02/01/2006
- Following recent additions to its manufacturing facilities and the retirement of its historic Hull Shop, which dates back to 1892, Burger Boat Company continues rebuilding its entire shipyard. The latest expansions include a new $2 million-plus high-tech joinery shop located in a 36,000-square-foot facility. Burger has also commissioned a 500-ton Travelift as part of the expansion, due for an April 2006 delivery. The Manitowoc, Wisconsin, builder also completed its 38,000-square-foot corporate headquarters in a former bank building designed by notable architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The structure, which won an award in its original incarnation, is a two-minute drive or a short boat ride from the shipyard. Visit www.burgerboat.com
- Construction has begun on the
300,000-square-foot expansion of Tiara Yachts’
manufacturing facility in
Holland, Michigan. The new space will allow the company to put all manufacturing
under one roof, utilizing upgraded, state-of-the-art production systems and
technologies. The company will incorporate robotics and expanded closed-mold
lamination processing (CMP) at this new facility as well. The expansion is
expected to allow Tiara to speed up production without any loss of quality. The
project should finish in June of this year. Visit www.tiarayachts.com
- After selling Rybovich to Wayne
Huizenga Sr. in 2004, former owner Jim Bronstien has left the company. Huizenga
was named president and CEO and will carry the torch that was in Bronstien’s
family for close to 50 years. Huizenga has already begun expanding and
renovating the boatyard, injecting nearly $100 million into the 18-acre site.
The mixed-use waterfront property will feature more slips for larger yachts, a
modernized shipyard for the production of sportfishing yachts, a service-refit
yard, a restaurant, two residential towers, retail shops, a promenade and a
parking garage. Visit
www.rybovichspencer.com
- Starwood Hotels and Resorts announced plans for a 50-slip superyacht
marina for its Westin Hotel on Biscayne Bay’s Watson Island. The Island
Gardens project incorporates the hotel, a marina, shops, restaurants, a spa and
luxury fractional residences. Visit www.starwoodhotels.com
Westin’s Biscayne Bay hotel and 50-slip
marina. (Click image to enlarge) - Marten Spars has signed new contracts with clients in the United States, Europe and
New Zealand, two of which are with repeat clients. The first is with
Hodgdon Yachts in Maine, to supply the rig for a 98-foot
timber Fontaine ketch. This is the third time Marten has worked with the
builder. While the ketch will be constructed of wood, her rig will be carbon
material. The second contract is the eighth collaboration for Marten Spars with
Holland’s Vitters Shipyard. Marten will provide the rig for a 174-foot
ketch. New Zealand’s Fitzroy Yachts is the third Marten contract, for which Marten
will provide the rig for the 144-foot Dubois-designed sloop Salperton. This is the second vessel of the same name
for the owner. Visit
www.martenspars.com
- Westship World Yachts,
the Tampa, Florida, manufacturer of luxury motor yachts, has filed for state
court liquidation in a process known as "an assignment for the benefit of
creditors"—a quicker and less expensive alternative to federal court bankruptcy.
Larry Hyman is now running the company, attempting to keep the business going as
it courts a potential buyer. Westship is currently building a 110-foot motor
yacht for a client. The assignment for the benefit of creditors is due to the
loss of a $6 million arbitration award involving a yacht built for a
Houston businessman. The case revolved around allegations that the $18
million, 145-foot tri-deck Boardwalk did
not meet the buyer’s specifications. Fort Lauderdale’s North American Yachts has
shown potential interest in acquiring the Westship name and assets.
- MTU won a major contract with the Ferretti Group to provide 500 yacht engines. Currently, Ferretti has ordered 450 Series 2000 Common Rail engines with 8, 10, 12 and 16 cylinders, as well as 50 12V and 16V4000 units. The engines are scheduled to be delivered to the group’s shipyards between 2005 and 2007. "This is currently the biggest order in the European ship-building industry," stated MTUs vice president. This order will mark the market debut of the 12- and 16-cylinder versions of the new Series 2000 Common Rail engines. Visit www.mtu-online.com
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- Based in the United Arab Emirates,
luxury yacht builder Gulf
Craft has embarked on a phase
of major expansion. Its current design and construction facility in Um Al-Quwain
(which houses 11,600 square meters of covered workshops on a 43,000-square-meter
site) is intended to grow 80 percent. Improvements include a 150-ton Travelift,
a 30-ton hoist, new paint and tooling facilities, and computer-guided
engineering systems. Gulf Craft is also upgrading its repair yard in the
Maldives. Up by one-third in the last year, its staff numbers almost 600. By
expanding its distributor network to include Spain, France, Italy, Croatia and
New Zealand, export market penetration is expected to increase as well. Gulf
Craft’s top-of-the-line range, Majesty Yachts, includes models at 118, 130 and
145 feet. Visit
www.gulfcraftinc.com
Stuart Archer, formerly of Northern Marine, has left the company to start another. Along with three additional partners, Archer has launched American Expedition Yachts (AEY), which will build semi-production and custom expedition yachts as well as production models. Construction of the latter will take place primarily in China, where property has been purchased and construction of the facilities has begun. Semi-production and custom boats will be delivered from the company’s Anacortes, Washington, shipyard. AEY will be building expedition yachts in the 60- to 110-foot range. Visit www.americanexpeditionyachts.com
- Jeppesen, a Boeing subsidiary, has
announced the launch of Jeppesen
Marine. The new business
venture will provide the commercial marine market with digital navigation and
information solutions similar to those it has provided for decades to the
aeronautical market. Vice President Tim Sukle feels that "the move into the
marine market is natural, as great deals of synergies exist between the aviation
and marine markets." In addition to the Nobeltec line of electronic marine
navigation solutions that will be offered to recreational boaters, wireless
broadband connectivity from provider Connexion by Boeing will provide a means
for navigation and other data to flow in real time to ships worldwide.
Visit www.jeppesen.com
- Things are on the up and up for
Wisconsin boat builder Palmer
Johnson. Despite filing for
Chapter 11 only two years ago, the yard has increased its workforce to close to
300 and delivered five yachts this past year. "The company has never before
delivered this many yachts in one year at this size range," said PJ President
Mike Kelsey. Bay Shipbuilding and Palmer Johnson have proposed a $30 million
expansion that would provide both with a new launch facility and possibly create
600 new jobs. The state of Wisconsin has committed $9.2 million for the
shipbuilding cluster in the Sturgeon Bay area. Visit www.palmerjohnson.com
A joint venture for the construction of a new line of Admiral displacement yachts has been created between Cantieri Navali Lavagna and Cantieri Mariotti. The two founding shipyards of Admiral Mariotti Yachts (AMY) will combine resources to produce and sell steel and aluminum yachts starting at 38 meters. AMY has already designed four displacement Admirals between 38 and 63 meters. Visit www.cnl.it