At Balance Catamaran, achieving quality is at the forefront of every decision we make. We want to take you through a discussion that was held recently between Balance founder Phil Berman, Vice President of Customer Experience Patrick Roscoe, and Dean Paarman our Marketing and Community Director.

First, at Balance Catamarans, quality isn’t just a buzzword — it’s a fundamental aspect of our corporate ethos. “Quality is the cornerstone of our business, distinguishing us in the highly competitive world of catamaran construction,” notes Paarman. “Balance Catamarans are known worldwide for their performance and comfort at sea, but behind that is the reality that these vessels are floating survival machines. They are complex systems that allow sailors to survive and flourish far from civilization. Sometimes that complexity gets overlooked.”

That breaks down the process of quality control (QC) into very specific elements, adds Berman. “Everything from the initial selection of high-quality components such as dishwashers, refrigerators, watermakers, etc. all play into the quality control by starting with making excellent choices in component partners.And this also sometimes means dropping a specific supplier to find a new one that offers a better product, or better service and support.”

“This step is crucial as it works to insure the parts integral to our vessels—such as sails, winches, and refrigerators—are reliable and backed by strong warranties.” explains Berman. “By aligning right off the bat with reputable OEM (an industry term meaning Original Equipment Manufacturers) providers, Balance Catamarans mitigates issues that could arise from subpar components.”

This work is followed in the build process by a very formatted and staged quality control process, adds Roscoe. Using Balance Catamarans Cape Town as the example, Roscoe notes that each boat undergoes meticulous inspection every 12 days as it moves through the production line.

“Our dedicated workforce — comprising talented men and women — ensures that every phase of manufacturing is executed carefully,” explains Roscoe. “With QC leaders embedded within each team and outside overseers monitoring the entire process, Balance Catamarans fosters accountability at each stage of the build process.Which does not mean we build perfect catamarans, or that the QC process always catchs mistakes. When you are crafting a 40,000 plus labor our product hundreds of hands touch the yacht prior to her splash, and it only takes one minor mistake to produce a problem.”

Once a catamaran completes its main assembly, the Quality Control team conducts thorough cosmetic inspections over the entire boat. These final checks are crucial in identifying and addressing any aesthetic imperfections before the boats make their maiden voyage. This process ensures that boats leaving our yard are not only functional but also visually immaculate.

The Continuation of Quality at Sea

“The concept of quality in a sailing vessel extends beyond the factory floor and into the sea,” explains Berman. “Our catamarans are put through rigorous ocean trials, ensuring they withstand the harsh maritime environment. Sometimes these trials take place in very large seas as the South African waters are often cold and volatile.

“Once the boats leave our docks on their journey, we maintain active communication with them globally, ready to address any issues that arise during their journeys.”

Learning and Growing through Experience

But there is always room for improvement, notes Berman. Balance Catamarans strives for perfection which for all of us remains elusive. “Let me share an anecdote from our experience during the pandemic where we made a mistake. I want to use it because it highlights a core belief of ours: the importance of continuous learning and the evolution of our QC process.”

A misalignment of a tooling form occurred during dagger-board production during COVID, explained Berman. “A small number of our boats were impacted and had to have their daggerboards replaced – sometimes shipped around the world. But the bigger impact of this mistake was an immediate enhancement of our building out better QC training manuals to reduce the likelihood of future errors. We tracked down the error to the exact point it occurred. The only way to get better is to learn from our mistakes and strive to ensure they do not happen again. That’s where the QC process comes into play.”

Building a Future of Quality

Balance Catamarans has grown steadily, notes Roscoe, from its roots as a small boutique builder to a midsize, globally recognized sailing company today. “With a solid production rate of 25 to 27 boats launching annually, we drive home the importance of maintaining close customer relationships. We are in constant communication with our customers past and future. We work hard to listen. And we work hard to find solutions if issues do arise.

“Those are the words you are going to hear from us regularly, adds Roscoe: “working hard to improve every day.”

Partnering for Excellence

“Partnerships play an essential role in our quality building and control process,” adds Berman.
“Robust relationships with innovators such as Integral Solutions out of the UK are important to us because they collaborate deeply with us on cutting-edge projects. These partnerships enable us to push boundaries in the marine industry while maintaining our high standards.”

But, the journey does not end there, adds Paarman. “In fact, we don’t really see our constant striving for quality in absolutely every aspect of our build process and service as a destination we reach, but rather as a destination we are always pushing harder and harder to achieve.

We encourage you to share your thoughts or questions about our quality control processes in the comments. Our team is committed to transparency and will strive to address any inquiries. Stay tuned for more insights into the world of Balance Catamarans, and until next time, stay in balance.