
SUPERYACHT #7 Winter 2006
Article selected from our quarterly magazine dedicated to the largest
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Interview by Fabio Petrone with Mr. Virginio Enrico Sanguineti, the owner of the Sanguineti - Chiavari
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ALSO ACCESSORIES MAKE A YACHT GREAT
Sanguineti is a well-known name among Ligurian and National
accessory firms and has gradually brought onto the old activity
all new required by yards and owners today.
We manufacture pleasure accessories. I mean, we produce and let
produce internal and external handling equipments, deck hardware -
we made up all fittings aboard "Destriero" and designed deck,
hauling. -, for items on request we've looked for a firm used to
manufacturing high - light materials.
So, is there a greatly specific tech - in - put in it? I mean,
is there a range of diversified products appropriate for a vintage
yacht, for an offshore or for a classic motor yacht?
Yes, it's right. Our most important question is having and selling
the appropriate product for the right yacht. Sometimes, this isn't
immediately within our reach. I've a great deal of ladders, I am
asked for a ladder appropriate for a 24 - 25m, but I find out
later the yacht is a 50m.
This small gangway leaning right here cannot get out of the
transom, indeed. We've changed it. Thanks to our organization
we've been great able to provide a more appropriate one and right
soon, it's possible to choose. If you get to Monaco, there's a
wonderful 80m named "Delphine": The gangway is by us, the
capstans were original, sent to us; however, we've put them away
and made a new hydraulic system for them. We've done the same on
board "Skagerrat" the old Hitler's yacht. If you get on board,
there're no capstans there; only the barrel of is there, but the
yacht's a great gangway, indeed, very different from that of a 30
- 20 footer. We always need to match item and yacht. We work
actually on providing a full service; so we collaborate with
engineering departments and I'm already working at a yacht that
might come out in one or two years.
I'm a mechanical engineer, so I'm not a competitor, I cannot sign
a yacht. I'll never copy and sell drawings I looked at to others.
I'm always a partner. To say nothing of adapting, interfacing
aboard a yacht in order to shape her personality.
Below there it's a small up/down bridge, did you see it? So, it
gets away tomorrow. to Ostia, to Canados. Now I'm making a two -
ton one that'll house a greater dinghy on it.
So, do you give attention to all new technologies too? Either
in raw materials or in assembly?
Well, we've made great strides in managing materials. I mean light
alloy. We adopt a greater different design for it as in the past,
since we set with a hydraulic machine now. This has allowed us to
suite all designs to this type of cut. If you look at the bridge
right below us, you can say it's welded, sure, but if you brush
away welds, you can look, it remains stiff bonded, because it's
joint in already predrilled inserts. So we've no problem with
welds; they don't crack being over a so self - bearing joint
system. We've developed it over the years.
We work in the peak season mainly answering to whichever ask, but
meanwhile there're wholly new projects, ideas, products that'll be
developing after the hardest seasonal work ends as well as
innovations to soak up. A yard's recently asked me for telescopic
arms taking a net outside, since on the third deck of a about 60m
yacht people usually play golf and want a system avoiding balls
falling into the sea. I sent the drawings of these electric arms
to the yard right yesterday. We've also made ladders that allow
dogs to go swimming: some owners want to go swimming with their
dogs. A dog has no foot, indeed, but he needs enough space to put
his paws on, anyway. By changing the step inclination, I've made
an appropriate ladder for dogs.
You're speaking about ladders, gangways. Do you realize lifts
for disabled too?
Yes, of course. We've also made one aboard a 40m. The owner living
on board wanted to get on by a wheelchair, but on yacht of this
size a normal lift requiring an half metre of space around it to
go up/down cannot be set up. On a moving yacht counterweights are
to be avoided too. So, there're a lot of things to taken into
account.
We've already seen electric hard - tops too. This is a great
work, indeed, also because the market offers a lot of them
Well, there're actually lots competitors; but it isn't an easy
work because the sun actually acts on colours and dimensions.
