International Boat Industry – August-September 2019

56 AUGUST–SEPTEMBER 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com

Markets & Regions

BOATBUILDERS | SOUTH AFRICA

 Chris and Rudi Pretorius at Maverick

 Royal Cape Catamarans in Kloof, Durban is trying to source a new waterside facility

MAVERICK YACHTS

Maverick Yachts was founded in 2007 by

husband and wife team Rudi and Deslynn

Pretorius, who are now increasingly

supported by son Chris and two non-

exec investors. The company, which is

based in 900m^2 factory on a 1,200m^2 site

in the Cape Town suburb of Montague

Gardens, delivered its first then-all-new

Phil Southwell-designed Maverick 40 in

February 2009 and has since delivered

20 more of them in either 40, 400 or 440

Extended Transom versions, 80% to export

markets. Maverick 400 #12 – designated

as the first facelifted 440 – launched in

mid 2014. As of early 2015, #15 was just

delivering and #16 and #17 were under

construction for completion in mid 2015

and 2016 respectively. Hull #20 and #21

delivered respectively to a local Royal

Cape Yacht Club member in spring 2018

and to the US in July 2018. The run rate

averages at two per year, which usually

means one boat in always is lamination

and another always in fit-out. As of June

2019, hull #22 was under construction for a

UK-based client expecting to take delivery

in September 2019, #23 had had a delayed

start, but was soon to commence moulding

for a late 2019/early 2020 handover, #24

was scheduled to start in September 2019

and complete in spring 2020, and #25

was due to start in March 2020 and hand

over in late 2020. As of summer 2019,

the basic-spec price for the Maverick 400

was US$560,000, but a typical delivery

with usual extras would be more like

US$670,000 and the Maverick 440 starts

at US$620,000, but a typical spec would

see that rise to about $730,000. Then the

Maverick 440 Hybrid would see a total

price of around US$875,000. The company

employs 28 people presently and also

sporadically builds workboats, including

marine ambulances and water-taxis, for

other African markets.

ROYAL CAPE

Royal Cape Catamarans presently offers

the 530 and 570 derivative, all with or

without various fly options. Both evolved

from earlier designs. Thirteen of the

original 45, whose hull forms were actually

based on a Van de Stadt monohull, were

built by the original Royal Cape founders.

Since 2003 the company has been owned

and managed by Ken Bircher and business

partner James Felgate. In 2004 they started

building the 45, but by 2006 developed

new tooling for

what was launched

as the Royal Cape

500, which quickly

became the 530, a

version with extended

transoms and a large

aft-deck; and the

first 530 Fly version

launched in 2014.

In all 23 of 500/530s

have been delivered

to date. The first new

530 and new longer 570 Fly are in build

currently, one each in fit-out – and a third

is just starting in lamination. The former

should launch for August 2019 and the

latter for November 2019, which should

allow enough time to get her up and across

the Atlantic for Miami 2020. Designed

in-house with the assistance of Durban-

based naval architect Pieter Volshenk,

both the new 530 and 570 Fly sport a

more modern hull that in latter guise can

carry more sail and can be specified with

up to six guest cabins, plus the potential

for forepeak crew cabins as well. Usual

sailaway prices vary from US$1.2m for the

old 530 and up to US$1.8m for the new

530/570 with a fly, but Ken Bircher says

Royal Cape standard specs include a fair

amount of semi-customisation and all the

usual necessities, so extras don’t usually

add more than 5%. The engines are usually

Volvo Penta or Yanmar, but Bircher say he

is presently dealing with several enquiries

for all-electric packages, which will push

final prices up considerably, although of

course operating costs

will compensate to some

degree. In recent years

various Royal Cape cats

have already gone out

with solar-panels aboard,

some with ‘pull-out

extensions’ that provide

up to 2kW when at

anchor. On the product

development front Royal

Cape is working up an

all-new 60ish design

with an external charter-fleet partner.

No button has been pressed yet, but

preliminary conversations have been had

with the ubiquitous Anton du Toit. RCC

presently employs 36 currently at its Kloof,

Durban, KwaZulu Natal-based factory, and

does everything in-house, save for electrical

installations, stainless steel and upholstery

work. “We’re running out of space here,”

Our five-year

plan is to be

building six to eight boats

a year, up from the

present average of two

per year