The recent experience of Westport Yachts confirms what other companies representing the spectrum of sizes of the boating and yachting industry are. That is, the pandemic has not dampened people’s enthusiasm for the yachting life. On the contrary, it seems to be making them want to be out on the water even more. Witness the sale of hull number nine of the Westport 130 series, which just concluded. The time from listing this original Westport 130 to concluding her sale, entirely in house, took just six days.
Of course, it helped that the megayacht, which saw delivery in 2005, stayed in her original owners’ hands. In addition, they used the yacht strictly for private cruises and, according to the shipyard, kept her in good condition.
The five-stateroom, trideck Westport 130 is part of a historic run for the Washington State shipyard. From its introduction in 2001 until its first major redesign in 2010, the Westport 130 succeeded in attracting more than two dozen buyers. The model—also known as the Westport 40M—has undergone subsequent changes and seen dozens of additional sales, too. But, building one particular design regularly over the course of nearly a decade is unheard of, even back then. In fact, semi-custom models have typically seen retirement after a few short years.
The turnkey nature of Westport’s business approach is part of its success, but so, too, is allowing true customization inside. Other than structural bulkheads, clients can reconfigure rooms, put a stateroom on deck versus below, and more.
While the new owners of this original Westport 130 prepare to take their inaugural cruise, the shipyard continues work on additional 130s. It further has models from its 112 series to its 164 series in build, plus continues to promote the new 172 series.
Westport Yachts westportyachts.com
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