipping company to pay for costs to repair any damage. We pack orders with a plastic canopy, then wrap in shrink-wrap and strap to a frame in most cases this has been enough to protect the boat or hull during shipping. If the customer expects more protection there is a $500 fee for extra packing when shipped on a frame; $1200 fee for making a crate for boats over 18 feet to 22 feet; $900 for boats under 18 feet to 14 feet and $600 for boats under 14 feet. We must be notified by customer prior to shipping if extra packing is expected. The customer is responsible for any and all fees charged by a shipper. Destination fees charged by the shipper are not included. Any and all offers for free shipping do not include destination fees or packing. Boats shipped over the road on their trailer cost $2.00 per mile. Shipping boats 20 feet by truck cost average $2500 coast to coast plus extra packing if requested. It is the customer’s responsibility to confirm with shipper their terms in advance as we are not responsible for third parties handling the orders once it leaves our custody.
2. Disputes regarding terms of invoice - Terms are written on each and every invoice. Please request clarification of terms if you do not fully understand completely.
3. Failing to meet terms of an invoice – It is the buyer’s responsibility to understand all terms on an invoice. In the event buyer fails to meet terms of payment due to an incorrect interpretation by the buyer the buyer is still responsible for the full amount listed on the invoice regardless. We will recover any and all costs related to a job that is in dispute where payments were not made. We make every effort to resolve disputes to the buyer ‘s satisfaction. If there is an impasse this company will halt all work on a job. It is then the buyer’ choice to either have the job shipped to them as is at their expense or have the job placed in third party storage at the buyer’s expense. In the event the buyer does not indicate whether to ship or store the job this company will hand over the job to a third party storage facility and notify the customer.
4. Warranty – All boats are under warranty by the manufacturer of each part of the boat. Example; if the engine has defects the customer must contact the engine manufacturer. If it is a mechanical defect the customer must contact the mechanical product supplier. If there is a claim of structural defects the customer must first obtain two separate repair estimates from licensed marine service centers, and take photographs. At that point we will evaluate the circumstances and if repairs are warranted we will either pay for repairs at a marine service center of our choice or require the boat be shipped to our repair location in Miami Florida at the buyer’s expense. The reality is that Allmand Boats made back in the 1960’s are still on the water and the hulls are just as good today as when manufactured except in cases of abuse or negligence. Fiberglass is a durable material that does not deteriorate like wood. When there is a claim of defect in the fiberglass hull our position is to first investigate to establish if repairs stated were exaggerated or caused by the end user by negligence, misuse or abuse. Virtually all claims in recent years regarding claims on hulls have been found to be exaggerated, results of abuse, exceeded the maximum horse power or the boat was bought on the basis it would be for recreational use then later put to commercial use for which the design was not intended. In cases of recreational boats put to commercial use there is no warranty.
5. A hull is not a boat. Only when a hull is complete with engines and accessories and made to operate as intended is it called a boat. Hulls will not be sold with fuel tanks, electrical wiring, or accessories without express written agreement that this company is free from any defects from the resulting boat completed by a third party. Hulls sold to customers where we do not complete with engines and accessories are not covered by any warranty or claim of defects.
6. All boats are made in the USA. A boat is a hull that is completed with engine and all accessories in order to operate as intended. A hull is not a boat and has no warranty and carries no serial number. A serial number is assigned only to the fully operational boat. If the customer purchase a hull and completes it themselves then they are responsible for all warranty be it structural or otherwise and is responsible for assigning their own home built serial number assigned by the marine service center or state or country they completed the boat in. This company will not honor any claim made where the hull was completed by anyone other than an agreed representative of this company where there is an agreement is signed and notarized by all parties.
7. The structure of all hulls and boats built and sold is assumed to be used for occasional recreational use. When a boat or hull is ordered it will be assumed by this company that it will be for recreational purposes. Boats or hulls bought for recreational uses that are instead used for commercial purposes can be identified as being used commercially by tell tale signs of commercial use. This company will not honor any claim made by individuals who have ordered a recreational design that was then put to commercial use.
