Dutch shipyard completes major expansion

Dutch shipyard Zeelander Yachts has added 40 per cent to its capacity, as it gears up for increased production during 2023.

Zeelander says it has also completed a successful recruitment drive to enlarge its skilled workforce by 45 per cent. The new staff are supporting the extension of the yard itself, which has been able to grow on land adjacent to the waterside site in Groot-Ammers, the Netherlands.

“Strong demand for Zeelander’s yachts, especially in the US and the Netherlands, persuaded us of the wisdom of investing in sustainable growth,” says founder Sietse Koopmans. “Fortunately, we have been able to do this at the existing waterside site in Groot-Ammers, where we have added building sheds and office space, as well as a dedicated paint booth.”

Boats up to 25m (82ft) in length can be accommodated in the paint booth, meaning that Zeelander yachts can, for the first time, be entirely spray-painted in-house.

“By adding capacity to our shipyard we have [also] created new build slots which weren’t previously available,” adds Koopmans. “It means that a select few will have the opportunity to order a new Zeelander yacht in 2023, where they would otherwise have had to wait several years.”

The boatbuilder, which recently launched the restyled Zeelander 6, says its latest corporate rebranding exercise has created a “new visual identity for the brand which fits its core values more closely.” As such, the brand has moved away from naming boats according to their length in feet, and will now use a single digit for each model.

Zeelander recently launched the Zeelander 6 after a restyling and is gearing up to launch the first Zeelander 5 this year.

“We were always clear that we would increase the model range once we had simplified our offer and perfected our styling,” says Koopmans. “When the first new Zeelander 5 is launched in the spring of 2023, that process will be complete, and we will be able to lift the covers on a new, bigger yacht. More details will be revealed in the spring, but suffice it to say she will be every bit as sophisticated, sensual and serene as our smaller yachts.”

In February, MIN reported that Zeelander had doubled its order book and expanded its shipyard by 500sqm.