Essex Factory Information

To ensure the highest level of quality in every Essex product, every part is rigorously tested during each step of the production process. Once construction is complete, our products go through another series of tests to ensure each part is working properly. Finally, the completed model is tested as a whole to ensure the best results.

At Essex Quality of Craftsmanship is our number one priority; We take pride in our work, and strive to provide our customers with the best boats on the water - We love what we do, and we are sure you will love our boats too!

Mold Wax

To prepare the Essex mold for painting, the surface must be meticulously cleaned and waxed to allow the Gelcoat to separate from the mold after curing

The wax used is a special mold release wax designed to absorb into the mold's surface. This procedure must be done evenly. Too much or too little wax can result in sticking or Gelcoat rippling. Great care is taken to ensure quality results in every boat we make.

Painting

Painting your new Essex is quite a bit different from painting a car or a house. Whereas in those cases the painting is done after the product is complete, on a custom Essex boat the paint is laid down during production

First, the mold is "taped off" - the desired graphic is drawn with tape, covering the mold in layers. This allows the painter to pull the tape and expose the mold for the next color. How the mold is applied is critical; mistakes in the taping process can result in Gelcoat flaws that may not be repairable until after the hull is out of the mold.

In mixing the Gelcoat, the painter must mix the proper amount of catalyst. Catalyst is a chemical used to harden Gelcoat. If catalyst is not added, the Gelcoat will never dry. The amount of catalyst added to the Gelcoat is contingent on the outside temperature and the time the painter needs to pull the next line. The painter must give himself enough time to paint all that he needs and time to meticulously pull all the tape lines one by one before the Gelcoat hardens. If the painter catalyzes the Gelcoat too hot - in other words, adds too much catalyst - he will be forced to move fast to pull all the tape lines before the Gelcoat hardens. If the Gelcoat hardens before the tape is pulled, it will pull sheets of Gelcoat from the mold; if the tape line is pulled too soon or the Gelcoat is under-catalyzed, the Gelcoat will run. Either case would require major Gelcoat repairs. It might even be necessary to pull off everything that has been done and start over. This method of painting is a difficult and often understated Art.

After painting and pulling the tape line, the painter now has time to carefully look over the mold for any flaws or imperfections in the final color. This process is repeated on an average of six times before the hull is completely painted. Though difficult, the results are astonishing, and are the trademark of an Essex Performance Boat.

Lamination

The lamination used in an Essex Boat is unique to the industry. Essex recently sent a sample of the hull to a shooting range to test its strength and durability against a nine millimeter bullet shot at point blank range. The bullet is lodged in the sample shown to customers visiting the Essex showroom, proving the Essex hull is literally bulletproof.

Though it is not one of the more glamorous aspects of the manufacturing process, lamination makes up most of the actual boat. Yet it is in this precise area that many boat manufacturers cut corners. At Essex we believe that lamination is the most important stage in boat building. The hull gives the boat its visual appearance, But more importantly it's all that comes between you and the water. At Essex we believe that if you make a hull solid and sound, the boat will not only last longer, but will give you a more comfortable ride. A sound hull also prevents many residual problems such as parts vibrating loose and stress cracks.

A laminate is made up of two parts, fiberglass and resin. The resin is mixed in with a sheet of fiberglass by painting it on to the fiberglass, melding the two together. The laminate should be laid up with A.M.E. 4000 or Vinyl Ester resin. The quality of the resins and fiberglass vary between manufacturers; At Essex, we use the best materials available to create a quality laminate, and thus a quality boat.

The higher quality of resin gives you a much harder finish, keeping your hull straighter and preventing the fiberglass from printing up into the Gelcoat. The high quality resin also eliminates blistering, which is when water or air gets between your Gelcoat and the fiberglass, creating a bubble.

Essex uses the A.M.E. 4000 resin along with Quad axial roving, a thick fiberglass with grain going in four different directions. This fights against the constant twisting motion of a boat. We also use a Klegecell core, which is a thick foam core between half of the lamination; the Klegecell core acts as a dampener and keeps the hull from flexing. This process cuts out vibration and gives you a quiet, sound feel while under way.

Bonding

After the hull is complete, it must be cured in the mold. There are many myths regarding how long this curing period should be, and there is no single answer. The types of resins used and how the hull is catalyzed both determine the time needed for curing.

