The construction process
The first of many memorable journeys which you will make as the owner of a Sturiër or Dutchman is the one during which your ship is built. During a launch once the owner said, “Creating a new motor yacht at Shipyard Volharding Staveren is just as much fun as sailing with it!”
The first steps
of the journey
After the initial contact, Auke van der Werff and the new owner meet in person. Often this involves a tour of the shipyard so that the potential owner can have a look behind the scenes and they and Auke can get to know each other a little.
This is genuinely the first step in a journey. Ideas and inspiration, the customer’s requirements and dreams for the ship are shared, drawings are made and alterations carried out. This process carries on over several meetings until a mutually-agreed design is decided upon; the contract can now be signed.
A dream becomes reality
The design department makes detailed 3D drawings of the interior and exterior of the new motor yacht according to the customer’s requirements, and these drawings are then used as reference for the entire build. Once the final details have been agreed upon and everyone is happy, the definitive design can be taken into production.
Building
the hull
Once the steel plates have been cut to size, the keel can be put in position and the hull built around it. This is the start of a complicated jigsaw puzzle with thousands of pieces. We at Volharding Staveren Shipyard build the hull ourselves at the shipyard, and have highly experienced welders who make the smoothest hulls possible.
Gridblasting and paintwork
The steel work is first gridblasted and then painted with the epoxy paint system as specified by the manufacturer. This ensures that the hull is perfectly preserved. A layer of filler is then applied to guarantee a perfectly smooth surface; only then is the surface ready to be spray-painted.
The technical work
The large-size elements such as the engines and stabilisers are the first to be carefully put into position. Placing them at this stage prevents damage later on.
Technical elements
All piping is placed in the hull and the first 10 km (!) of cables are laid with precision by hand.
Interior
The interior is custom-made in our in-house joinery; Volharding Staveren Shipyard works top notch with teak, Corian and other high-quality materials. The interior parts are then mounted in the ship by our craftsmen. The interior now starts to take shape…
Upholstery
Besides being attractive to look at, upholstery on board has to be sturdy, hard-wearing and easy to clean. Therefore Volharding Staveren Shipyard works with top Dutch upholsterers and use only the best materials and leathers.
Stainless steel deckwork
Sea-going Sturiërs and Dutchmans need to have maximum protection against sea water: all stainless steel elements on deck are of the highest quality and are installed by stainless steel specialists.
The launch
Crack open the champagne! This is a fantastic day for everyone involved on the project. After 14 months of hard work your new motor yacht is given a festive launch.
Testing and the first test run
Sturiërs and Dutchmans are modern ships with a great deal of equipment on board. Because the technical equipment is installed as brand-new it all needs to be fully tested; the engines, electrical installation, stabilisers, navigation equipment, etc.