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.
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