Derecktor Shipyard on Catering for Bigger Builds

First and foremost, as regards the recent news, catering for large builds is not a new feature in any of Derecktor’s yards. The mobile lift in Derecktor Dania, installed in 2012 and at the time the largest mobile yacht lift in the country, has been well utilised and helped Derecktor substantially increase its market share, James Brewer tells us. The recent extension of the slip however means that Derecktor Dania will now be able to routinely lift vessels of 200 feet and ‘in some occasions up to 220 feet in length overall’.

‘We see boats getting longer, bigger and heavier – this has been going on since the mid 90s but now we see them exploding in size and volume. That prompted the decision to put the lift in in the first place, but this extension is reacting to enquiries we get which we haven’t until now been able to fulfil,’ Brewer explains.

This move is not just significant for Derecktor however, but the larger industry and geographical area of America’s East Coast as a whole. ‘There are 600 marine related businesses within 5 miles of us, all of whom depend on the shipyard – the more vessels we can lift, the better off the industry is.’

This news comes alongside Derecktor’s announcement earlier this year that it will be building a new shipyard in Fort Pierce, Florida. Brewer tells us that we can expect to see this yard up and running in some form within a year, where vessels of over 200 feet can be handled as well as large sailing yachts, due to the benefits of deep water and lack of overhead obstructions on-site.

Derecktor is of course known in the field of new build, where it produced the largest yacht to ever be built in America: Aquila, formerly known as Cakewalk. Now however Derecktor centres its business on the refit industry, due in part to a decline of custom yacht-building in the US and in part to its stronghold on the highly competitive and advanced refit market.

‘The refit market in particular is a global one, our customers are not just Americans but from all over the world. This is partly due to our geographical location – a yacht owner cruising in the Caribbean may choose to have a refit done in the US, for example.’

Brewer adds, ‘Derecktor is strong, but so is the USA with respect to refit. One looks at the USSA (United States Superyacht Association) and the Refit America program, trying to promote the US as a refit destination, and would encourage readers to consider that and the US as a refit destination.’

The increased demand in bigger, heavier and longer yachts has been undeniable in recent years; but Derecktor has and is continuing to prove itself more than capable of meeting such demands.  

‘There is significant investment going on, with capacity being added not just here, but in Miami and Savannah on the East Coast – our capabilities are unmatched and I would suggest any reader to strongly consider the US as a refit destination.’   

We are excited to see how this new development impacts the brand in the coming months, and will be keeping our ears close to the ground for further developments from Derecktor.