UPDATE, OCTOBER 18, 2024: Following Holterman Shipyard filing for bankruptcy one week ago, a fellow Dutch builder has taken over operations. Steeler Yachts, located 10 minutes away and a self-described fierce competitor for years, is rehiring many of the former employees. Steeler Yachts will use the facilities to expand production capability to address growing orders. Additionally, it says renowned for fully custom yachts and superyachts to 100 feet (30.48 meters), like the one below, will remain the focus. It has not indicated whether Holterman Refit will be absorbed.
Read on for our original article.
Coinciding with celebrating six decades of yacht construction, Holterman Shipyard formally has launched a new division. Holterman Refit will cater to sailing superyachts and power yachts to 164 feet (50 meters).
Located in Mepple in the northeastern part of The Netherlands, Holterman Shipyard primarily has constructed motoryachts. In fact, hundreds of them have departed its sheds since the 1960s. Notably, though, it has provided maintenance and refit services to some of its customers. Additionally, it has worked on behalf of owners of other builders’ boats. The owner of the J Class yacht Hanuman chose Holterman in May this year, for instance, for a seven-month stay. The work list includes new paint, replacing multiple systems, upgrading the hydraulics, relocating deck hardware, and installing a new interior. New teak decking is coming, too.
Tim Wedzinga, Holterman’s refit manager, admits that “the refit operation has in the past been low-key.” However, it’s not a reflection of the lack of in-house craftspeople. Engineers, carpenters, and project managers are all direct employees, for example. Additionally, “we take a straight-line approach to communication between the owner’s and the shipyard’s teams,” he says. This, he explains, minimizes the proverbial middle men.
Holterman Refit intends to take on relatively minor and complex projects. The above-mentioned refit of the yacht Hanuman is certainly complex. Every single area of the yacht is involved. Furthermore, the seven-month timeframe, required by the owner, is quite tight for the task list. Normally, it would require about a year.
“Holterman Refit is the next logical step in our continued evolution,” says Robert Holterman, owner of the shipyard. He is further the second generation of family to run the company. He asserts that the team’s previous refit experience combines with its new-construction experience “to offer a 360-degree solution for Holterman and non-Holterman owners alike.”
Holterman Shipyard holtermanshipyard.nl
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