Kinda interesting facts I discovered about Bryant Boats (Sweetwater, TN):
Back in 1990, Bryant Boats started life as a small family company. From the start, the goal was to stay small and keep volume low so that focus could remain on putting quality into each and every model produced. It was also to be a business that the entire Bryant family was a part of.
In 2012, John Dorton, formerly the head of MasterCraft and a veteran of the boating industry, purchased the company from the Bryant family on the condition that they stay on in key positions. Now, with Bryant under new ownership, but still employing the original family members, Dorton set his sights on building a sportboat that could compete toe-to-toe with the fit-and-finish and quality of specialty inboard ski/wake boats – to say nothing of traditional sterndrive sportboats.
2 things I found particularly interesting:
1) Long Hull Cure Time. Many of the quality aspects of Bryant sportboats will be hard for anyone, except connoisseurs of boats and fiberglass boat building, to appreciate. One of the biggest differences in how Bryant builds its boats is that the hull and deck are left to cure for a full three days in the mold, as opposed to the industry standard of one day – and some builders leave the hull and deck in the mold only a few hours after the polyester and catalyst chemical reaction kicks off.
Why is this important? Simply because if a hull or deck are taken out of the mold while the catalytic exothermal process is still in progress, without the support of the mold the fiberglass part can lose its intended shape to some degree. It can warp or ripple and the roving pattern print through can be exacerbated. (To check hull fairness, observe a hull and look for ripples in the reflected light. Is there a “washboard” effect? If so, it could be because the hull was not allowed to cure fully in its mold.)
2) Wood Not. And no wood is used anywhere in order to eliminate any chance of rot. Even today, many builders still use wood in their transoms, stringers and bulkheads because the material is easy to cut and install, and once covered in fiberglass is no longer visible.
Once the hull and deck are removed from the mold, another important process is started. All openings for mounts and drives are cut by hand. No robotic arms are used.
The Bryant Warranty
John Dorton says Bryant’s business plan is pretty straightforward. Take the most talented craftspeople, give them superior materials and build the best boats possible. Then stand behind the product. Bryant offers a lifetime structural warranty, a 5-year gelcoat blister warranty, and a 2-year stem-to-stern component warranty that covers everything but the engine, which falls under its own warranty.
Hoping this makes things a little more clear. I actually was very impressed learning about the company. Hey Have a GREAT day... It's turned cold(er) down here on Lake OConee ..... Mikey Lulejian