Vc Metalwork

Welcome back to our Jake McCann!

Jake first joined VC Metalwork in 2010 at the age of 20, beginning his career in the polishing department. Over the following years, he progressed through fabrication and welding roles before moving into project management, gaining hands-on experience across multiple areas of the business.

In 2016, Jake transitioned into the superyacht industry, joining M/Y Bystander as Second Engineer. Over the next decade, he built extensive onboard engineering experience, progressing through the ranks to become Chief Engineer. During this time, he was responsible for the operation, maintenance, and management of complex yacht systems while working closely with captains, owners, shipyards, and specialist contractors.

Having spent nearly ten years at sea, Jake returned to VC Metalwork in 2026 to join the management team. His combination of workshop, fabrication, project management, and onboard engineering experience provides a valuable perspective when supporting clients and delivering technical solutions for superyacht projects.

Jake plays a key role in bridging the gap between engineering requirements onboard and practical fabrication solutions ashore, helping ensure projects are delivered efficiently, safely, and to the high standards expected within the superyacht industry.

We're looking forward to a bright future!

What separates good fabrication from superyacht-standard fabrication? Often, the material itself.

From titanium and duplex stainless through to specialist marine alloys, different materials demand completely different machining, welding, and finishing approaches to get them right.

Our latest blog takes a look at the materials behind some of the industry’s most demanding projects.

Engineering in Superyacht Metalwork and Marine Materials Superyacht Metalwork and Marine Materials: Superyacht fabrication requires careful material selection for every application.

Designed and created for a private client, this bespoke mild steel bull feature was precision waterjet cut to capture every detail with a sharp, striking finish.

Backlit to enhance the silhouette and professionally installed for maximum impact, the piece transforms the space both day and night.
A one-off design combining custom fabrication, clean installation and statement-making metalwork.

Two handrails. Straightforward brief, or is it?

316L stainless, 38mm tube, built to sit at around 800mm overall height.
But most of the work sits in the interface.

Machined fittings at 38.2mm to match existing receivers exactly.
Keyed connection added to control alignment, no tolerance for movement.

70mm cover ring welded in to close the gap and finish the transition cleanly.

If this is out by even a millimetre, it shows immediately and it will not seat or load as intended.

Checkstay tangs; simple components on paper, but they carry real load when it matters.

These have been machined from 316L stainless steel bar, following the client’s drawing exactly. Clean geometry, controlled tolerances, and a finish that holds up in a superyacht environment without becoming a maintenance issue.

A checkstay tang is the connection point between the checkstay and the structure, whether that’s deck, chainplate, or mast base. It is a small part in the system, but it sits directly in the load path, so there is no room for compromise in material choice or machining accuracy.

Some projects come with full technical specs, others arrive as a requirement from scratch: Either way, the approach is the same; deliver a component that will do its job without question.