There're problems not immediately visible to deal with, but we try
to manage them, anyway, doing our best. Some people work at lower
costs so I was said: "He sells for less" and I: "Buy a cheaper
one. If it's the same to you, no problem." We must always work at
the top on our and worker's ability. They are skilled workers, but
if we say them: "This is wrong. Do it once more, please" they do
it again. So, people grow showing attention to detail. Or, if we
say them: "Hurry up, we've to finish ten of them by evening" the
work goes on in a very different way. We've a lot of work, but
before summer vacation we'll be carrying out all new programmes.
Are you at the top of your capability today?
Well, all developments are wholly entrusted to our Engineering
Department, so we can manage a bit work more.
How much time does take designing a new tender - ladder
system?
Thanks to our experience, the idea comes soon. but on board a
yacht of this size the problem is actually realizing it properly
and this takes a lot of time, sometimes a lot of months. First,
we've to get on with the customer. For example, there's an owner
who's getting his new 50m built by Chinese. Since the Genoa Boat
Show we've been still defining the design of the side ladder. The
Chinese have spoken him of a 42cm one. But I've said: - Mister, I
don't make a 42cm ladder on board a 50m, anyway. You'd have a
small toy and someone should say to you then: - Who did make it?!?
- Please, say them to give you more space for, it'd be impossible
to fit up on board a 50m a so miserable ladder. This is an object
that makes a yacht handsome, indeed. When you're on mooring,
guests get on through the side ladder and visit you. . And would
you let them on a so object? This choice, a so small ladder wholly
drilled perhaps without wood but with a few carbon in it goes
better with an offshore. So, these are the problems we've to face
daily and we've also to provide an appropriate customer service
for, when all works well, of course.
Are you already organized for?
Yes, of course. We've service points in the main places and a
warehouse with quite all spare parts.
Can you, however, provide a very speedy service?
Yes, by Traco we send something that'll be received the morning
after. On Monday morning we've in Viareggio a 40m with a '97 crane
lowering a bit under load: - She must sail - I was told - but,
before leaving, get someone to come, please. And we'll be there on
time, of course. We get to, it being a service due, not something
for making money, indeed. Sold something the fatherhood of always
remains.
You want always to cut a fine figure; I mean an object fitted
up on board should always be a visit card.
Yes, this is our sprit of work, but over the years it depends on
how proper an owner keep his yacht in order. And the great deal of
work we do shows that. We're working at a lot of yachts at the
moment.
When you receive an order, do you aim for manufacturing the
whole hardware or only somewhat you prefer?
Well, we try to supply as much as possible. Managing an entire
yacht is better easy.
Do you work at the top at everything you do?
Yes, of course. But a structure, namely an appropriate
organization is needed to do that; people who spend money want and
must have the best. There're fewer unwary as in the past today. An
owner counts on a surveyor to check up all the work including
subcontractors. They look actually to a structure, mainly. A few
times ago a Britain came and with typical British humour: "I've
visited a workshop - he told - to order a gangway; there're two
workers and a dog. The dog had a shrewd look, indeed, but should
the two workers have obeyed him?"
Quite aside from the quip this work requires a reliable structure
and the capacity of always going on, of thinking up new ideas. We
suite customers, but we anticipate them too.
Do you work together with great series manufacturing
shipyards?
Yes, we usually work for shipyards like Benetti, Codecasa, Robel
Marine, Arno, Christensen, Palmer & Johnson. Well, we seek for
yards looking to top standards.
As an owner asks us where he can buy a ladder, I say him. -
Mister, buy a second - hand one. From its price you know right
what you're buying, the real worth of it. You must actually look
at price, warranty period, so at restoring and operating costs.
We're probably people who swim against the stream of a market
leading to cheaper and cheaper items that give customers less and
less. However, I think we'd do more than usual; people who can
afford to buy something enjoy actually doing that.
Also a car windscreen is of plastic and plastic.
We're one of the few firms, perhaps the only one that works on
drawings of winches approved by Lloyd's, this being as greatly
other as the approval by the workshop, indeed. The Lloyd's require
braking trials data and other features making an item special.
We've just made these door hinges with four levers, so a door
starts opening in plane by changing only a bit the position of
their pins. I ever saw nothing of sort. Moreover, the door can be
hauled greatly high, whilst sometimes the space's too small to
allow someone to stand under. So we can open well - high doors
also aboard a yacht.
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