Company History

Jet Tern Marine is one of a group of companies in the Jet-Tern Group owned by the Chen Family. Howard Chen, founder of Jet Tern Marine is a 1983 graduate of the Taiwan National Cheng Kung University with a Bachelor's Degree in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. In addition, he has a Master's degree in architecture from Taiwan Tunghai University. After serving in the R.O.C. army and working as an engineer at another yacht design firm, Howard established Jet Tern Marine in 1998. The first Selene Trawler arrived in the US in 1999. Today, more than two hundred Selene yachts are cruising the world.

Our Facilities

Selene Yachts are manufactured in state of the art facilities in Dongguan, and Zhuhai, cities in Canton, China, not far from Hong Kong. Every Selene Yacht begins its life as fiberglass, cloth, and resin. Since high quality materials are the foundation of any great product, our materials are stored in a climate-controlled warehouse. This insures 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.

Quality Commitment

"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 light weight (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. ABS Quality Evaluations, Inc. awarded Jet Tern Marine with ISO 9001 certification in August 2001 (Certificate number 35916). ISO 9001 certification means that Jet Tern Marine processes are documented and controlled to insure consistency, which is an important part of quality. We believe that Jet Tern Marine is the first shipyard in China producing yachts to achieve ISO certification.