Trojan International 10.8 Meter EXPRESS

[RWS]

All of the research you have done really needs to be "saved" somewhere.

By the way, What a nice boat !

The evolution of design.

RWS

[BobCT]

How come the HP on the 454's is down so much? Is that a typo? It's 350 on my mid cabin, I can't believe it dropped 50 HP.

I know there were some 330 HP versions of the 454 but I think those were early 80's.

Bob

[todd brinkerhoff]

Carver's Buyout and Trojan Line

In the late 1980s fuel costs began to soar and the U.S. economy entered a recession, causing sales of luxury boats to tumble. In January 1991 the struggling industry was dealt a nearly fatal blow when a Congressionally-mandated 10 percent "luxury tax" on the price of boats above $100,000 took effect. Though lawmakers had reasoned that well-heeled boat buyers could easily afford the extra expense, many decided to wait out the law or make their purchases offshore, and American luxury boat sales quickly fell by as much as 75 percent. As unsold inventory piled up, Carver started losing $1 million per month and Minnesota buyout specialist Irwin Jacobs soon took advantage of the firm's plight by purchasing the majority of its debt. In April Jacobs forced the company's hand, causing Carver to file for bankruptcy and shut down both its plants, laying off its entire workforce of 1,050. In court filings, the firm listed assets worth $52 million and debt of $132 million.

Now in control of the company, Jacobs appointed a new CEO, Kenneth J. Severinson, under whose hand Carver initially began concentrating on boats that cost less than $100,000. Orders began to trickle in, and by summer the firm had rehired about half of its Wisconsin staff. In November a reorganization plan won court approval, and Carver was reincorporated by issuing stock to Jacobs and certain other creditors, with vendors and banks to be paid out of proceeds from operations. Carver, along with sister boatmaker Wood Manufacturing Co. and parent Miramar Marine, would be owned by Jacobs' Genmar Industries, which held 74 percent of its stock. His total stake later grew to nearly 100 percent.

By the spring of 1992 Carver was on the rebound, with its employment ranks back up to 390 and output hitting 14 boats per week from 8 a few months earlier. The company had cut unsold inventory by more than half to 420, while reducing its product line by a quarter to 14 models priced between $50,000 and $300,000, which included a newly introduced 34-foot boat. Most cost over $100,000, and to entice buyers the firm offered to pay half of the luxury tax, with dealers splitting the remainder with the purchaser. Carver was also pushing export sales, which at 36 percent made up more than double the previous amount.

In June 1992 the company bought the bankrupt Pennsylvania-based Trojan Yacht division of Bertram-Trojan Inc. for an amount put at less than $2 million. Carver would acquire the name, tools, and other equipment, adding 100 workers in Pulaski to produce Trojan's line of 30- to 46-foot express and sport cruiser boats.

Carver began to develop their own interpretation of luxury express cruisers, closely modeled after Trojan's own 10.8 Meter Express. These vessels would be named the Carver-Trojan 370, and would continue evolve and change with the Carver-Trojan 390 and 400 respectively. In the mid '90's, Carver created their own vessel, calling it the Trojan 350 and in 1996, Carver recruited Italian designer Fulvio DeSimoni to design their flagship vessel to be named the Carver Trojan 440 Express. Unlike the now non-existent Trojan-Bertram Company, Carver hired Fulvio DeSimoni to design the entire vessel, to include the hull design. This was a HUGE vessel which retailed for north of $750,000. However, as quoted by a BOATPOINT boat review, "The performance of this vessel would flatten even the most defiant hairdo."

In 2002, Carver discontinued their Trojan Line, and retains the use of name.

[todd brinkerhoff]

How come the HP on the 454's is down so much? Is that a typo? It's 350 on my mid cabin, I can't believe it dropped 50 HP.

I know there were some 330 HP versions of the 454 but I think those were early 80's.

Bob

I think there were several typos on the literature. John Leed described the time as very chaotic times, so much of the info was not proof read.

I can also assume that since the 502 only came in at 355 hp and would gain the company and extra $7700, they may be low balling the 454. I know they did some test runs on the 502 and probably wanted that to be their engine of choice.

[todd brinkerhoff]

All of the research you have done really needs to be "saved" somewhere.

By the way, What a nice boat !

The evolution of design.

RWS

I'll write this up as an entire article with photos. I can email it to you if you send me your info in pm

[todd brinkerhoff]

[/b]PROFILE

[todd brinkerhoff]

Harry Schoell Delta Conic Hull for the International Series from 1981 to 1991 on the 10, 10.8 Convertible, 11, 12, 13, and 14 Meter Yachts:



The Lee Dana, VP of Engineering at Bertram Yachts, hull design for the 1991 Trojan International 10.8 Meter Express. The "New" International's Deep-V Hull:



Harry Schoell Delta Conic Hull for the International Series from 1981 to 1991 on the 10, 10.8 Covertible, 11, 12, 13, and 14 Meter Yachts:



The Lee Dana, VP of Engineering at Bertram Yachts, hull design for the 1991 Trojan International 10.8 Meter Express.

