After years of constructing larger and larger vessels, Feadship’s Royal Van Lent shipyard are furthering this tradition with the strategic decision to focus primarily on yachts over 60m LOA.

Royal Van Lent shipyard

To achieve this though, the yard has to modify and expand its existing resources. As there are limited options to expand the Dutch yard into the immediate vicinity, the interesting decision was made to expand Royal Van Lent down, underground to accommodate the construction of larger vessels.

Expansion will commence with the widening of the hall doors and the dry-dock moving 5m forward to make room for the long propeller shafts of 60m-plus yachts. The next phase will see major changes to the yard’s two slipways, currently built on wooden piles and unsuitable for yachts over 45m LOA.  In rebuilding the slipways the yard will be able to look at their underground work.

Royal Van Lent shipyard - Yacht SECRET

However, in focusing their business on larger motor yachts, there are far wider implications to the surrounding infrastructure – predominantly the locks in the city of Gouda will need to be widened from 12m to 14m; the same for the bridges in Oude and Nieuwe Wetering.

At a cost running into millions of euros and a completion date set for two years time – in these weaker economic climes – the work being planned and implemented here is a clear indication of the yard’s investment in the future of the superyacht industry (and itself obviously), but also the local government’s recognition of the importance of superyachts to the local economy and their subsequent support of this.