Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 328 SEPTEMBER 2016 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: TECHNOLOGY Q: How does carbon fiber as a hull con- struction material compare to fiber/glass/ aluminum/wood composite and steel? Rick and John Scarano, Scarano Boat Building, Inc. A: As builders of composite wood, aluminum, and steel vessels in the 40-foot to 120 –foot range, we can offer a general experienced opinion of these structures, and our perceived options and observations regarding a commer- cial vessel of carbon fiber construction. Our carbon fabricationexperience to date is limited to relatively small parts. A“base” set of options being wood, aluminum, fiberglass and steel have all been successful in operations while offering a very different set of charac- teristics as generally described below: Laminated Wood: This material provides a stiff, light and most visually appealing hull structure. Aluminum: A “high performance” option along with laminated wood. It has similar stiffness and strength to weight and we would score it slightly better than laminated wood for toughness. If faired and finished on an equal level with wood it is about equal in cost for a typical excursion vessel ( substantially higher material but lower labor costs). Fiberglass: We consider the performance of this material between steel and laminated wood or aluminum. Heavier than aluminum but lighter than steel. We have yet to build a commercial excursion boat or ferry of this material because so far it has not met any of our clients’ best option considering weight/cost to build/and toughness. Steel: This material is often chosen for its low material cost, least technically demanding fabrication, and superior toughness. It is ruled out where speed or fuel efficiency is prioritized. Total cost to build can be lowest depending on level of finish and corrosion resistant coating systems. Carbon Fiber: Here we can only anticipate the materials performance based on our limited experience with carbon fabrica- tions, observations and known material costs. It has far higher mechanical prop- erties than wood, aluminum, fiberglass or steel and should result in a substan- tially lighter and/or stronger vessel. We would “guestimate” a 10 to 20 percent weight saving over a completed laminated wood or aluminum excursion boat or ferry. Were it not for the cost of the raw material, it would appear to be the ultimate material for most vessel requirements. The cost to build would be highest due to material costs and technically demanding construction techniques in the case of a custom “one-off” project. Our company would be inclined to recommend this option only where extremely high priority was placed on speed and efficiency. This priority would have to override the factors of high cost and relatively low toughness. The FUTURE of VISITOR ENGAGEMENT ACME’s White Glove Service includes all training, support, hardware, upgrades and payment processing & compliance, with no hidden fees and no extra costs. To find out more, contact us today: ACME Technologies Alex Kryska Tel: 415.734.1894 General Manager Email: alex@acmeticketing.com Maritime Attractions On-line: www.acmeticketing.com ACME Technologies is the only visitation management system that offers a true 360 degree view of customer operations, from ticket sales through vessel and crew scheduling and management. Automate all operations related to customers, clients and partners, as well as manage resources to provide the best customer experience possible and save time, capture better data and create opportunities to grow and succeed.