A wedge is driven between the mold and the hull to pull the hull from the mold. The deck and bottom are then hoisted out of the mold and ground to be level in order to aid in the bonding process. The deck is then flipped over and fitted to the bottom. After the deck is securely fastened, it is then bonded with fiberglass from the inside around the full radius of the hull. This results in twice the holding power of a conventional bonding process.

Sanding

Every boat at Essex is "color sanded." Unlike regular sanding, color sanding is done wet. Using water results in a much finer finish with little or no scratches, which in turn allows you to sand out even minor imperfections and results in a truer finish.

After sanding, the hull is buffed out. Of course, the buffing process differs between manufacturers, and like them we keep our techniques a secret. What matters is the end result - a finish with a brilliant glow and depth that is unmatched.

Carpeting

At Essex we use marine grade 40 oz. pile carpet in all boats. This is the highest quality marine grade carpeting available. Unlike home carpeting, marine grade carpet has a rubber backing that gives it a strong, water resistant anti-corrosion layer. Whereas regular carpet would last no longer than six months in a well used boat, you can expect long life and durability from the carpet in your Essex boat.

Assembly

At Essex all hardware is through-bolted to the boat. This means that the hardware is not screwed into the hull with wood screws.

Wood screws are designed for wood; Where wood is soft and forgiving, fiberglass is not, and using wood screws on fiberglass causes stress and cracking over a period of time. Drilling holes through the fiberglass and bolting it with lock tight screws from the underside will hold permanently with no damage to the hull. Even the ice chest and ski locker are bolted through the floor before the carpeting is installed. The hull is then bolted from underneath and finished off with acorn nuts to save from scratching your skis on the bolts.

We use powder coated aluminum plates custom made by Essex to support the ice chest and ski locker lids. The lids are made strong enough to support severe weight and constant use.

Rigging

The most glamorous part of boat building is the rigging process; This is where the gauges, steering wheel, shifter, the engine and the drive are installed. This is where your boat really begins to become recognizable as a boat.

The rigger is also responsible for wiring all of these things together and giving the boat a clean, finished look. All wires are encased in a harness and Adel-clamped to the transom. The Adel clamp is a stainless steel clamp with a rubber center that secures the wire harness to the transom. Unlike plastic tie raps, it will not crack over time.

The most important part of rigging is to align the drive with the engine. This is done with a tool that simulates the drive - if it does not slide into the engine from the drive position, the engine mounts must be adjusted. Misaligning the engine and drive can cause problems with the drive by creating too much pressure to one side, which in turn causes bearing and gear problems down the road.

Upholstery

The unique design of the interior is an Essex trademark. Plush, full bodied seating including three pound foam support gives you a soft comfortable feel. Heavy gauge marine vinyl is mended together with a French double stitch - the same kind of stitching used in a baseball - because it gives a more durable hold throughout.

The seats are completely resin sealed and the seat cushions are made of a pressure-formed polymer that eliminates the rotting common to older boats. This material will never rot. Though the cost of the material is close to ten times the cost of marine plywood, the longevity it brings your boat is well worth it in the long run.

At Essex we build the interior of each boat in-house in order to ensure top-notch quality. Installation – The upholstery is designed with bolts extruding from the seats, side panels, and bow section, allowing the installation to through-bolt the upholstery. Most manufacturers simply use wood screws covered with a button because this is simpler and faster. Bolting, though more time-consuming, is far more reliable; the upholstery is allowed very little leeway. In order to bolt down the upholstery, the tolerances must be precise or alterations are in order. Thus, though each model is from the same mold, even slight differences require that we custom fit each hull in order to achieve the quality products Essex is known for.

Detailing

After the upholstery is installed, our cleaning crew details the boat inside and out, placing the trailer under the boat and giving it the finishing touches. Though this may seem like an easy task, we take an entire day to ensure that everything is perfect, and done to Essex Standards.

Inspection

Throughout the building process each boat is inspected and signed off before the next stage of the process can begin.

The final inspection is done by our Customer Service Manager. This final inspection involves closely looking over the boat and trailer for problems that may have occurred during the building process, and to make sure that the customer receives all of the products on the purchase order - We pride ourselves on our Service and Quality of Craftsmanship. After the inspection, our sales clerk will make delivery arrangements with you.

Delivery

The technician will go over your new boat, explaining functions and providing service tips. If you are buying the boat with your family or another party, they are encouraged to be present during this time.

The ride of an Essex boat is a ride that the whole family can enjoy...NOW, AND FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.