8. Commercial boats – Skiffs, Panga Boats are examples of commercial boats and are designed for commercial use. Commercial boats will not have the glossy finish or refined finishing as a boat made for recreation. When a Panga boat or Skiff is ordered this company will assume it is for commercial use and will not provide the recreational detailed refined finishing.
9. Inflatable boats – Inflatable boats are designed to be light weight and maneuverable. They are not designed for commercial uses unless specific commercial designs are requested and agreed to in writing. Every inflatable boat order is assumed to be for pleasure only. Inflatable boats showing tell tale signs of commercial use will void any implied or written warranty. Inflatable boat hulls will not be sold with fuel tanks or any other accessory and it is the buyer’s responsibility to complete the boat and provide the serial number without a signed agreement stating otherwise on the original invoice. Inflatable boat hulls carry no warranty without a signed agreement stating the buyer is held responsible for the completed boat and the completed boat will only be used for recreation unless signed agreement that the hull is made for commercial use. Unless otherwise expressly agreed to in writing prior to advance payments all inflatable boats are made with thin hulls with foam backing. This design is intentional in order for the inflatable to perform as intended. By using the inflatable boat for carrying full capacity constantly the foam backing will soften over a short period of time thereby making the hull soft where possible delaminating may occur. When the hull becomes soft the seams and wings of the hull will develop stress cracks. If an inflatable boat is intended for commercial use the hull must be made with additional fiberglass reinforcement and will cost more than a recreational boat. When claims of a soft hull on and inflatable boat are made we will first investigate the probability the boat was put to commercial use such as carrying passengers for hire. It is when an inflatable boat made for recreational use is then put to commercial use is when the problems of the soft hull occur. In addition to creating hull problems due to misuse, the handles, valves and other parts of the inflatable boat will also wear out quickly if not made for commercial use and it is the responsibility of the buyer to express what their inflatable boat will be used for as we will assume every order for an inflatable boat will be used for occasional recreational use and not for commercial purposes unless clearly agreed to in writing before advance payment is made. In cases where any recreational boat hull shows signs of commercial use we will not honor any claim of defect. Claims for defects in these cases has been on the rise and requires full disclosure of our terms before accepting any more orders for inflatable boats or any boats made for recreational use. If any boat is to be used for commercial purposes this must be agreed to in writing before making any payment on an invoice otherwise we will assume the order is for recreational use only. When any boat made for recreational purposes shows signs of commercial use all warranty implied, expressed, or in writing is void.
10. Any boat used for commercial purposes must have a coastwise endorsement from the USCG paid for by the buyer. The USCG will provide inspection at the buyer’s expense to determine if a boat meets standards for carrying passengers for hire and/or commercial use at the time the plans are submitted, and these plans and submission plus any cost to modify in order to conform process are an additional cost paid for by the buyer. Boats carrying any number of passengers for hire are considered a commercial boat by this company and all commercial boats made by this company require USCG inspection and payment to build to requirements. Before any claim will be honored this company requires the owner provide the coastwise endorsement documentation and USCG inspection certification for boats where claims of defects are made. Any warranty implied or written is void where the buyer fails to obtain endorsement for coastwise trade and/or USCG inspection. An example would be if a buyer purchases a boat made for commercial use but fails to obtain coastwise endorsement and/or USCG inspection certificate any warranty implied or written is void. The difference between recreational boat design and commercial design is the amount of fiberglass reinforcement. In commercial boats the layers of fiberglass reinforcement is at least twice that required for recreational boats because in commercial boats they often carry full capacity and full stress constantly and this heavy use will demand substantial added reinforcement. To build a boat with additional reinforcement needed for the durability of a commercially used boat costs more than building for occasional recreational use. Another added cost is the USCG inspection process for commercial boats that is completely separate from our obligation other than to build to proper guidelines where it is the buyer’s responsibility to specify such proper guidelines according to the USCG requirements prior to invoicing. Without the buyer’s specifying proper guidelines as dictated by the USCG we will not be held responsible for any alterations required as a result of a USCG inspection. Before any USCG inspection the plans for the boat must be submitted before building the boat and if the buyer fails to submit plans and applications before hiring us to begin work it is not our responsibility to document the alternate course for inspection which is to either apply as a converted pleasure boat or apply for a waiver. In cases where the hull was already started because the buyer took the “convert” option or failed to submit application and plans before hiring us, a 2 foot x 4 foot core sample of the hull must be made at the same time the hull is being completed and this core panel must be submitted along with plans on how the boat will be completed. In cases where the hull core sample is needed for the “convert” option it is required, at a separate cost to the buyer, that a 2 inch sample be drilled from the new hull and sent to a USCG approved lab to verify the 2 inch hull core sample is identical in composition to the core panel.
