paladin
10-26-2005, 07:41 PM
This topic has been prompted by recent remarks posted in the bilge...it is my own comments and remarks as I see them and not colored or influenced by others.
I had met the elder Mr. Cutts several years ago..a year perhaps after he had patented his hull reinforcement method. I had never read the article.
The Cutts yard was recommended by another designer as a possible place to have a hull built to a design that I was in the process of finishing..It was for strip planking. I made an appointment with Mr. Ed Cutts.
We met and he gave me the royal tour of the facility. We talked at length, he spoke reverently of all his acquaintences over the years. We finally got around to my proposal..after 10 or 15 minutes he took me outside to look at a hull being repaired using his method. On land the hull looked good, but I had reservations. The end result was that he wanted to build my boat using his method..we discussed it more. I agreed to leave my drawings with him and make another appointment.
Over two months later I returned. My drawings were exactly where they had been left. Again we discussed changing the building method....I still wasn't convinced. Then we took a walk. In the boatshed I met (I think) the elder son. He seemed personable enough...we talked more..Then two things came to light....they wanted to build only using the Cutts method, for which they would also get a "Royalty" because of the patent, and their time frame was an estimated 3 years.......and the real kicker came with the price...it was almost double what a couple of well known New England builders were asking...one of which was Paul Rollins. I politely declined the offer, retrieved my drawings, and left...
Just before my recent auto accident I was on the Eastern Shore with another well known designer and the subject of Cutts and Case came up..the story was related how a gentleman had taken a project to the yard, got a quote, authorized the work, then when he went to retrieve his boat the price had doubled. I then related my story and the response was I was lucky.
Most recently I accompanied someone else to the yard to examine some work. I arrived at the yard and while business was being conducted I stood or sat around with my hands in my pockets. I was never approached or introduced to anyone at the yard. I was sitting on a wooden bench when the principles came around the side of the boat....no introductions...when one of them asked If I was an engineer. I said yes. The asked which rules did I follow...I said I prefer Herreschoffs with some modern changes. Then I was asked how long I had been building boats...and it was more of a challenge and the wording was in a manner which I considered insulting......without going into more details I decided not to continue with the conversation......but to say the person to which I was speaking said as a builder he knew more than any damn engineer and unless I missunderstood, he said Herreschoffs rules were crap. I was later told this person was "Ronnie" the youngest Cutts son.
My personal feelings at this point is that the elder Mr Cutts is no longer active in the business, nor is the elder son.......and if this is any indication of the future of that particular business, it is running on it's past reputation and may not last much longer...
Beware..
I had met the elder Mr. Cutts several years ago..a year perhaps after he had patented his hull reinforcement method. I had never read the article.
The Cutts yard was recommended by another designer as a possible place to have a hull built to a design that I was in the process of finishing..It was for strip planking. I made an appointment with Mr. Ed Cutts.
We met and he gave me the royal tour of the facility. We talked at length, he spoke reverently of all his acquaintences over the years. We finally got around to my proposal..after 10 or 15 minutes he took me outside to look at a hull being repaired using his method. On land the hull looked good, but I had reservations. The end result was that he wanted to build my boat using his method..we discussed it more. I agreed to leave my drawings with him and make another appointment.
Over two months later I returned. My drawings were exactly where they had been left. Again we discussed changing the building method....I still wasn't convinced. Then we took a walk. In the boatshed I met (I think) the elder son. He seemed personable enough...we talked more..Then two things came to light....they wanted to build only using the Cutts method, for which they would also get a "Royalty" because of the patent, and their time frame was an estimated 3 years.......and the real kicker came with the price...it was almost double what a couple of well known New England builders were asking...one of which was Paul Rollins. I politely declined the offer, retrieved my drawings, and left...
Just before my recent auto accident I was on the Eastern Shore with another well known designer and the subject of Cutts and Case came up..the story was related how a gentleman had taken a project to the yard, got a quote, authorized the work, then when he went to retrieve his boat the price had doubled. I then related my story and the response was I was lucky.
Most recently I accompanied someone else to the yard to examine some work. I arrived at the yard and while business was being conducted I stood or sat around with my hands in my pockets. I was never approached or introduced to anyone at the yard. I was sitting on a wooden bench when the principles came around the side of the boat....no introductions...when one of them asked If I was an engineer. I said yes. The asked which rules did I follow...I said I prefer Herreschoffs with some modern changes. Then I was asked how long I had been building boats...and it was more of a challenge and the wording was in a manner which I considered insulting......without going into more details I decided not to continue with the conversation......but to say the person to which I was speaking said as a builder he knew more than any damn engineer and unless I missunderstood, he said Herreschoffs rules were crap. I was later told this person was "Ronnie" the youngest Cutts son.
My personal feelings at this point is that the elder Mr Cutts is no longer active in the business, nor is the elder son.......and if this is any indication of the future of that particular business, it is running on it's past reputation and may not last much longer...
Beware..