The wrecking ball was swinging at Heesen Yachts earlier this week, for good reason. With 10 yachts under contract, the yard needs larger and more updated construction space. An 85-meter (279-foot) dry dock will start taking shape where two 20-year-old shorter sheds have stood.
The 85-meter dry dock is illustrated above. It will additionally measure 17 meters (56 feet) wide and 22 meters (72 feet) tall. Heesen says it should take about a day to fill the dry dock, with 229,616 cubic feet of water. Those of you who are knowledgeable about building construction will appreciate that 500 tons of steel are also being employed for the shed. To put that into even more perspective, the shed will be 98 meters (321 feet) long.
The 85-meter dry dock is replacing the two construction bays that Heesen has long referred to as halls 2 and 3. While they have served the yard well since they were created in 1995, they suit megayachts closer to the 35-meter (115-foot) range. That’s smaller than Heesen has been signing in recent years, and what its management team believes it will continue to sign.
The old sheds also don’t have the current air-filtration systems that keep particulates down even more during the painting process. Other more modern features of the new dry dock include a heated floor plus temperature and humidity control. Further of interest, roof lighting equipped with sun sensors will reduce electrical use by about 25 percent.
Heesen plans to officially inaugurate the 85-meter dry dock in November 2016.
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