In the beginning when Feadship had just two building yards, both DeVires and Van Lent had one shipyard each. Then Amels vacated Maakum and DeVries took over that site.
But the size limitations imposed by the location of the two original Feadship Superyacht yards in Aalsmeer and Kaag were partly solved when the third yard opened in Makkum in 2005.
Now Van Lent will even up the score again with the opening of Feadship’s fourth shipyard.
Located in a prime water-side location in the heart of Amsterdam, the new shipyard will when completed towards the end of 2018, include a giant hall for building new superyachts of up to 160 metres in length.
Royal Van Lent will also continue to operate its Kaag Island yard at full capacity.
The two premises will share the same management team and corporate culture, with some 450 skilled employees from across the spectrum of outfitting and refit activities moving between the facilities when required.
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam is already a city with global allure, renowned the world over for its iconic buildings.
Port of Amsterdam CEO Koen Overtoom is delighted to see the huge Feadship facility starting to take shape. “Having these amazing vessels built in Amsterdam is a superb addition to our product portfolio. As well as generating new employment opportunities, it is encouraging a further diversification of activities in our port.
The decision by Feadship to build a new shipyard in Amsterdam on a five-hectare site with an option for a further 3.8 hectares, is stimulating other yards and marine equipment suppliers from the superyacht industry to consider doing the same.
The Port of Amsterdam has appointed a dedicated sales manager for the large yacht sector.
The fact that Feadship will be occupying illustrates how we can expect a bright future for this glamorous industry in Amsterdam.”
All sheet piles and concrete are now in position and a start with placing anchors between the sheet piles and anchor sheets has been made. Digging has commenced on the first 3.5 metres of the drydock, after which a pontoon will be lowered into the drydock along with the equipment to go below the water as deep as 10 metres.
Feadship is already one of the largest employers within the global superyacht industry, with over 2000 specialists covering every discipline involved in the design, engineering, naval architecture and construction of superyachts.
The new yard means that Feadship will have the opportunity to employ around 150 additional specialised craftsmen, all of whom will benefit from the dedicated educational systems in place which are designed to pass down skills from generation to generation.