[Natchamp]

hey, that blue one looks familiar!

[todd brinkerhoff]

hey, that blue one looks familiar!

Mark,

You took a perfect picture of the hull. You happen to have a picture of the stern? By the way, how's the topside doing?

[Natchamp]

no pics of the stern yet but will shortly. I didn't want to hijack your thread so I just posted on my project thread about the paint issue.

[todd brinkerhoff]

After a telephone conversation with "Boatbuilder" Charlie, a couple of things have been cleared up in regards to the 10.8 Express. Thank you again for your time!

At the end of the 80's, the new boat market sales was down 85%. However, the European market was booming. Trojan Executives were looking at this new market, and recruited, who they considered, one of the top yacht designers in Europe, Fulvio De Simoni. Fulvio is best known for his designing of Pershing Yachts.

Trojan Executives were not confident with Fulvio's hull designing, and they were not planning on having Harry Schoell do another hull. As Charlie said, "There was one company that had a reputation for superiorly designed hulls, and that was Bertram."

Charlie advised that they recruited Lee Dana, who was the VP of Engineering at Bertram at the time, to design a more efficient, good handling, and off-shore capable deep-V hull.

Charlie reported that this was the most sophisticated boat design Trojan had produced, and was truly a very proud accomplishment for Trojan. Charlie said that, unfortunately, very few of these were made before Trojan closed the doors.

This is the only design carried forward by Carver. Charlie said that the Carver model was highly modified from "Trojan's" 10.8 Meter Express model to enable them to mass produce what was later known as the Carver Trojan 370, 390, or 400. It was essentially "Carverized".

The 10.8 Meter Express...a very rare vessel indeed.

[todd brinkerhoff]

Todd

The 10.8 Meter Express was designed by Fulvio De Simoni, a highly regarded Italian Naval Architect who has designed all of the Pershing Yachts over the years. Lee Dana, who was VP of Engineering for Bertram Yacht at the time, designed the deep V hull for the 10.8 Meter. The 10.8 Meter was then developed by the Trojan Engineering and Product Development Team. This was the only exisiting Trojan model that Carver put into production (with extensive changes) after they acquired the assets of the company.

Charlie

Doug

Investcorp, an Arabian investment bank, purchased Bertram-Trojan, Inc. sometime in 1984. Bob Smith, who was CFO of the Whittaker Marine Group, temporarily held the position of President of Trojan Yacht after Don Seith departed the company. After the sale to Investcorp Bob was subsequetly promoted to President of Bertram-Trojan Inc. Chuck Younger was then hired as President of Trojan and held the the position until January 1986. I was asked to manage the company and remained as President of Trojan until 1992 when the assets of the company were acquired by Irwin Jacobs of Genmar for Carver Boat Company. About a year after Investcoprp purchased BTI Pat Cunningham, who was then President of Bertram Yacht, left Bertram to start another company for Genmar.

Charlie

Doug

Harry Schoell was not at all involved in the design of the 10.8 Meter Express, which was the last of the International Series developed at Trojan Yachts in Lancaster, PA.

David Napier, who reported to Lee Dana at Bertram, did not design the 10.8 Meter hull or any other Trojan hull. The 10.8 Meter hull was designed exclusively by Lee Dana who was Bertram's VP of Engineering.

[quote][/quote]

[todd brinkerhoff]

Lee Dana's Bio:

Lee W. Dana 54 years experience Expertise: Small ships and boats: performance, stability, sinking, mechanical systems, structural systems Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering; B.S. Naval Architecture Experience: Ship Board Engineer; Engineer, US Army; Mechanical Engineer, Chris Craft Corporation; Mechanical Engineer, B-Plastics; Senior Vice President Engineering, Bertram Yachts; President, Lee Dana and Associates; Past Chair, SNAME South East Section; Past Member, ABYC
…more »Technical Board; Affiliate, American Arbitration Association
Lee W. Dana
54 years experience
Expertise: Small ships and boats: performance, stability, sinking, mechanical systems, structural systems
Education: B.S. Mechanical Engineering; B.S. Naval Architecture
Experience: Ship Board Engineer; Engineer, US Army; Mechanical Engineer, Chris Craft Corporation; Mechanical Engineer, B-Plastics; Senior Vice President Engineering, Bertram Yachts; President, Lee Dana and Associates; Past Chair, SNAME South East Section; Past Member, ABYC Technical Board; Affiliate, American Arbitration Association

[todd brinkerhoff]

Some Pershing Yacht designs by Fulvio de Simoni

http://www.charterworld.com/news/catego ... hts/page/4

[todd brinkerhoff]

Fulvio de Simoni's Pershing Yachts

http://www.pershing-yacht.com/