Sharing our savoir-faire

SHARING

OUR SAVOIR-FAIRE

PERFECTIONISM, PASSION AND SHARING

Passion and know-how have characterized AMEL shipyards for more than 50 years. Each sailboat built is the result of close collaboration between the different departments. With enthusiasm and professionalism, the AMEL teams are involved day after day to deliver unique sailboats with incomparable finishes. Through this video collection, AMEL invites you to discover or rediscover the work and the people who bring them to life. Laminators, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, riggers, shipbuilders… more than 30 trades work together to design these exceptional sailboats.

PRODUCTION CARPENTER

It takes a lot of experience and mastery of your craft to be a carpenter at AMEL. Building the furniture is an important step in the construction of AMEL boats. Using high quality wood (oak or walnut, solid, veneered, shaped or in panels), the carpenter starts working on the boat’s primary structures before producing the magnificent features (kitchen, beds, wardrobes, etc.) that will enhance the boat’s interior.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Matching and marking wood panels
Gluing vacuum-formed panels
Drawing plans
Cutting solid wood or plywood
Manufacturing parts and assembling components
Finishing (edgebanding/sanding), fitting (hardware assembly, sanding and joint treatment)

PLUMBER

Becoming a plumber at AMEL means, first and foremost, showing consistency in your work. Completing tasks at each stage of the boat’s creation, the plumber manufactures and prepares parts, adds finishing touches and also commissions his systems. He is responsible for many onboard systems: air conditioning, water drainage, gas and heating. The plumber will implement all these components and assemble them into functioning systems that are identical to all the boats.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Preparing equipment on the workbench (flexible and rigid plastic and copper pipes, black water tanks, valves, and more.)
Onboard: drilling (bulkheads, hull, deck), through-pipes, installing equipment for kitchens / bathrooms / sanitary facilities, connecting water systems and tanks, waterproofing.
Pressurisation tests followed by commissioning and inspection
Can take part in deck fitting work, maintenance, hydraulics, various assembly jobs, welding and lamination work if production requires it.

CARPENTER FITTER

The carpenter-fitter’s job is a very meticulous one. He adjusts, fits and finalises onboard woodwork: furniture, floors, and the overall structure. His job begins when construction starts, once the hull is finished. The first phase involves laying the main structure, i.e. the primary ribbing (lateral and longitudinal reinforcements) up to the bulkheads. The second phase is dedicated to fitting furniture and floors up to the deck of the boat. This is a meticulous process, and it takes time. The third phase is devoted to the finishing touches and is managed by another team.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Assembling joinery elements
Adjusting wooden parts, either varnished or unvarnished, fitting hardware (hardware parts like as hinges, push-buttons, etc.).
Finishing (sanding and joint treatment)
Can take part in lamination work

MARINE ELECTRICIAN

The marine electrician tests and prepares all the electrical equipment (switch boards, cabinets, generators, refrigerators, ovens, etc.) at the workbench. A truly forward-looking profession, the marine electrician controls the quality and reliability of the equipment that will soon be fitted onboard.

MISSION STATEMENT :

At the workbench: preparing electrical equipment, cable cutting, marking, labelling, pre-wiring and installing electrical equipment on switch boards or in cabinets
Onboard: cable routing, installing electrical equipment (cabinets, motors, pumps, batteries), connections and testing.
Quality control: checking wiring, circuits, power-up, and writing quality reports

TRIMMER

Trimming is a key trade in the boat manufacturing process. A trimmer’s job involves deburring all the components making up the boat and cutting out all the portholes, panels and companionways, so that the carpenters can then fit the parts they’ve made for these openings.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Releasing laminated parts from their moulds
Marking and plotting out the parts using templates or drawings
Preparing the parts in a room or trimming enclosure
Trimming parts
Cleaning up, dusting and storage

PARTS LAMINATOR

The parts laminator manufactures and produces small resin parts that will be mounted on the boat. His job is to prepare moulds and manufacture all parts from A to Z, from moulding to demoulding, including gelcoat application and lamination.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Individual or series production, using a mould, of the various fibreglass parts required for building the boat (locker covers, additional superstructure parts such as cockpit shelters or interior fittings).
The laminator’s job involves placing successive layers of these materials over the mould in a process called lay-up, according to the manufacturing specifications.

