When it comes to building a new luxury motor yacht, there are
two kinds of owners: those who can’t wait to take delivery of the vessel and get
out on the water to enjoy her, and those for whom the design and construction
process is half the fun. Yachtsmen who fall in the latter group can stop reading
now. For owners who are impatient to get cruising, however, we have a
proposition: Why not consider building a semi-custom yacht?
The semi-custom category falls into the gray area between full-production
yacht series—where each boat in a model line is virtually identical—and one-off
custom projects. The term "semi-custom" means different things to different
builders, but basically refers to a yacht with a production hull and
superstructure laid up in composite, encompassing an interior that is
customizable to some degree. Typically, an owner who goes to contract on a
semi-custom yacht before the build process begins can select the color scheme,
woods and soft goods. Some shipyards also offer a choice of layouts for the
guest accommodations. Beyond that, however, an owner’s influence is limited.
Many shipyards will not move bulkheads or even change the engines in their
semi-custom models because the yard has invested considerable time and resources
into developing the series, then "blueprinted" the results for streamlined
efficiency.
"Predictability is what we offer," says Phil Purcell, vice
president of sales for Westport Shipyard, one of America’s leading semi-custom builders.
"We’ve never missed a delivery date—ever." Those deliveries come with satisfying speed, in months rather
than years. The construction period for the 34-meter Westport 112, for example,
is only about 10 months from lay-up to launch. At a retail price of $9.275
million, the 112 costs roughly half the price of a custom yacht of the same
length.
 Custom Line 97. (Click image to enlarge)
Repeatability is another key trait. There are no surprises with
a semi-custom yacht series. The waterline and center of gravity are in the same
place with every hull. The performance characteristics, such as top speed and
range, are known quantities. "Our owners are looking for reliability," Purcell
says. "They love it because they all have a Lear, a Gulfstream or a Falcon jet.
When they pull onto the tarmac, they like that predictability."
While some shipyards, such as Westport, build semi-custom
composite yachts as large as 50 meters, most of the series range from roughly 18
to 36 meters. This is a rapidly growing segment of the international luxury
yacht market. According to ShowBoats International’s annual Global
Order Book, orders for motor yachts from 24 to 36 meters, for example, have
increased by 60 percent in the last five years. Of the top 20 builders listed in
the 2007 Global Order Book, the first four—Azimut-Benetti, the Ferretti
Group, Sunseeker and the Rodriguez Group—all achieved their leading positions
partly thanks to their semi-custom yacht business.
The rising demand for these turnkey yachts is spurred by their
ever-improving quality. Semi-custom builders are constantly refining their
composite construction techniques to utilize high-tech methods such as resin
infusion and vacuum bagging. They are incorporating furnishings, stonework and
soft goods into the yachts’ interiors that are commonly found in today’s
high-end luxury homes. They also are consulting with well-known yacht design
firms to develop fresh and attractive interior schemes for their new
models.
|
; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Email This
Printer Friendly Version
Reprints & Permissions
Most Popular Searches