11. By requiring documentation for coastwise endorsement and USCG inspection for commercial use, the problem of claims for defects in manufacturing resulting from owners putting a recreational boat design to commercial use will be eliminated. A recreational design will not pass inspection for carrying passengers for hire or commercial use. Therefore unless the owner has a certificate of inspection from the USCG for commercial use, the boat is documented with a coastwise endorsement, and/or a signed agreement the boat was made for commercial use where the buyer has submitted specifications before invoicing, this company will not honor any claims for defects in manufacturing when the tell tale signs of commercial use are apparent.
12. Finish work – The following are the responsibility of the buyer and this company takes no responsibility for any assumptions made by the buyer that result in misunderstandings as to the finished product upon delivery. Furthermore specifications in finishing must be in writing prior to the acceptance and payment of an advance on an order; Rub Rails. We install the rub rail of our choice unless specified by the buyer. We polish the boat to a semi gloss finish unless further polishing and finishing is paid for by the buyer. We use 304 stainless steel unless 316 stainless steel is specified and paid for by the customer. We use standard laminating resin and standard fiberglass mat and woven roving in construction. Only written items on an invoice will be included in a completed order. Trailers assembly is an extra charge and the responsibility of the buyer. Consoles and other accessories may be disconnected for shipping and require some assembly at the destination.
13. Passenger Boats: We are not responsible for any costs related to USCG inspection for certification or costs to obtain coastwise trade endorsement. We can build or convert any boat for coastwise trade however these application, administrative and structural modification fees are completely separate if we provide a boat to be converted. If we are hired to build a boat that will be converted to a certified boat to carry passengers there is a separate $20,000 escrow required to pay costs related to converting a boat to be used to carry over 6 passengers.
Multiple orders – Multiple boat orders carry a wholesale or large discount over regular prices for individual boat orders. When placing multiple orders 10% of all payments will be held in reserve until the last payment that completes the multiple boat order. In the event a multiple boat order is placed but is altered after first payment on invoice where only one boat is paid for their will be a 10% increase in the cost of the single boat completed. This means that only 90% of payments will have been made on the altered multiple boat order and this shortfall must be paid before completing and or shipping. In addition an alteration of a multiple boat order voids any previous agreement on shipping terms, and at that time the buyer becomes responsible for all shipping charges including destination fees.
Hull warranty is dependent on use and must be an agreement in writing at time of sale. Since most hulls are sold overseas or out of state it is not practical to bring the boat back to Miami for warranty repairs.
The best solution to warranty is for the buyer to purchase an independent warranty service like NBOA. Boat and Watercraft
Warranties can be found online. Any warranty must be in writing
at time of sale. There is no warranty implied or otherwise on
Hulls sold where we do not install engines since we have no control or supervision unless we complete the boat.
