Jeff Hubrig Jr. | November 16, 2016
Earlier this month the prominent Netherlands based superyacht builder Heesen announced the opening of its new 85m dry dock. Known for building cutting edge aluminum fast displacement superyachts, recent Heesen builds such as the 70m M/Y Galactica Super Nova and the 65m M/Y Galactica Star have won multiple awards within the global superyacht community.
Heesen’s 55m M/Y Azamanta. Photo by Jarrad @ superyachts_gibraltar
According to Arthur Brouwer, Heesen’s Executive Chairman, the core superyacht market is moving up in size from the 40-50m range to the 50-60m range. The company’s new dry dock allows Heesen to double its building capacity for 70m superyachts from one at a time to two.
The new construction facility is full of cutting edge technology to ensure that all aspects of construction are completed under optimal conditions. In addition to temperature and humidity control the dry-dock has heated floors and an advanced LED and natural lighting system that reduces the power requirements for lighting by 25%, according to the company. There is also an advanced air filtration system to ensure that the facility has optimal conditions for painting.
Heesen is known for its aluminum builds and although the yard does build steel hulled yachts and plans to continue doing so it has said that as the price of building large aluminum superyachts comes down it is likely that their allure and appeal will increase within the market – a change that Heesen is well positioned to capitalize on, particularly with the new shipyard facilities.