Dear Steering Committee
The Steering Committee (SC) charged the New Boat Committee (NBC) with making a
recommendation regarding replacing the Siren Song (SSI). This email documents our
analysis and presents our recommendation to the Steering Committee (SC).
1. Research Steps
a. During the summer of 2015 we polled our membership asking if they
would prefer the replacement to the SSI to be a new SS (SSII) or a traditional gig. Over
80% of the members replied to the survey, with the results being nearly equally divided
between the two choices. As a result, the NBC felt obliged to investigate both options.
b. We contacted Nick Patch at Lake Champlain who declined to bid on
proposing on a SSII, but gave us a quote of $27,000 for a traditional wooden
gig, including whatever modifications we wished to make to foot stretchers and other
changes. That gave us a benchmark for a traditional gig against which we could evaluate
bids to construct a new SS.
c. We reviewed construction details of the SSI, useful aspects of other gigs
(both fiberglass and wooden), and developed a detailed Request for Proposal (RFP) that
was sent to bidders on 1/15/16,
and subsequently enhanced to include additional diagrams and details, resent on 2/8/16.
d. We questioned a number of informed people to determine who would
be able to construct a new SS; who had the appropriate facility, expertise, and labor; who
would be able to meet our proposed timeframe for completion; and who possessed the
temperament to work with us.
e. We attended the Wooden Boat Show in Hyannis in an effort to
investigate other non-local wooden boat builders. In addition, we visited three builders’
facilities, discussed the RFP, and made visual inspection of their equipment and facility
in general.
2. The RFP defines a required delivery for the new boat of March 2017. The RFP
was sent to:
a. Lake Champlain Boat Building Museum (Nick Patch)
b. Lowell’s Maritime Museum in Amesbury (Graham McKay)
c. Maritime Gloucester (C.O. Tom Balf)
d. Montgomery River Front Boat Yard, Gloucester (Jeff King)
e. S N Smith & Sons, Eastham, MA. (Stephen Smith)
f. Wise Marine in Essex (Tom Perkins)
a.
3. Bids and Bid Evaluations
Bid prices included in this evaluation are as follows:
-
SSII: Lowell’s,
SSII: S N Smith,
SSII: Wise,
$25,537
$36,300
$44,790
-
Traditional: LCMM:
$27,000
b. We performed no extraordinary evaluation of the proposal from LCMM for a
traditional Gig. As a committee we felt a confidence that the LCMM proposed price
would produce a close replica to the Annie B all the positive qualities of construction and
delivery that would be entailed if a traditional gig were constructed by LCMM.
c.
The most significant changes required in the SSII over existing SS are a length of
32’ (compared to existing 29’), floorboards, and footrests more similar to our other
boats.
d.
Lowell’s and Wise requested to supplement their proposals with a presentation, and
these presentations were attended by the entire NBC at the builders' boat shops.
e.
Both Lowell's and Wise bids were significantly detailed, including in some cases
the recommendations for using alternate materials from those described in the RFP, to
better conform to their proposed construction methods as well as their boat construction
expertise. Following bid reviews and presentations from the builders, the NBC
considers both the Lowell’s and Wise proposals as credible.
f.
The proposal from Smith was brief, not very detailed, and did not request a
presentation to supplement his proposal. For reasons of bid price and boatshop location
(Eastham MA), the NBC did not provide the same level of scrutiny to this proposal as it
did for proposals from Lowell’s and Wise.
g. Highlights of the credible SSII bids are as follows:
For reason of construction technique, the Lowell's proposal will produce a SSII
most similar to existing SS. This would include structural frames at each seat location;
removable seats; 3-panels per side (as employed in the existing SS, 32’ in length; marine
grade plywood epoxy coated and painted inside, fiberglass coated and painted outside;
and keel constructed with a sacrificial bottom piece that can be easily replaced without
major construction.
The Wise proposal would include 4 panels per side, providing a slightly smoother
look on the SSII compared to existing SS. The Wise boat would employ a Stitch & Glue
construction technique that allows the finished framing to be less beefy. As with the
Lowell's boat, Wise would use Marine plywood, epoxy and paint inside, and fiberglass
and paint outside. Keel constructed with a sacrificial bottom component,
h.
In spite of a large discrepancy in price, the NBC cannot justify a preference to the
Wise bid over Lowell's, as we are confident both proposals are responsive to our RFP.
4. Comparison of Proposals: Traditional Gig (LCMM) vs. New Siren Song
(Lowell’s):
After numerous committee discussions, the NBC is recommending that the new boat
we purchase be SS II. We base this on the belief that:
a.
The bid price for the traditional Gig from LCMM is $27,000 and the bid price from
Lowell’s for a SSII is $25,537; the NBC feels that the closeness of these two bids
required us to consideration MORE than just the low price.
b. The NBC deliberated the pros and cons of a traditional vs SSII design over several
meetings. Our considered opinions are as follows:
A SSII is expected to be more durable than a traditional gig. The maintenance
committee considers the planking on our traditional gigs as fragile, prone to developing
cracks over the off season as the wood dries, and prone to developing cracks if not
trailered with the utmost consideration. We believe “Cracks” are not applicable to the
plywood construction of the SSII.
A SSII design is much easier to maintain. The unobstructed access to large
smooth sections on the inside of the hull allow it to be cleaned and painted more easily
than maintaining the traditional gig with ribs every 8 inches and plank width of 3”. Even
as our new Annie B is easier to maintain than the Gannet, both are more difficult to
maintain than the existing SS.
A SSII is expected to have a longer lifespan than a traditional gig, in part related
to above mentioned durability ( The SS1 is 30 years old). The maintenance committee
expects the level of effort required to keep our traditional gigs functional for 30 years will
be extraordinary.
A SSII, constructed by an experienced boatbuilder with marine plywood, carefully
selected materials, epoxy coated inside and fiberglass coated outside, is expected to
become the workhorse of our fleet: Durable, stiff, stable, safe to trailer, easy to maintain.
We have two “traditional gigs” and the NBC feels that the SS design carries a
tradition of its own. Built in 1986 for our Gloucester Sirens, our SS is iconic in
Gloucester harbor, and a welcome sight to many when transported to competing clubs
and events. Having a SSII will continue that tradition and give club members a choice of
rowing two gig styles.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION:
The NBC unanimously recommends that a SSII be built by Graham McKay at Lowell’s
Boatyard, Amesbury MA, for an amount of $25,537.80, and that we enter into a final
agreement at the earliest moment so as to insure delivery by end March 2017.
Furthermore, we unanimously ask the SC to give us permission to continue as a
committee to supervise the construction of SSII, report on progress, and to make
decisions as work progresses in order to make the final construction as perfect as
possible.
Signed:
Clem, Nancy D, Marty, Peter B and Bart