Every claim will be investigated to determine the cause. In every case to date all claims made were found to be created by the
owner. There are many ways a buyer can create problems; some are using a recreational hull for commercial purposes, over powering beyond max.
neglect of hull conditions where repairs could have been made in time to avoid damage from increasing or spreading over time.
In any case no warranty implied express or otherwise is given without the buyer first obtaining a marine survey at time
of sale in order to establish cause of any claim after the date of sale. And that survey must be presented to the seller within 90 days of sale.
Lamination Layup Method
First step molds are prepared with mold release wax and sometimes with the addition of PVA. Next step apply gel coat. After first gel coat is applied with time to set up, a second coat is applied. After gel coat application a skin coat of 300g/1 oz matt strand E glass is applied with resin using rollers and brush. After skin coat has set the skin is lightly sanded and another layer of 300g/1 ox mat strand E glass is applied with one layer of 24 oz woven roving is applied immediately on top of the length of mat.
Immediately after the 24 oz woven roving is applied a second 24 oz woven roving is immediately applied over the layers of 300 g and first 24 oz mat layers. Some say it is best to put an added 300g layer between every 24 oz wr layer and if that is what the buyer asks for that is what will be done.
After the second 24 ox wr layer is laid that is the completion of the first layup schedule. Some say it is best to finish off the top 24 oz wr layer with 300 g mat. If that is what the buyer asks for that is what we will do. The sides of boats have half the number of layup schedules ad=s the bottom of the hull. The center of the hull has overlaps of all lay up schedules to reinforce the keel area.
Some say it is best to use biaxial cloth or tri axial cloth. Whatever the customer specifies is what will be used. Without specifications we will layup as described with 1 oz / 300 g E glass mat strand and 24 oz woven roving. The number of lay up schedules depends on the customer specs. Without specs we use the minimum lay up schedules. We must know what the hull will be used for to determine our minimum lay up schedules. Without specifying the use of the hull we will use the minimum lay up which is not sufficient for commercial uses such as passenger vessel or commercial fishing that must have extra layers applied. The minimum is fine for recreational use. It is the customers responsibility to tell us if they prefer a lamination to fit their purpose.
If the customer specs vacuum bag infusion we will use that method. The method we normally use today is the same as always. Every builder will have their preferred methods, ours is hand layup with polyunsaturated odd lot resin. If the customer specs epoxy, polyester or other more expensive resin we will use it and the price will increase the cost of the hull. Without specs and pricing to accommodate more expensive materials we will use odd lot layup resin with mat strand and woven roving applied by brush and roller.
Revisions and Modifications
Revisions and Modifications to an order: Any revision or modification to an order after acceptance will void the initial contract. The new contract will increase by 15% in addition to any additional cost of the revision. In addition, the delivery schedule is also void and a new delivery date will depend on the completion of other jobs before revisions and delivery dates are determined. Example: A boat is ordered with a fuel tank for $20,000 and the customer then wants to change the fuel tank capacity; the initial contract is void including delivery time. The new invoice will increase by $1500 in addition to the added cost of the modification. This revision clause is in effect even in cases where parts are omitted. Example: if a boat is ordered at $20,000 that includes a fuel tank and later the customer decides to not have a fuel tank the initial invoice is cancelled and there is a $1500 cost added to the new contract with no allowance for the fuel tank omitted. There are no refunds when a part is made for an order then later omitted.
Disputes: When a dispute arises where the buyer indicates they want a refund or similar demand this organization will at the buyer’s expense place the order in storage at a cost to the customer of $25 per day until payment is made in full and boat is picked up. In the event an order is paid for the order will be stored at no cost for a maximum of 10 days. After 10 days $25.00 per day will be required before the boat is released. In the event 90 days passes without storage fees being paid the boat will be sold to recover storage fees. In case of dispute where the buyer refuses to either pay the balance owed or pick up the boat this organization will hire leag counsel and add legal costs to storage costs to be recovered be any legal means possible.