Feadship

A group of family yards

Feadship stands for First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders. It was set up in 1949, encouraged by Dutch export incentives, by the naval architect Henri de Voogt and several family-run yards that wanted to sell yachts to buyers in the United States.

Its roots go back further. The Akerboom family bought a small yard in 1849 and joined the Van Lent family in 1927. Over time the group narrowed to two main families, the Van Lents and the De Vries, who still run it today.

Steel comes to America

Feadship made its American debut at the 1951 New York Boat Show, where it showed yachts built of steel at a time when most American pleasure boats were still wooden. Orders for steel and aluminium yachts followed, and by the mid-1950s Feadship had stopped building in wood.

Through the 1960s and 1970s its yachts grew longer and more capable of crossing oceans, and Feadship became one of the best-known names in the industry.

Four yards, one design office

Today Feadship has four shipyards: Aalsmeer and Makkum, run by De Vries, and Amsterdam and Kaag, run by Van Lent. Both share De Voogt Naval Architects, the design and engineering centre that turns a client's wishes into plans.

Feadship specialises in fully custom yachts, so no two are the same. The hull lines, layout, interior and technical systems are all designed for one owner, often working with outside exterior and interior designers.

Owners and their representatives usually visit the yard many times during a build, which can take several years for a large yacht. Feadship and other custom builders keep detailed models and samples of finishes, from marble to wood and fabric, so that choices can be checked long before they are fitted on board.

How a project unfolds

A Feadship project usually starts with design studies and engineering long before steel is cut. The steel hull and aluminium superstructure are built in sections in large covered halls, then joined and fitted out with engines, wiring, plumbing and interiors.

Before delivery, each yacht goes through sea trials to test speed, handling, noise and systems. Because the yards sit on inland waterways, finished yachts often travel through Dutch canals to reach the open sea.

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