In 1970, a famous Taiwanese architect named Dr. Da-Hong Wang was commissioned by the government of Taiwan ROC to design a memorial as a gift to the United States, to commemorate the successful Apollo 11 moon landing. Since the NASA project was called Apollo, after the greek God of the sun, and the project’s goal was moon exploration, Mr. Wang decided it would be appropriate to name the memorial “Selene” after the mythical Greek goddess of the moon.
Unfortunately, the memorial project was designed but never completed. However, years later, Howard Chen became a student of Mr. Da-Hong Wang at the Graduate School of Architecture, Tunghai University, Taiwan. When he learned about the memorial project he decided to call his new line of yachts “Selene”, so that his mentor’s dream could, in name at least, finally make it to the United States. The first yacht arrived in the US in 1999, and to date there are 310 of them cruising both coasts of the US and around the world.
State of the art facility
Selene Yachts are manufactured in two different factories in China. The larger Selenes are built in the Zhuhai factory while the smaller Selenes are built in Dongguan. Every Selene Yacht begins it’s life as fiberglass cloth and resin. Since high quality materials are the foundation of our great product, the materials are stored in a climate-controlled warehouse. This ensures that the hull and deck laminates are not compromised by storage of the raw materials in an uncontrolled environment.
Selene hulls are laminated using a female mold in one of two large buildings in our facility. Because the hulls are built from the “outside in” one of the first steps is applying the gelcoat, which will be the glossy outer finish of the hull. Gelcoat is applied using a state-of-the-art MVP airless spray system that ensures consistent even film thickness and avoids “print through” (where the underlying fiberglass shows through the outer layer of gelcoat). Successive layers of fiberglass cloth soaked in resin are applied to the inside of the mold over the gelcoat. The number of layers of cloth and the type of cloth are carefully specified and controlled to produce a consistently strong hull. Once the hull is complete, it is removed from the mold by separating the mold into two halves at the centerline of the hull. The interior components and machinery are then installed in the completed hull.
Where painting is necessary, such as when customers order an optional two-part polyurethane exterior paint color, the completed hull is moved to a new climate and dust-controlled painting shop. Careful control of temperature, humidity, and dust are critical to a quality paint finish. At the end of the manufacturing process, moveable final touch up sheds cover the yachts while crews complete any final details and prepare them for shipment.
Grace and strength
“Grace and Strength” is not just a slogan for Selene Yachts, it is backed up by a rigorous commitment to quality and a dedication to continuous improvement. Every Selene Yacht is built from the highest quality materials and components available. Hulls are constructed using Cook Gelcoat and Vinylester resin to retain their beauty and resist moisture absorption, which can lead to osmostic blistering. Cymax unidirectional bi-axial fiberglass is used for structural integrity.
Above the waterline, balsa core is used for lightweight (which increases stability), strength, and insulation. Vacuum bagging insures a solid bond between core and laminate materials. Gelcoat is applied using the state of the art MVP airless spray system for flawless application. While high-quality materials and components are critical, even the best materials can be wasted if manufacturing processes are not consistently controlled. A key part of Jet Tern Marine commitment to quality is achieving ISO 9001 certification.
With the spirit of excellence, Selene Ocean Trawler is emerging as a world leading brand in the luxury long range trawler.
