Sunsation Center Console Update: Rotating Mold Construction In Progress

Sunsation Performance Boats has “added steel” to the hull mold for its upcoming 34-foot-long center console. That’s a common practice, one that enables the mold to be mounted on stands and raised and lowered above the factory floor as the builder works on it. But according to Wayne Schaldenbrand, who co-owns the Algonac, Mich., boat company with his brother, Joe, the builder is going with a more elaborate hull-mold manipulation system for its new 34-footer.

Since this photo was taken, steel has been added to the mold for the 34-foot Sunsation center console as part of a lift-and-rotation system.

“We are making our truncheon system so that the mold can be rotated 360-degrees by a single operator using a single lever,” Schaldenbrand said. “It’s an electric-over-hydraulic system with a gear reduction that we’ve created in house.

“We need it so we can do some really neat gelcoat stripe combinations on the hull—we’re going after that California mentality,” Schaldenbrand added, then laughed. “There’s always a method to my madness.”

While Schaldenbrand admitted that the company’s first center console offering is behind schedule for release, he said he is pleased with its progress and expects the finished product to appeal to existing Sunsation customers, as well as buyers who are not familiar with the Sunsation line.

“It’s coming along really well,” said Schaldenbrand. “We’re a little behind, but we’ve been doing some pretty exotic work in the center console. I wouldn’t call it ‘living quarters,’ but we’ve gotten pretty creative down there. It’s a pleasure boat. You can fish from it for sure, but it’s mostly designed for pleasure use.

“We also hired a naval architect to look at our lamination elements and stringers for this boat, and he came up with some pretty unique, ring-frame bulkheads that will make it really solid,” he added.