Doral Boats For Sale

 The History of Boats in Quebec
Around 1730, the « Chemin du Roy » became the first ride able road between Montreal and Quebec. It took two days to make the trip. For the villages along the St. Lawrence River, canoes, rowboats and sailboats rapidly became privileged transportation means for passengers and goods.

The History of boats in Mauricie
Way before the arrival of the first Europeans in America, Amerindians had acknowledged for a long time Shawinigan's falls. In Algonquian language, Shawinigan's falls was called Achawénégane. It was Francis Hall in 1816 that changed the spelling for Shawinigan which mainly refers to the portage. Following the municipal mergers of 2002, Shawinigan is now the 14th most important city in Quebec.

In the 19th century, wood sawing was the main activity of workers, especially on the inhabited territory between Trois-Rivières and La Tuque. Sawn wood was prepared for exportation on boats loaded in Trois-Rivières. To ensure the transportation of workers towards the interior of the lands, steamboats, canoes and barges were used.

In 1825, the Government of the Province of Lower Canada acknowledged that it was impossible to build a road between Lac St-Jean, Trois-Rivières and La Tuque even along the sides of the Saint-Maurice shores.

Different means of transportation have been used throughout the centuries in order to cross both sides of the river. At the beginning of the 19th century, rowboats where the hull rests on skates, were used in winter. In summer these rowboats were replaced by horse boats (boats moving using horses with an endless belt that sets in motion a water wheel). It was in 1880 that steam ferries ensured the transportation of passengers and goods.

In 1935, Moïse Cadorette started a company which fabricates canoes and small pleasure boats in St-Jean-des-Piles. In 1956, he introduced fiberglass in the manufacturing of his products to mould the hulls, it was the first time it had been done in Canada. In 1972 Doral was officially born. In 1979, two local entrepreneurs bought Moïse Cadorette aiming to make it grow rapidly. In 1989, the company moved to Grand-Mère by joining forces with Thundercraft and Canot Cadorette.

The competition was high in boat construction in the 1950's. Canots Saint-Maurice was in competition with Cadorette. Canots Saint-Maurice was a specialist in the making of small pleasure boats in fiberglass. Its production was aimed essentially for the Canadian market.

At the end of the 90's, Doral was expending with its owner Erwin Zecha. Doral International was a company doing business in more than 25 countries across the world. Doral Sport Boat at Midland (Ontario) and Doral International at Grand-Mère (Quebec) were major and challenging players in the nautical field. The commitment of the managers and the employees at all the manufacturing steps is, without any doubt, the secret card for Doral's success!

Where technology and old world craftsmanship meet.
Using state of the art cad cam software Doral naval architects create cutting edge designs that will take you well into the 21st century. Couple this with our modern plant and 30 years experience hand building pleasure crafts it becomes easy to see the Doral difference. Boats built for boaters by boaters with safety and enjoyment in mind. Whatever you fancy from a 17' runabout to their 36' flagship, Doral has the model for you for water-skiing, fishing or cruising. Before you make a choice see the Doral difference.

In life, it's the little things that set us apart from the rest. At Doral, not only do they strive to ensure that all cruisers and sport boats stand the test of time but as a Doral owner you will appreciate the "little extra touches" that have been integrated into their boats to meet and exceed your expectations. Step aboard, and you will sense the quality that can only be achieved through Dorals commitment to superior engineering and construction techniques.

Perfection in Progress - Express Cruisers

Purchasing a Cruiser.
The production process of a Doral starts the day of purchase by its future owner. Each Doral boat is tailored to the client's needs.

Planning: Purchasing of Raw Materials and Production Organization
The second step is to plan the production of the boat. Using production and inventory management software, materials are purchased and the workforce is organized. Most of the main components are made custom to meet the client's specifications.

Start of Production
The boat is produced in separate modules and then assembled in Dorals various departments and workshops. Production of seat cushions, cabinets and composite parts start simultaneously with a large number of people working on the same boat at one time.

Sub-contractor Network
The Doral production plant relies on a network of qualified and experienced subcontractors. Stainless steel work, thermo-forming technology, aluminum tank manufacturing, electronic and electrical systems, varnishing and woodworking are all the results of their experienced team of sub-contractors.

Fiberglass Department
The sandwich construction method used by Doral for all the main components of its boats ensures that they are rigid, heat and sound insulated as well as lightweight. This method is widely used for racing yachts, aeronautics or Formula-1 racing. All Doral hulls are produced using a lay-up moulding and hand-laminating process.

Cutting Department
Each composite part is cut out using templates and plans based on the client's specifications. The parts produced by the cutting department are then ready to be assembled.

Cabinetmaking Department

Vacuum bench: All interior wood cabinets at Doral are produced on our vacuum benches. Materials are glued together in a vacuum using a water-resistant bonding agent. As a result, Doral are able to produce modern furniture that is both unique and stylish.
Numerical control robot: Each furniture part is cut out using a numerical control robot. This process ensures extraordinary quality and accuracy. Using top of the line software and digitizer tables, the computer department supplies the operator with the cutting diagrams that meet the future owner's requirements.
Qualified workforce: The furniture assembly is entrusted to experienced craftsmen who, using Doral's unique assembly processes create the most sophisticated furnishings in North America.
Glossy varnish: The varnished wood cabinets on Doral cruisers and yachts, are given a glossy polyester and polyurethane finish. Between 7 and 9 successive layers are applied to achieve this unique finish.

Upholstery Department
Doral has its own seat furnishings department. They manufacture the seats of their cruisers using the very best materials available. The frames of their cockpit seats are made from composite or plastic. As well, all of the vinyl used is of superior quality and protected with UV and stain resistant films. They also produce their own bed ensembles, curtains and pillows using mostly European fabric chosen by a Doral interior designers.

Assembly Line
Upon leaving the cutting department, the main composite parts (hull, deck & cabin floor liner) are delivered to the assembly lines. This production method insures consistent superior quality assembly.

The engine, electrical systems and plumbing are assembled on the hull line. At the same time, the cabin liner is pre-assembled and then installed in the hull. The cabin liner is attached to the hull using a Plexus bonding system (one of the strongest bonding agents available), which ensures complete bonding of the liner to the hull, thereby reinforcing the boat's rigidity.

The liner serves many purposes:

It provides a location for each part of the cabin and guarantees an accurate and constant assembly.
It increases the rigidity of the boat.
It provides a fiberglass floor that is easy to clean and completely rot-proof.
The boat is nearing the finishing phase and the last of the plumbing or electrical connections between the deck and the hull are made. The interior and exterior seat cushions are installed along with the pinstripe accents and exterior canvas. The boat is now ready for the final inspection and testing.

Quality Inspection and Tests
The Quality Assurance Department will take over for the testing phase. The boat is first subject to a water test using high-pressure showers. These showers are placed around the vessel in key locations. High-pressure water is then emitted for several hours and the quality assurance team inspects it afterwards for any water infiltration. The team then checks all of the systems including water pressure, shower and electrical. The engines and all electrical and mechanical systems are also subjected to operating tests. After the quality assurance inspectors have given their approval, the boat is packaged and delivered to its future owner.