Sea Otter to make splash at Southampton Boat Show
CHESTERFIELD-BASED Sea Otter Boats will be flying the flag for MAS (Manufacturing Advisory Service) East Midlands as it sails into the forthcoming Southampton Boat Show to launch its brand new 33ft river and estuary cruiser.
As one of the largest aluminium alloy boat builders in Europe, Sea Otter will be displaying the fruits of its ship-shape manufacturing processes at the high profile event at Mayflower Park in later this month (15-24 SEPT).
The company made annual savings of more than £240,000 after calling on MAS East Midlands to improve its customer delivery requirements and reduce bottlenecks on the shop floor.
These savings have given Sea Otter the additional finance needed for new product development, and the company will be using the Southampton Boat Show to launch its brand new 330AC, and display its popular 41ft narrowboat.
The 330AC has a 130hp diesel engine and will reach speeds of up to 12 knots. It incorporates 3 cabins; the forward and middle cabins both come with seating that converts into double beds and a roof hatch for a feeling of spaciousness and light; the aft cabin has an island double bed, a full hanging locker and combination bathroom. The cruiser also has a fully equipped galley, including gas hob and electric fridge.
Sea Otter MD Ray Shepherd, said: “The help we received from MAS put us in a position, both in terms of cost and resources, to concentrate our efforts on developing new product lines and expanding into other markets.
“MAS assessed all our manufacturing procedures and gave help to improve workflow and rationalise our supply chain. Improvements to production management and cost control were also implemented enabling us to measure productivity.
“We now collate labour and material cost data, along with time sheets so we can monitor individual operative performance figures. All aspects of production are now accurately costed from drawing, through fabrication, first fit, joinery, painting and final fitting.
“The savings we made gave us the freedom to focus on developing new models, our latest of which we are delighted to be showcasing at the Southampton Boat Show.”
Ray Shepherd was so impressed with the help provided by MAS that he recently came on board as a MAS Ambassador to champion the service amongst other marine manufacturers in the East Midlands and UK.
