A former UK naval airfield that played a key role in World War II may seem a strange locale for a superyacht building operation. But the HMS Daedalus facility along the Solent is exactly where Oyster Yachts is constructing its biggest project thus far, the Oyster 118. The magnitude of the building where she’s taking shape is as important as the yacht herself.
Even though Oyster Yachts has a facility in nearby Southampton, it’s not capacious enough to accommodate the Oyster 118 along with its current models. So, as part of the three-year development preceding the layup of the first fiberglass layers, the shipyard’s management searched for a suitable facility. David Tydeman, CEO of Oyster Yachts, says that the owner of hull number one “insisted on a British-built boat.” He adds that it wasn’t easy to find a facility in England to handle the Oyster 118, either. Since the hull and superstructure take shape in side-by-side molds, a good deal of space was needed. The HMS Daedalus site shut down in 2011. Following that, government officials in its city of Lee-on-Solent began planning to transform the 202-acre site into a business center for marine, aviation, and aerospace industries. “We were really lucky that this building came up at the right time,” Tydeman explains.
This video gives you a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the yacht’s progress thus far. This includes the lengths to which Oyster had to go to transport her hull molds. You’ll see barges floating the mold, in parts, to shore, where cranes pick up the pieces for further transport to the yard. The video’s narrator and Tydeman even stand inside the hull mold for a healthy portion of the video, putting the Oyster 118’s overall scale into perspective. She’s incredibly voluminous, with 849 square feet (750 cubic meters) below the deck edge. If you’ve never visited a yard where a superyacht is in build, you’ll gain appreciation for the logistics.
The hull and superstructure of this Oyster 118 should be joined together next month. The sailing superyacht, with accommodations for 10, is expected to launch late next year. Her owner intends to take her to extreme latitudes, from Alaska down to South Georgia and the Falkland Islands. Warm-weather cruising is on the itinerary, too. The latter is a primary reason why the cockpit contains a big table for dining. The owner plans to enjoy many a meal outside.
Leave a Reply