Building a superyacht can be a daunting and often complicated process and for ease of process I have put together a step by step guide on how to build a brand new superyacht from scratch.
Naturally this is in its most simplistic form for ease of digestion, however the team @ SALT Superyachts are always on hand to provide further information and assistance when it comes to embarking on your first superyacht new build project.
1. Choosing the right broker
Involving yourself in a financial investment on the grand scale of buying or building a luxury yacht can be a daunting and can lead to potentially worrying times if you are not fully supported. Involving a yacht broker in any potential yacht investment is a wise idea, on par with consulting a CPA for your taxes or a solicitor for legal advice.
For those venturing into a superyacht journey, choosing the right broker may not be at the forefront of their mind, particularly when they are at the design stage. However once the process develops from design to build many owners can testify why they value an experienced brokers support.
Owners of superyachts are extremely busy people with many priorities to juggle in their everyday lives. Add a project such as a new build superyacht into their time bound agendas and even with superhuman PA’s and EA’s their Office would be under pressure to provide the right level support. Having the infinite expertise of an experienced broker on board from the beginning of the design process, all the way through the build process and right up until commissioning offers huge value, piece of mind and valuable cost savings for the owner.
As a liaison between the client and the shipyard, the broker maintains the balance between both parties to ensure a smooth build process. They will provide supervision on all aspects of the build whilst leaning on their own technical expertise, professional network and market knowledge to add value to the finished build project. The right broker lives and breathes the superyacht market and will know what sells and what ultimately adds value to a yacht.
SALT Superyachts sees trust as the pinnacle of all good client relationships and when negotiating a multi million dollar asset it is of critical importance that both client and broker are mirrored in trust and understanding.
2. Designing a superyacht
All superyacht new builds ultimately begin as a design sketched on a piece of paper. It is this initial creative journey that often what gets owners most excited, seeing their ideas being brought to life on paper one sketch at a time.
Some owners come to us with a design and a designer already in mind, but more often than not, we will utilise our professional network and market intelligence to help pair owners with the most suitable designer for their project.
With an experienced designer chosen the creative process starts. Working hand in hand with a naval architect, your designer will be wanting to have an insight as to how you wish to use your yacht? Where do you intend to cruise? Are you considering keeping it for private use or commercial? What hobbies and activities do you wish to do on board and what water toys do you want in your garage? The more information the designers and naval architects can gather as to what your dream yacht is, the easier it is to turn that dream into a reality.
Of course there is always the question of budget and this must be factored in right at the beginning of the design process.
3. Choosing a shipyard
Each shipyard has its own skill set and reputation, from building custom to semi custom superyachts, to building yachts with aluminium or steel.
The SALT Superyachts team of brokers are constantly travelling to shipyards all over the
world in order to strengthen relationships, assess quality and ultimately deliver the most up to date research for clients when they are looking to put pen to paper and commit to building a superyacht.
It might be a 16 metre weekend boat, or a 100+ metre giga yacht – no yacht is too big or too small for SALT Superyacht’s new build team. Our discretion and trust is paired with knowledge and market research to deliver the best possible advice and negotiate the best possible price for you as a client.
4. The Build
Once the design has been finalised and the shipyard has been chosen, it is the responsibility of the broker to liaise constantly between shipyard and client to ensure all interests are protected at every juncture of the build stage. His primary goal is to make sure your new yacht is finished and delivered on time, to spec and on budget.
Naturally there are a lot of aspects involved within a new build which need to be closely monitored; costs, build quality, timing to name a few. A good project manager is highly recommended to be involved from day one, alongside a build captain further on as the yacht’s build progresses.
Depending on the size of your build project the design and build can take anything from 1-5 years or more. Some owners are fully involved, throughout the whole process and will visit the shipyard regularly. Others, less so during the technical build stages, but their interest comes alive during the interior fit out stages. The project manage (broker) will keep you and your Office fully informed of progress and budget.
5. Sea Trials & Delivery
This is the moment when you experience the true capabilities of the yacht which you first conceptualised all those months ago and without a doubt the most exciting (and busiest!) part of any new build project.
The purpose and goal of any sea trial is to conduct a thorough inspection of the boat and observe how the vessel handles in various conditions and scenarios. Essentially, this is the biggest test to date, pushing your new yacht to the absolute limit in order to find any potential flaws, to work out where adjustments are needed so that they can be corrected prior to delivery.
Several sea trials will be undertaken over a number of weeks to thoroughly test all systems and engines onboard. Once the final sea trial has been completed and issues resolved, the yacht is finally ready for delivery and crucially ready for you to take ownership. A christening ceremony will usually take place at the shipyard at which a few words will be said about the yacht, the official name will be revealed and a bottle of champagne will be broken against the yacht’s bow to finalise the delivery and to welcome the maiden voyage.
Your superyacht journey begins here….and SALT is on hand to support all the way!
SALT Superyachts – Your Trusted Partner For Your Superyacht Journey.
Offering you an unbiased and comprehensive yacht charter consultancy.
www.salt-superyachts.com
hello@salt-superyachts.com
+44 2038 821 364