Smart Performance Marine Build Process
Smart Performance Marine’s Phoenix catamarans are built with a unique combination of state-of-the-art materials and techniques and old-fashioned, hands-on craftsmanship. This ensures that our hulls are lightweight, rigid, strong and safe.
We are proud of our commitment to total transparency in our construction process. We want you to see how your boat is going to be built, so you’re welcome to stop by our shop anytime to learn about our process firsthand.
Top-Quality MaterialsMaterials
Every Phoenix catamaran is built using engineered quad-axial carbon-Innegra hybrid laminates from VectorPly, industry-leading PRO-SET epoxy and vinylester resins and high-end Polynt gelcoat. Hull sides and bottoms, decks and small parts are cored with one-inch-thick engineered structural coring, while transoms are cored with two-inch-thick Coosa Bluewater 26 composite. Fuel tanks are mil-spec epoxy-coated aluminum.
Precision Hand-CutHand-Cut Core
Phoenix catamarans are cored with precision hand-cut H100 and H130 Divinycell by a small, highly trained team of boat builders for tight, consistent seams and no air voids. Joints are reinforced with our unique Smart Lock technique, which creates an I-beam structure for added stiffness and strength. Adjoining sections of core in bulkheads are “zipper-stitched” together. Fillets made with a special formulation of epoxy are used to radius all 90-degree joints.
Full VacuumVacuum Infusion
Hulls, decks and small parts are all vacuum-infused with epoxy resin. Vacuum infusion yields a lighter, stronger, more consistent product than hand lamination or vacuum bagging by ensuring the ideal resin-to-cloth ratio. Infusion also reduces cost since it requires far fewer man-hours in laminating and grinding and minimizes waste of resin and other consumables. Note that some builders vacuum-infuse the hull itself but hand-lay or vacuum-bag other parts. Phoenix catamarans are 100% infused, including hull, bulkheads, transom, deck and hatches.
Post CuringCuring
Smart Performance Marine hulls are made entirely with epoxy resin and then post-cured in the mold for still greater tensile strength. Post-curing means, in the simplest sense, “cooking” the entire hull inside thermal blankets using a massive heater. The hull is held at a specific temperature for six to eight hours, then allowed to cool naturally, effectively curing the laminate a second time while also saving time in the mold.
Hand-Blocking and BlueprintingBlueprinting
Smart Performance Marine uses state-of-the-art materials and processes but still places primary importance on traditional craftsmanship. Every hull is hand-blocked because no machine can detect and correct imperfections like a skilled boat builder. And every bottom is painstakingly blueprinted in the same way race boat bottoms are to ensure laser-straight lines and clean, sharp edges.
Individual Weighing
Every Phoenix hull is individually weighed before rigging and its individual center of gravity identified. Precise weighing of every hull not only adds a valuable data point for quality control but also helps us fine-tune weight distribution during the rigging process to achieve perfect balance for superior handling and manners.
Race-Ready RiggingRigging
Each Phoenix catamaran is meticulously hand-rigged by Smart Performance Marine owner and founder Chris Schoenbohm and a small team of master builders in our Orlando shop. With nearly two decades of experience rigging and setting up high-performance outboard cats with Mercury power to compete at the very highest levels, we deliver a superior finished product, whatever your intended use.
Environmentally Conscious
Smart Performance Marine is dedicated to the preservation of our pristine waters and natural ecosystems. Each Phoenix boat is a testament to our eco-friendly build practices, meticulously engineered to prevent hazardous chemicals from polluting our environment, ensuring a cleaner, greener future with every nautical mile.
