Yacht Yards Keeping Their Bays Busy With Custom Newbuilds

With five major shipyards accounting for the bulk of the private yacht construction in North America, new yachts over 100 feet in length continue to hit the water — albeit at a more leisurely pace than the boom years a decade ago.

- Rebecca Cahilly

While the production of spec boats from Westport continues at a healthy clip (see the profile on page 36), these four yacht builders report that business on the custom side also is trending upward.

Delta Marine

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Seattle based shipyard continues to see its bays filled with newbuild and refit projects in composite, aluminum and steel, the details of which are few and far between.

News only recently came out about the 236-foot Albatross, which slipped quietly into the water in early 2016 and claimed a position as one of the 50 largest yacht builds in the U.S. Among the exceptions to the taciturnity is the 161-foot Endless Summer, a project that began at Christensen Shipyard in Vancouver, Wash., and was completed at Delta in late spring.

Among the refit projects completed this year at Delta was the 151-foot After Eight, built in 2007 by Northern Marine and designed by Jonathan Quinn Barnett (JQB), who was on hand to incorporate a new design into the six-month refit. JQB is also the designer for a 174foot newbuild at the yard that is scheduled to launch in 2018.

Christensen Shipyard

Two all-composite builds are currently in progress at Christensen’s Vancouver yard, both sister boats to the recently launched Silver Lining and Chasseur.