Yacht builders keep working

Although most yards ceased production or were operating at a vastly reduced capacity during March and April, yacht manufacturing continued in some countries. Some European countries had less stringent measures in place, which meant yachts were still getting built and order books fulfilled.

Yards in the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia and Finland all reported positive news. All Hanse Yachts’ production sites, including its main facility in Greifswald in Germany, and those in Poland and France, remained in operation. The company says it has taken precautions to safeguard all staff, including isolating work areas, and it has carpentry stock to carry it through to the end of June.

“But we can already foresee that we can no longer let today’s very high production speed continue as planned,” warns Hanse Yachts AG’s CEO Dr Jens Gerhardt. “We will continue to produce, but with slower belts. Unfortunately, all of the factories lack staff, mainly because the schools remain closed… or because the borders to Poland have been closed and cross-border workers can no longer get to work.”

Hanse’s work in Giebelstadt in Bavaria continued at a steady pace. “At the moment we are producing and delivering all placed orders in time,” says marketing director Marcus Schlichting.

“We have again increased safety measures to further minimise the risk of infection for our employees.”