MEET CHARLÉLIE, A UNIQUE ROLE IN MAKING TUBES FOR IGUANA RIBS

April 29, 2024

TELL US MORE ABOUT YOURSELF

About my studies, I completed a baccalaureate technician carpenter fitter which subsequently allowed me to obtain a CAP in cabinetmaking to finish with a certificate in crafts. To validate this diploma, I had to complete an internship and that is how I arrived at Iguana. I had already done internships before and it was during my second year of certification that I arrived here. I arrived at Iguana Yachts in 2019. I subsequently obtained a promise of employment which was reassuring for me in order to be able to find stability. My first mission was in the field of carpentry for Iguana cabins. The opportunity to start working in tubes arose when the launch of the Iguana X100 began, so it was necessary to start producing tubes to build the boats. A position was therefore to be filled to fulfill these missions and I was the person who wanted to take the niche by learning the basics. Regarding the tube, there are several steps such as preparing the patches as well as gluing them. There is also a quality role to ensure that the tube holds but is also waterproof of course to withstand water at sea and climatic conditions.

I immediately got along very well with the team, which was an important point for me to feel good about my work.
Charlélie Lemarchand, After Decking

WHAT ARE YOUR MISSIONS AT IGUANA?

As stated above, I came as a carpenter, however I am currently carrying out missions related to tubes. The vessels concerned are therefore the X100, X100 White Edition, and the Knight. I had already worked with neoprene which was positive because I already knew one of the basic materials. I was also satisfied to take this role because it gave me an additional skill in my knowledge. The aesthetic aspect immediately attracted me to the tubes but especially the technical side with meticulous gestures which are close to what I knew from my experience in carpentry.

HOW DO YOU INSTALL THE TUBE ON THE RIB'S?

The process for tubes at Iguana is as follows: we receive a tube with a time-saving manufacturing base. We position the tube on the boat to trace the areas to be sanded to prepare certain areas in particular for gluing this tube. Afterward, I trace the patches and then glue the cuffs on them so that they are ready. I then apply my patches to my tube. You should know that at this moment the tube is still on the ground because all the preparations must be perfect before being able to complete the bonding on the boat. Once everything is validated (patches and cuffs), I glue the tube to the boat. You might think that my mission is complete after this step but I still have to make all the connections between the tube with the bridge, the console, and the bench that we call the lips. Finally, I do the fender part to finalize the turn of the tube. This step is last because the tube can tend to twist during gluing, so I take no risk that the fender will twist too. Of course, there is also cleaning for maximum finishes. To carry out all of these missions I will need approximately 1 week depending on the people who will help me but also the drying time to take into account the color of the tube. On a black tube, the fender will be more complicated to clean than a fender on a gray tube.

Some missions were more challenging, for example, we had a boat with tubes that could inflate and deflate so that it could be put into a garage. The most different step was adding valves inside and I didn’t know how to do it at the time. So I had to learn and that was the biggest difficulty to overcome.

To me, Iguana can be summed up in three words: team, impressive, and pride. The team aspect is very important to me as we spend all our days working together. It's impressive because we never know what the result will be when we start from scratch, but we always manage to create something amazing. Lastly, I feel proud of what we accomplished. Even though we always strive to do better, it's still astonishing to see what we can create.
Charlélie Lemarchand, After Decking

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