Since the UK luxury yacht builder Pendennis was established twenty-five years ago, the facilities have been continually improved, with new expansions scheduled for completion over the next 2-3 years. The plans include replacing the existing ‘White House’ and ‘Main Shed’ with two 90m and one 45m seaward facing construction halls. Further trade workshops as well as crew offices will also be constructed.

Pendennis celebrates build stage of new developments

Pendennis invited development partner companies, local dignitaries and key Falmouth partner organisations to celebrate as the first frame was raised on the new buildings. Under the first column two sovereigns were placed by Mrs. M. Carr and Mrs. N. Wiekens, mothers of Joint Managing Directors Mike Carr and Henk Wiekens, assisted by Jowan Notts and Myles Whitbread-Jordan, both first year apprentices. The ceremony was reminiscent of the tradition of placing gold coins under masts of new yachts.

Managing Director, Mike Carr, explained these most recent developments “With the refit side of the business continuing to perform well and enquiries increasing year on year the decision was made to further expand to retain our reputation as one of the world’s best custom build and superyacht refit yards. The quality of our workforce and variety of in-house skills makes us highly competitive in the international superyacht industry and we wanted the facilities to complement this ability and maintain our competitive advantage.”

Multi-million pound funding was secured through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Convergence programme and the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growing Places Fund, and work on transforming the yard began in the New Year.

Progress on the new buildings will be rapid, with Phase One of these new construction halls habitable by September, in time for the winter refit season this year. The additional project offices and crew hospitality suites are scheduled for completion for Spring 2014.