Shipyards tend to be in industrial areas, not quiet residential neighborhoods. Yet, tucked away in Thunderbolt, Georgia, a few miles south of downtown Savannah, lies Thunderbolt Marine. Savannah is a yachting destination on the rise, and this superyacht-refit shipyard is a big reason why. In fact, one could argue that it got the proverbial ball rolling.
While Thunderbolt Marine began repairing boats in the late 1960s, its site, on the Wilmington River, has a longer maritime history. In fact, in the 1930s, Asa Candler, Jr., the son of Coca-Cola’s founder, created the current boat basin for his own yacht. The U.S. Army acquired the property during World War II, using it for rescue boats responding to downed aircraft. In 1965, a company manufacturing natural-gas pipelines purchased it, but not for production. Rather, it needed a place to dock its own dredging vessels. The Honey family, which owned the pipeline company, opened a marina and a dry-stack boat-storage shed on site in 1969. The family, still the owners of Thunderbolt Marine today, realized the location was ideal to service yachts traveling the Intracoastal Waterway.
While the dry-stack storage is no longer there, the Syncrolift and rail system that the Honeys installed remain, and continue operating. Thunderbolt Marine can haul superyachts to about 200 feet (61 meters), although according to Ernie D’Alto, its president, “170 to 180 is the sweet spot.” Both power and sailing superyachts seek service, thanks to the 16-foot (4.9-meter) feet of water in the basin at mean low tide. (Thunderbolt Marine dredges the basin itself.) Notably, everything from production catamarans to tall ships, even ferries to pilot boats, head to Thunderbolt Marine.
From a yachting standpoint, though, the mix of in-house craftspeople, preferred vendors, and vessel-chosen venders is a big attraction. For instance, Thunderbolt Marine has its own upholstery shop, machine shop, wood shop, and paint team. D’Alto says yachts arriving from overseas especially appreciate the machine shop’s ability to make parts they can’t source elsewhere. When it comes to painting, yacht crews with a quick turnaround can benefit from tenting. But, they’ll miss out having their yacht in what is one of the highest-tech paint booths in the United States (below). The door is two and a half feet (0.76 meter) thick, for withstanding hurricanes to a category 3. Conveniently, an adjacent building has offices for captains and crew to use for training, calls, and other needs.
Speaking of crew, Thunderbolt Marine has a crew lounge with a gym and barbecue. Of course, downtown Savannah, with an abundance of restaurants, bars, and more, is about 20 minutes away. Owners appreciate the proximity to Savannah, too—although a few have been known to like the shipyard’s quiet surroundings so much that they’ve stayed onboard in its marina.
In the coming years, owners and their crews will have use of another dock a stone’s throw away. An area where local shrimp boats tied up for decades fell into disrepair. A private company recently cleared the shrimp docks and is replacing them with a floating concrete dock. Superyachts and smaller yachts alike, whether local or out-of-towners, will be welcome. Visitors further will be able to enjoy a restaurant with outdoor seating in proximity. “In Savannah, there aren’t too many opportunities to climb on your boat with your family and have a meal,” D’Alto points out.
If you eventually take your family to the yard, you might meet Mr. Honey, the son of Thunderbolt Marine’s founder. He maintains an office overlooking the river, visiting every few weeks. Oftentimes, he sits on a handmade swing hanging from a grand old tree outside of his office.
A swing, at a shipyard? This is definitely not your ordinary refit facility—and there’s no good reason to change it.
Thunderbolt Marine thunderboltmarine.com
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