Big yachts require big construction bays. Big plans for these yachts do, too. Oyster Yachts has added a new shed for those reasons. The shed benefits the Oyster 118 series, of which the second hull is about to start.
The timing is right. In January, Oyster revealed that hull number two was under contract. Meanwhile, hull number one (above) had arrived at Oyster’s Southampton, UK facility last October. Due to space restrictions, the builder would have had to wait for 118-01 to move out before 118-02’s deck and hull molding could start. However, a shed a stone’s throw from Oyster’s existing sheds was available. The company therefore signed a deal in recent weeks to press it into use.
Oyster wasted no time doing that, either. The Oyster 118 mold tooling went directly inside last month. Therefore, come next week, the hull and deck for yacht number two should start. To put the acquisition into perspective, the new shed affords an additional 15,000 square feet (about 1,393 square meters) of space.
Better yet, Oyster says, the new shed speeds up the build process for the rest of the Oyster 118s to come. For example, hull number three can start layup in a few months, for a fall 2020 delivery. That’s a full year earlier than originally expected. In general, the builder plans to have two under construction simultaneously.
As for the two yachts under contract, hull number one should launch late this year. She’ll conduct sea trials in the spring or summer. The owner requested five staterooms and an extra room that can be either a kids’ cabin with bunks or a TV lounge. Hull number two of the Oyster 118, meanwhile, should be ready come springtime 2020. While we don’t know the layout, the builder does allow a good deal of tailoring. Owners can even request a squared-off stern, which adds about three feet (one meter) of deck space.
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