TWO OCEANS MARINE

You are struck by the magnitude of Two Oceans Marine Manufacturing’s operation when you walk into their shipyard in Paarden Island, Cape Town.

Three large catamarans fill the space where 130 people are working in synchronisation to deliver the bespoke boats carefully fitted onto the factory floor.

The company developed from humble beginnings, starting as an extension to a petrol service station and growing into a fully-fledged design and manufacturing facility 30 years later.

Mark Delany, Managing Director of Two Oceans Marine, says Cape Town ’s boat building industry is thriving because of a longstanding culture and relationship with the ocean.

“We have a heritage of people who are passionate about sailing and boating in general, and they have built lifelong businesses around it,” says Mark.

His father founded Two Oceans Marine in 1989, and the business evolved into one of South Africa’s leading custom boat and yacht manufacturing yards.

Based in Cape Town, Two Oceans Marine manufactures both power and sailing catamarans ranging from 7.3 m to 35 m in size – for cruising, leisure, day charter and commercial use.

Two Oceans occupies 4500 square meters of covered factory floor space on two different premises, one in Cape Town harbour and the other 3km from the port in Paarden Island. The factory can accommodate vessels of up to 35 m (over 110 foot) in length.

Mark talks with pride about Two Oceans Marine’s involvement with the training the next generation of boat builders through supporting young scholars from False Bay College. The company runs an internship programme with the college.

Currently, Two Oceans Marine is building an 85-foot full carbon high-performance catamaran for a client that plans to circumnavigate the globe. Next to it is a 110-foot day charter catamaran alongside an 85-foot private yacht in production and a 70-foot day charter boat.

The company is about to start another  70-foot cruising catamaran, says Mark.

Two Oceans Marine has become a premier manufacturer of custom-designed and manufactured sailing and expedition catamarans, as well as performance sailing catamarans.

“We have a large pool of skilled and semi-skilled workers in Cape Town that we draw from, and our proximity to port enables us to launch boats easily. This puts the city’s boat builders at a great advantage to grow and deliver to our clients globally,” says Mark.

He estimates Two Oceans, through direct employment and sub-contracting, supports around 500 households in Cape Town.

Margaret Hannie has been working in the boating industry for 35 years and with Two Oceans for 22 years. She started as a laminator and now manages the factory at Cape Town harbour responsible for all the company’s laminations.

“Everyone always said it was a man’s job when I started, but I just came in and did my job. Today I am a manager. I feel good when I see a finished boat in the water. It’s an achievement we share as boat builders,” says Margaret.

Mark says the Miami International Boat Show has always been an excellent platform for South African boat builders to showcase their catamarans.

“We recently formed a merger with a company called Balance Catamarans in the United States specifically for growing our international market. We are looking forward to more exposure to the international market,” he says.

Visit Two Oceans Marine’s website