ometimes the journey is just as important as the
destination. The art of building a modern superyacht
involves a colossal marshalling of resources. Only a
small number of shipyards has the industrial artistry to
handle everything, forming the hull right down to the
final fixtures and fittings.
Heesen, based in Oss, 46km north of Eindhoven,
is one of the few. Frans Heesen set up his eponymous
yard in 1978; then in the fibreglass business, he
discovered the shipyard while searching for larger
premises. A condition of sale was the completion of a
half-finished 28m aluminium yacht, Amigo. The timing
was fortuitous, for within months the second oil crisis
erupted. With Gulf wealth bolstered by rising oil prices,Middle Eastern customers entered the yacht market in
a big way, launching the modern superyacht era.
Over the decades, the market has evolved in
complexity, sophistication and scale. Heesen has stayed
at the forefront of all three, celebrating its 40th year as
one of the world’s best-known superyacht shipyards.
Recent launches include the aluminium-hulled Home,
a 50m technical tour de force with a hybrid drive
system. This summer saw the maiden voyage of
Omaha, a steel-hulled superyacht with interiors by
Reymond Langton Design and exteriors by Clifford
Denn. ‘Heesen has a lot of technical and procedural
knowledge,’ says Denn. ‘This is great from a designer’s
point of view as we can crack on with the fun part of
designing great yachts instead of “teaching” the yard.’
‘Heesen is always pushing boundaries,’ says James
Russell of superyacht specialist Winch Design, a regular
collaborator. ‘The team are master engineers and pride
themselves on their level of customisation.’
As well as yachts to order, Heesen builds speculative
projects. Its limited edition yachts, closely related in
size and hull design, but infinitely customisable within,
are ‘a good route for an owner who doesn’t want to
wait’, says Heesen’s director of sales Mark Cavendish.
The alternative is to immerse yourself in a slow
but rewarding process. ‘Experienced owners tend to
develop their project with a designer and then get
quotes from several shipyards. It can easily be a four-
year programme,’ he says.
For now, the order books are full. A Heesen yacht is
an absurd extravagance, of course, but the art and
science of modern boat building is about more than
making the most of an action-packed cruise itinerary.
Heesen builds what are perhaps the largest bespoke
objects in the world, uniquely sophisticated machines
that take craftsmanship to another level. ∂
S heesenyachts.comTHIS PICTURE, AROUND 350
EMPLOYEES WORK IN THE
VAST SHEDS AND DRY DOCKS
ARRANGED AROUND
THE CANAL BASIN IN OSS
BELOW, BESPOKE INTERIORS
ARE CRAFTED AT HEESEN’S
FACILITY IN WINTERSWIJK270 ∑
Yachts