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Delta Marine’s second-largest megayacht to date, the 217-foot Invader, marked major progress over the past few weeks.
First, Invader’s steel hull was moved via barge from its construction shed at Delta Marine’s facility known as Delta North, just down river from its main Seattle shipyard. The maneuvers took two days due to tides. Once at the main yard, the 800-ton hull was lifted onto rollers and moved into another construction shed, as seen in one of the images above.
There, a second milestone was achieved. Three cranes lifted Invader’s superstructure up onto the hull. The superstructure was built concurrently with the hull. Some of the photos show the 138’8”-long by 21’0”-tall superstructure in mid-air. The 138,000-pound superstructure is additionally noteworthy for being comprised of fiberglass, steel, and aluminum. Delta Marine’s in-house engineering and design department, Delta Design Group, selected all three to achieve different results. These include light weight, strength, and smaller stanchions where windows are present.
Something the photos don’t tell you is the interesting way Invader continues to be constructed. While visiting the shipyard earlier this month, I learned her top decks were already laid with teak and that other tasks taking place on her lowest deck were equally advanced. It’s most unusual, given her delivery date isn’t until next year. Rather than a top-down or bottom-up schedule, Delta Marine has been implementing what you might call a “bottom and top to middle” schedule. In other words, the craftspeople are working simultaneously on her farthest ends, to ensure everything finishes up quicker.
As a reminder, when Delta started the 66-meter megayacht, Invader was simply referred to as Project 211042. Now that the megayacht’s name is revealed, some of you will recall a same-named, 164-foot (49.9-meter) yacht built by Codecasa more than a decade ago. That Invader has cruised all over the world since delivery, and the new Invader is intended to do the same. Delta Marine says she should achieve a 5,000-nautical-mile range at 12 knots given twin Caterpillar 3516 diesels. Top speed should be just shy of 17 knots.
Other highlights: all six guest staterooms on the main deck; a private cinema; nearly floor-to-ceiling windows; an upper deck dedicated to the owner; a 43-foot beam; and classic decor elements like mahogany and walnut burl. Two interior-design firms are being credited for the look: Diane Johnson Design, which was initially listed as the owner’s choice, and Johnson, Wen, Mulder & Associates, which is the new name for the firm.
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