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN

The electronics technician is responsible for preparing and installing all the onboard electronics (radar, plotter, depth sounder, antennas, telecommunications, television, hifi, cameras), i.e. everything that’s used nowadays to navigate and live onboard.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Setting up the work schedule for electronic equipment on the basis of information from the customer file, the technical file, etc.
Selecting the right tools (testers, signal generators, etc.) and equipment (electronic components, modules, etc.) for the job.
Installing and connecting the electronic equipment components according to purpose and requirements.
Electronic systems/equipment: detection and navigation assistance equipment, sound and/or video equipment, telecommunications/alarm and security/telephony equipment, power electronics, onboard equipment, testing and measurement instrumentation/equipment
Jobs requiring a permit : dead work certifications (high and low voltage), live work certifications (high and low voltage)

LAY-UP MAN

Lay-up is a very specialised technique involving cutting out layers of raw materials, and laying them manually in a mould to shape the part. The lay-up person’s job is to prepare the fibreglass fabrics and cut them to the measurements specified on the drawings, so as to cover the entire hull or deck. It takes several days of work to cut and prepare all the material for a deck or hull.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Cutting out fibreglass cloth strips according to the manufacturing drawings
Laying down successive layers of fibreglass cloth (lay-up) on a mould to form the final shape of the part.

MARINE MECHANIC-FITTER

A mechanic-fitter at AMEL begins work during the 2nd construction phase after the boat has left the mould and the ribs and bulkheads have been fitted. His job is then to fit all the mechanical components : the boat’s shaft line, diesel tank, diesel circuit, water system, the entire heating system and, of course, the engine and all necessary insulation.

MISSION STATEMENT :

At the workbench :

Preparing equipment, and more specifically combustion engines and mechanical engines (propulsion systems or generators) and all other mechanical systems
Assembling spare parts, testing and topping up (oil, water, diesel, air)
Preparing the engine compartment insulation by cutting foam panels to templates

Onboard installation :

Fitting, bolting down, screwing, alignment
Connection to onboard networks, commissioning and testing
Can perform deck fitting and/or plumbing work, as well as minor welding jobs if necessary.

LAMINATOR GELCOATER

The laminator gelcoater plies his trade at the beginning of the manufacturing process. His first job is to prepare and apply the gelcoat. This is what you see first on the deck or the hull; it’s the paint, the colour that’s applied directly onto the waxed mould.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Lamination station : resin preparation (compound mixing), fabric cutting, placing the fabrics in the moulds – contact, injection and infusion lamination processes.
Gluing station : assembling wood/ composite parts with polyester glue, roughening and prepping parts, applying and laminating gluing strips.
Gelcoat station : applying gelcoat to the moulds using an airmix gun or cup.
Gelcoat finishing station : preparing parts (sanding, masking), applying gelcoat, touching up finishes (water sanding) and polishing parts.
Prepping station : storing stock, unpacking compounds into other recipients and pre-cutting fabrics.

FINISHING CARPENTER

Being a finishing carpenter at AMEL means giving the final touches to the boat’s interior and exterior fittings. Although all the equipment has already been installed in the yacht by the carpenter fitter, the boat doesn’t take on its final shape until it’s launched. This is when the finishing carpenter goes to work, as the boat goes into the testing pool.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Carrying out finishing work on the carpentry inside and outside the boat during the final stage of construction
Final cuts on small parts, installing trim and finishing components such as wooden strips and door seals.
Adjusting door and drawer latches

boat preparation manager

The boat preparation manager knows every AMEL unit down to the smallest details. As soon as it leaves the factory, it gets down to preparing the AMEL vessel for delivery. Prepared with meticulousness, each element is checked and installed with care and attention (maintenance, upkeep, mast …) to allow customers to take control of their boat in complete safety.

MISSION STATEMENT :

Preparation and commissioning of new ships delivered to the port (handling, launching, masting, maneuvering in port, inter-basin transfer, outing at sea).
Maintenance and upkeep operations on the AMEL pontoon ships
One-off after-sales service (France and Abroad)
Installation and dismantling of stands and ships exhibited at boat shows (Europe)

SHARING

OUR SAVOIR-FAIRE

PERFECTIONISM, PASSION AND SHARING

PRODUCTION CARPENTER

PLUMBER

CARPENTER FITTER

MARINE ELECTRICIAN

TRIMMER

PARTS LAMINATOR

ELECTRONICS TECHNICIAN

LAY-UP MAN

MARINE MECHANIC-FITTER

LAMINATOR GELCOATER

FINISHING CARPENTER

boat preparation manager

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