We were doing some nice, unique work with those really basic tools.” However, the company decided to give automated machining a try. “He had a drill press, a disc sander, an old Atlas lathe and a crappy old welder. “Jess started with us in 2003,” he recalled. Model Prep allows programmers to move, delete or suppress any and all parts of the model as they work. At Van Dam Custom Boats, Jess Brown programmed custom port lights for the 44’ Italmas Cruising Sailing Yacht using Mastercam’s Solids and Model Prep features to create the solid model from scratch. “A lot of people can understand the art behind something or understand the engineering behind something, but there are very few guys that can do both the art and the engineering,” Ben Van Dam said of Brown. Brown was already an experienced boat builder, with East Coast boatbuilding school and Van Dam Custom Boats’ four-year, 8,000-hour apprenticeship under his belt. He turned to Jesse “Jess” Brown to run Van Dam Custom Boats’ machining operation. Only the upholstery and engine building are outsourced.”Īlthough Steve Van Dam’s training was in woodworking, he understood the value of being able to make custom metal fixtures. “We do everything from the actual hull construction to the electrical rigging systems, all the interior cabinets, everything. The combined ingenuity of such a group has made the complete in-house construction of these wooden boats possible, Ben Van Dam said. “These guys like to be constantly challenged, finding no joy in doing the same thing twice. “He’s always wanted to do this better than anybody else, and he hired a group of people that also want to do that same thing,” Ben Van Dam explained. The elder Van Dam’s passion for excellence quickly attracted likeminded designers and craftsmen. Location was not the deciding factor in Van Dam Custom Boats’ success, though. The new location had waterfront access, a new market, and room to grow that “started the growth trajectory that we’re on today,” said his son Ben, a naval architect and current company president. Thirteen years later, Van Dam, his brother, and a handful of investors moved Van Dam Custom Boats to Boyne City, Mich. Steve Van Dam’s desire to sail around the world in a boat he built himself introduced him to the craft of wooden boatmaking.Īfter apprenticing for the visionary Vic Carpenter for four years, he founded Van Dam Boats in 1977 with his wife Jean. In the heart of the Great Lakes region, the Van Dam family business is carrying on the timeless tradition of wooden boatbuilding, incorporating the latest techniques for manufacturing attractive and functional metal fixtures and components. (All images provided by Van Dam Custom Boats) It benefits from CNC metal component manufacturing using Mastercam CAD/CAM programming on a Haas VF-4 VMC. The Susan C 38′ sport cruiser is one of Van Dam Custom Boats’ wooden models.
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