MONNICKENDAM – Nowhere does the history and quality of Dutch yacht building come into sharper focus than in this picturesque town of 10,000 just north of Amsterdam. Boats have been built forever in this 665-year-old town. And, today, smack dab in the heart of it, Klaas and Albert Hakvoort continue that tradition.
Their Royal Hakvoort Shipyard (it received a Royal Warrant in 2020, marking a century of shipbuilding) makes superyachts of 40-60m (131-197ft). “That ‘royal’ designation honors the work of four generations,” says yard owner Klaas Hakvoort, 57. “Building superyachts is a team effort. We are the biggest employer in Monnickendam. We employ 130 people. Very loyal people, with a great work ethic.”
Their yard, which towers over the town’s red shingle rooftops, is working on three projects. It can build to 64m (210ft), a modest length today. In recent years, rivals like Feadship and Royal Huisman have acquired deep-water build capacity near Amsterdam. Hakvoort is not following suit, for now.
“If the need arises, we’ll consider building bigger,” says Hakvoort. Building bigger, he adds, means longer, installing more robust load-bearing floors and new ramps and hiring more workers.
The yard is being upgraded, however. Asbestos roofs have been replaced, the office is being rebuilt, LED lights now burn brightly and energy-smart welding gear has been installed. The yard finishes yachts but outsources hulls and deck housing. It has a carpentry plant that makes interiors and a workshop for steel parts and components. Designers, naval architects, electrical engineers, painters and other co-makers are not even an hour away by car.
The 4th generation Hakvoorts took the helm in 2014 and quickly ran into trouble. Russia’s invasion of Crimea that year led to EU sanctions resulting in two Russian clients abandoning their projects. One was sold rapidly but selling the second took a while, revealing a risky aspect in superyacht building.
The yard has remained fiercely independent. “Our decision-making lines are short,” says Hakvoort. “We can cater to client wishes, even at a late stage. We are big enough to build large yachts but small enough to be flexible. It makes us a unique player in superyacht building.”
The yard’s roots are in building fishing vessels, a segment that collapsed in 1980. The switch to yachts came after a US owner of a fast, Striker sportfishing craft looked for a new boat. The Hakvoort yard never looked back. Today, it boasts a fleet of 30+ superyachts and works on three projects:
- a fast, aluminum, 45m (147ft) motor yacht with a 26.5 knot top speed. The design of the sub-500GT boat is by Omega Architects/Frank Laupman. Van Oossanen Naval Architects has optimized the underwater hull and drawn a carbon Hull Vane, and
- a 61m (200ft) yacht, based on a design by Sinot Architecture & Design and naval architecture by Diana Yacht Design. The main deck holds guest cabins and wheelchair-friendly VIP quarters. The twin-prop yacht has a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure.
- a 61m (200ft), tri-deck motoryacht, also drawn by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design and Diana Yacht Design. The owner’s accommodation is on a private deck with panoramic views forward, two bathrooms, a master study and a sky lounge bar.
“We see a good future for the yacht building
“Clients understand that a good-quality product retains value. And what makes high-end Dutch yacht building special is the quality it delivers. And the fact that yards and suppliers are located within a 75 kms (47mi) radius of one another. That puts know-how and expertise within easy reach.”
In memoriam: Albert Hakvoort sr, who ran the Royal Hakvoort Shipyard since 1955, died on March 11 of the coronavirus. He was 80. He began at the yard to help his father Klaas when he was only 15 after a fire destroyed its two sheds and adjacent houses.
