Unbeleaveable Navy contract!!!
 

Can you believe that the Navy has contracted Maximum Thunder/ Blue Lighting or what ever they call themselves this month. To build several 50' center console.out board boats for them. This is the most ludicrous thing I have ever heard. It seems that they have it all worked out. Julie Brown,Michale Bond and crooks. are going to have some glass lay up out fit in FL. slap some of these boats together and this Marina Mikes in Fort Myers is going to try to rig them. This is the same Blue Lighting that is at Miami boat show.With boats they should have left a home. The Finish work of these boats would scare most people. I Guss they will do about anything to sucker someone into buying there product.The boat they took the Naval Officers out on is not the same Quality of boat they slap together today. Not even close. I have seen the new 5hit and the products from previous owner.Can anyone help me to understand how this could happen.There are other boat companies out there that deserve this type of contract. Please, can anyone help????
Thanks, Chris L

If the contract is "build to print" then the boat is not their design, and the finished item must be correct. If it is their design (or even build to print), a first piece example will be thoroughly, documented and tested by the government prior to approval of production. Either way, a government inspector will inspect all boats, will probably sea trial a couple before he signs off on each batch.
Several times throghout the life of the contract the government will perform audits on costs, material certifications, employee training, documentation and records keeping, as well as many other aspects of the build process.
If they build a product that doesn't measure up, performs poorly, falsification of documents, etc., the government will shut them down in a heart beat and pull the contract. I've seen it happen before.

I know how the system works. I'm employed by a defense contractor and deal with the government on a weekly basis. I also perform specialized testing and inspection on our product.

Theres a old joke that is very true.
One Pilot looks at
the other and asks
how safe the new aircraft is to fly,
Answer, It was built by the LOW Bidder.
Mike J.

Reminds me of the line in the movie "Armagedon", when the well digging crew is ready to blast off. One of the guys quips to Bruce Willis, "so how does it feel knowing your sitting on 8 million gallons of fuel, with over 270,000 moving parts, built by the lowest bidder".

I know the "lowest bidder" joke, but that's not entirely true. Prior to a contract award the government will do a facility inspection to see if the bidder is capable of performing the work. They look at the building, management, number of employees, equipment, and product manufacturing experience as well as many other factors. If they feel the company is not capable of performing the work, lowest bid or not, they will be disqualified and their bid rejected.

As Iggy said they will have to perform to a certain level. If they do not they will loose the contract or not even get it. I have a customer that is trying to win the bid to build the Tomahawk Cruise missles. They purchased a many million dollar lathe and it is going back because it does not cut to the specs in the contract. You only get a certain number of defective parts also. If you have to many they will pull the contract also as I understand it. That includes in the trials.

Jon

Audio is right, the government quality inspector will perform an inspection on a certain number of parts and that quantity is based on the total quantity presented for inspection. Of those he inspects only a certain number can contain defects. If that quantity is exceeded the entire lot is rejected and sent back for 100% inspection by the vendor. Any bad parts are to be replaced, remade, repaired or reworked at the vendors cost. Before any repair/rework can be performed a written procedure describing how the rework will be performed must be written and approved by the government. If the vendor continually produces nonconforming materials the contract can be pulled and awarded to another vendor.

Audio, is you friend bidding to build the entire missile or just various components?
If it's entire missile the qualification program is very lenghty and costly.
If it's just components, he shouldn't need to worry about qual testing.
Best of luck to him.

Chris,
Im not familiar with bluewater boats, but i am
familiar with Marina Mikes and would not let them
rig an electric motor on a canoe. Plenty of great boat
companies out there. venture, powerplay, fountain, cigarette, contender just to name a few. I dont know how in the hell these hacks get goverment contracts.eessshhhh !!!!!!:confused: :mad:

haha won;t this be the 2nd time the goverment got ripped off by blue lightning?

At least the Navy seals 60 foot speed/attack boats are made by Magnum Marine. With the hulls being over three inches thick and Kevlar, they are a much wiser choice, and you can be assured the quality is above and beyond anything the government would be used to. They also have a fleet of black Fountains. The seals have all the cool toys!!!