The commencement of construction for any yacht is exciting, but Hull 508 for Burger Boat Company is particularly noteworthy. A 140-foot trideck that is just a few weeks into production (see the aluminum plates being grinded above), she’s being built using modular construction techniques.
What’s modular construction? As the name suggests, the yacht is divided into modules, or sections, that can be built independently, allowing the craftsmen to start some sections far earlier than they would be able to if the hull’s and superstructure’s components were each built the traditional way, as single pieces. The modules can also be built with piping and/or wiring spaces already measured out and cut. All of this, in turn, permits a shorter build time and should increase efficiency. And not just for Hull 508, but for future megayachts in this size range, too, since Burger could apply one or more of the modules to similar-size projects it signs in the coming months and years.
Though modular construction is not a new process in vessel construction, as commercial builders have been doing it for some time, it’s still relatively new to megayacht construction, with Icon Yachts among the few yards embracing it.
Set for launch in spring 2010, Hull 508 will accommodate 10 in the owner’s party between traditional staterooms on the lower deck and a full-beam (29-foot), main-deck master suite. The owner will also benefit from an office aft of the wheelhouse, should he or she need to conduct business while onboard. For fun, Hull 508 will feature the usual indoor and on-deck lounging areas as well as a hot tub with sunpads on the sundeck and a glass-enclosed gym. The latter will be accessible from a glass-enclosed elevator connecting all of the decks.
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