290EC Deck Mold Framed

The metal framework was added to the World Cat 290EC deck mold and it was pulled Monday... we've templated our patterns for coring and glass kits, and the mold has now entered mold care.

In mold care they will tape off all non-skid to protect, buff the mold using three separate buffing compounds to bring out the shine in the mold for production, and then add two coats of sealer, and five coats of release agent.

Once we complete mold care, we will mount the mold to it's spindle to allow for easy lamination. We will then build the first two parts! Part #1 will be for the first prototype 290EC, and part #2 will remain in the mold to build the fiberglass cabin headliner. Building the headliner in the mold takes much more time than simply milling a plug and building a mold, however, yields a part that is perfectly mated to the deck. Details like this will show show up in the final product.

Both deck parts will be built next week, and then we can simultaneously start the prototyping process on the 290EC deck and begin building the 290EC cabin headliner.

Once we complete the headliner mold, the deck mold will be sent back to mold care to perform final tooling on the mold and take it to 1000 grit in order to ensure the highest quality parts will be built using the deck tooling.

We're also working on splashes for use as cutting templates on the deck plug before we send it off to Ashley Welding to build the hardtop frame and bow rail...

All in all this is the busiest couple weeks of the project... did I mention that we're building 290 hull mold #2? More on that later... stay tuned.

290EC Deck Mold Complete

We finished building our 290EC deck mold last Friday while I was at the Miami Boat Show. The flange has been trimmed and the mold (sitting atop of the plug) has been sent over to maintenance to add the steel framework. The steel framework will give the mold rigidity to ensure that each part comes out per our design specification and also that the mold is structurally sound enough to last many years.

This mold looks great! At World Cat, we have a dedicated in-house team that builds our molds and takes their job very seriously as leaders in charge of our future. Many manufacturers outsource the mold making process, we believe that we're best suited to build our most valuable assets!

When building our molds we use a 100% vinyl-ester tooling resin that is specifically designed to build tooling and to withstand heat and shrinkage. After the plug is completed, we wax and prep the mold and spray one layer of black tooling gelcoat (the outside layer), and one layer of green tooling gelcoat (the inner layer). We do this so that we can see problem areas that need fixed on the mold before they become real problems in production. On hulls and decks, once the gelcoat has become tacky, we buildup the mold by hand-laying 12 layers of chopped strand mat which results in a 21-ounce buildup. This is allowed to cure completely, and that's where we are at now... time to add metal!

Hope you found this interesting, stay tuned for future updates to the 290EC and our other projects, we'll finish building the metal framework this week and pull the mold next week to begin prepping it for the first deck!

Miami Boat Show Recap

I just got back from the Miami Boat Show, it truly is the show that kicks off the boating year! You could feel the electricity in the air in Miami, this was a big show for the boating industry, lots of new and interesting products and technologies as always.

This was the first in-water show for our 290DC Dual Console, which was a great success. The 290DC sea trial schedule was filled for each and every sea trial from 10AM to 5PM from Thurs day until today with over 120 trials taken! Although we applied for an NMMA Innovation Award for the 290DC, we weren't able to win. We're not going to let that get us down, based on customer feedback and feature comparison, we believe the 290DC to be the best in class offshore dual console boat available... styling, features, seating, safety, and of course... ride. Lots of excitement around the World Cat docks and booth. Our preliminary sales results show an increase in retail units over last year of 50%! This gives us the confidence that we're listening to our customers and designing products with them in mind. We're looking forward to releasing the new products we currently have in development (290EC, 290CC), and especially the ones we've been dreaming up over the past week!

We'll keep trying on those awards!

Atlantic City Boat Show

The Atlantic City Boat Show ended yesterday, a successful event for World Cat and our area dealers... lots of interest in our products and we're holding up strong during these uncertain economic times. World Cat's new and used boats continue to be in high demand in the marketplace.

Great feedback on the 290DC, lots of interest and excitement on the 290EC! Lots of talk about bigger World Cats (hmmm...) with and without diesels, and World Cat Cruisers or cruising-type boats. It's Always great to get to take some time out of our busy schedules and get an opportunity to speak with our owners. After all, that's what it's all about...

Off to the Miami International Boat Show this week, and then back to the drawing boards to continue working on new models! Just wanted to say thanks to all the owners who were able to make it to the event!

World Cat Cruisers?

I'm extremely excited to announce that we are working on concept designs in anticipation of adding a catamaran cruiser to our product offerings! Currently we build three types of boats, all with an emphasis on fishing:

• Center Console Catamarans
• Dual Console Catamarans
• Cabin Catamarans (Express & Walkaround)

On our new 290 series hull design, we've entered full production on the Dual Console model (290DC), we're building our first prototype Express Cabin model (290EC), and we're finalizing the design of the Center Console model (290CC).

But wait... if that wasn't enough, we're working on a cruising type layout that you can fish... we haven't decided on the model designator yet, but we're gathering customer feedback on the features and specifications that would make this new addition a real winner for our customers.

We are extremely excited to make this jump into the cruising market and growing the World Cat family to include all boat owners, not just our fishing customers. We think that the catamaran hull benefits all boaters in safety and comfort.

If you'd like to provide feedback to help us design these models and be included in future market surveys, please send an email with your comments to pde@worldcat.com.

Stay tuned for future updates!