Little could Kees Amels anticipate that the wooden boatbuilding business he established in 1918 would still be around 100 years later, launching large private yachts. Not only that, but Amels, the shipyard that bears his name, has 60 deliveries to its credit. Furthermore, it’s the largest yacht yard in The Netherlands.
Like many yacht builders, not just Dutch ones, Amels traces its roots to fishing. Besides constructing wooden boats for fishermen, Kees Amels and his son Wiebe built steel tugboats. They did so in the northern region of Friesland. Altogether, from 1918 to 1950, they delivered close to 100 vessels, measuring up to 66 feet (20 meters).
During the 1950s, the yard moved more into commercial shipbuilding. This continued to be the primary focus for the next two decades. By the mid- to late 1970s, however, attention began turning toward yachts. Not just yachts, though: Amels dove straight into superyachts. In fact, its first delivery was a 158-footer (48.2-meter), Katalina. That length, as well as her 490 gross tons, was extraordinary for 1982.
The next decade saw several more superyachts. By this time, the builder had a facility in Makkum. Deliveries included the 138-foot (42-meter) Sheergold in 1987, designed inside and out by the late Jon Bannenberg. They also included Katamarino, now known as Paris, in 1991. LOA: 184 feet (56.2 meters). However, the 1990s saw even more significant developments. First, the Damen Shipyards Group acquired Amels in 1991. The global shipping conglomerate kept the yacht yard centered in Makkum. Four years later, Amels launched the then-largest megayacht made on Dutch soil. Montkaj came in at 246 feet (75 meters), putting her squarely among the world’s 100 largest yachts, too. On a related note, Montkaj is still in original hands.
Still more high-profile yachts followed, including the 251-foot (76.6-meter) Boadicea in 1999, and the 242-foot (73.69-meter) Ilona in 2004. While these and the previously mentioned megayachts were all custom, the builder made a switch in 2007. That’s when the Limited Editions series saw its first delivery—also from different headquarters, in the southern city of Vlissingen. (Damen moved Amels there in 2005.) Though the LOAs have changed in the ensuing years, the Limited Editions concept has not. Now ranging from the Amels 180 to the Amels 272, each has a set technical platform and hull design. Styling, by Tim Heywood, is mostly set, though clients can—and do—request changes like balconies.
An Amels 272, Here Comes the Sun (above), currently ranks as its largest delivery to date. However, size alone doesn’t make the Dutch shipyard’s yachts notable. Its Yacht Support range features rugged travelers. They’re ideal as tandem cruisers with a traditional yacht or as adventurers in their own right. In fact, this summer, the 11th Yacht Support project, the 180-foot (55-meter) Power Play, sees completion. The first Damen SeaXplorer hits the water next year, meeting Polar Code regulations. In 2015, Amels brought back full custom construction. Confidential refit projects are in sheds and, surely, in discussions as well.
If Kees Amels could see these modern-day fruits of his labor, no doubt he’d be proud.
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