Rob Brennan talks to SABBEX about the revamped St Francis Catamarans yard


SABBEX: Where do things stand with the 46? Tooling had just commenced when last we spoke. Are you still aiming at an initial four hulls a year?

[Rob]  We have started on the Hull moulds and will start on the Deck mould in December. All the major components will be Vinyl ester (Epoxy based resin) infused Core cell foam sandwich with Carbon Fibre reinforcing. We have had many enquiries and have taken firm orders / deposits on production through to mid-2024.nWe will build the first two boats next year and then four in 2023. After that we will probably increase production to between six & ten a year. This does not include the St Francis 50 which we currently have four under construction and firm orders for next year, so things are certainly going at a fast pace.


SABBEX: You were also busy expanding the yard. How is that project progressing?

[Rob]  As mentioned above with the increase in orders for both models the current facility will not be able to sustain these levels so we have drawn up preliminary plans for expanding the current factory. Once we complete the tooling for the SF46 which is our current priority then we will be able to focus our attention on the factory extension program. We are also looking at major investment in machinery and equipment such as CNC Machines, upgrading our overhead crane and building a new small moulds facility.


SABBEX: Have you made any staff or distribution appointments?

[Rob]  We have employed additional staff in all departments to cope with the increased production volumes and have also employed a team of sub-contractors who are now responsible for all filling, fairing, and spraying of each hull and deck. This is working out brilliantly and has freed up our own staff to concentrate on the finishing of the boat interior.


SABBEX: How is the potential market looking?

[Rob]  Things are really looking up we have had many enquiries for both the SF46 & SF50, we are averaging one or two enquiries a week and are at present negotiating with potential clients for 2024 / 25 production slots, this is a good sign for both St Francis Marine, our suppliers and all involved in the South African boat building fraternity. Other yards I have spoken to have reported similar circumstances.


SABBEX: What about other models? Are you currently focusing mostly on the 46 or are there plans to even further expand the fleet?

[Rob]  At the moment the main focus is on the SF46, but we have been approached to evaluate the building of both a 52ft model and a 62ft St Francis. We are also evaluating a 46 ft Power Cat version once we have completed the 46 Sailing Cat. Whatever we do we will not increase our production volumes to the extent that it will negatively impact on our high-Quality Standards, this is something I feel very strongly about, and we are extremely proud of our reputation and the quality of the boats we produce.


SABBEX: The foreign market seems buoyant, and you’ve been working hard to be in a position to benefit. Do you think the market will remain buoyant for some time?

[Rob]  I feel the foreign market will remain buoyant for the next few years. I also feel that once things open up more as the Covid restrictions are relaxed, more access to boat shows, customers more able to visit the factory etc. there could be a further increase in demand before the market stabilizes again. We have appointed Brokers / Sales Agents in the UK, USA, Europe & South Africa to take advantage of the current upturn in the market and will be sending boats to the major boat shows to increase awareness of the St Francis brand.  We are also looking into taking advantage of the buoyant market by increasing our market exposure re-designing our website and giving more attention to social media platforms we are teaming up with experts from the USA to accomplish this.  We are also busy implementing a Replacement Parts Program that will enable current owners order parts from our website.


SABBEX: Anything to say about power cuts (which thankfully seem to be over for now). Do you have contingency plans / generators etc? Am wondering if the cuts impact on suppliers and other parts of the work cycle.

[Rob]  Unfortunately as I write this, we have just gone back into Load Shedding and all power is off. We have backup generators so although it is an inconvenience, we are used to it now. Covid has been a major issue not just with sickness and isolation but the disruption in delivery of parts and materials.


SABBEX: What are you doing to reduce your environmental impact & Carbon emissions?

[Rob] We are currently evaluating both Hybrid & Electric propulsion with Aqua drives in both the SF46 & the SF50, we are also increasing the capacity of both our Solar Panel arrays and our Lithium Battery banks so that we can reduce the need for large Diesel Generators. We are also at the initial stages of research into replacing the Lithium Batteries with Nano Capacitor Batteries which will give approximately a 5-to-10-fold increase in storage capacity and further reduce the reliance on the use of Diesel motors or Generators as a means of recharging. As part of our environmental awareness program we are concentrating on Waste management, recycling and using Environmentally friendly products.

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