Shipyard report: "World's largest sportfisher" from Royal Huisman delivered for christening
Uske Berndt
· 03.02.2024
Project 406 is now outside: Royal Huisman has pulled the already painted "Big Fisher" out of hall two and moved it onto the water for further outfitting. The upper deck, hardtop and radar mast could only be placed on the aluminium construction here; even the production hall, which was freshly plastered last summer, was not high enough for the "world's largest real sportfisher" with a length of 52 metres and six (!) decks. Royal Huisman is now preparing to christen the ship in Amsterdam.
The motor yacht is also a showpiece for the Vripack Yacht Design Studio, which delivered a complete package: construction, lines and interior. While the bow is beautifully elongated and the high bulwarks make the ensemble seaworthy, the flat, uncluttered cockpit provides the best base for hauling the catch on board - and temporarily parking it in the tank. To spot the next shoals, guests climb the "tower", whose slightly downward angle guarantees the best view of the water surface.
In order to be able to cast more than the limited number of rods from the stern, the yacht is fitted with fishing booms attached to both sides with stays. Their "lines" run automatically from the reel, which takes control of the fight with the prey. According to the motto "Theatre of the Sea", the moment a fish bites and is retrieved becomes a great spectacle for all yacht guests.
Royal Huisman creates more than one Sportfisher
The first pictures make it more than clear that it's not just about deep-sea fishing on board: Project 406 shows the equipment and build quality of a superyacht, with around 350 specialists working on her over the years. The six-decker is now making way for another mega project: The aluminium hull of Project 410 is already being heavily welded. The 85-metre yacht from the Mani Frers drawing board (interior: Wetzels Brown Partners) runs under the motto "New World Sloop", its focus is on sustainability and it is designed to produce its own energy under sail. Almost 15 years after the launch of the ketch "Ethereal", the shipyard's own engineers have made great progress in the area of hybrid propulsion and energy storage. The 47-metre-long "Nilaya" (design: Reichel/Pugh), which will be completed in 2023, also glides into the anchorage electrically and emission-free. The "Featherlight" principle, aluminium plus carbon, resulted in an eleven percent weight saving - all valuable experience for Project 410.
The 65-metre ketch "Aquarius II" (project 408) is already well advanced and will be handed over this year. The technology is largely in place and the interior specialists are working at full speed. Her sister, "Aquarius I" (56 m) was also built here in 2018 and became too small for its owner, "now he wants exactly the same yacht, only nine metres longer and even more suitable for regattas," explains marketing professional Jurjen van 't Verlaat. A big compliment for the shipyard.
More projects from Rondal
Rondal "from next door" has prepared for the larger rig parts of the mega projects by purchasing a nine metre long autoclave. The masts, such as the almost 60 metre long, rotating mizzen mast of "Aquarius II", were built elsewhere - "but in one piece", as sales engineer Boaz Dikken emphasises during a tour. The Out of Autoclave method (OOA) allows even more, even 90 metres plus: the gigantic "oven" is a hall whose doors are closed to heat the air - and thus the two pre-glued mast shells - to 95 degrees. Everything is now ready for the rig and deck equipment of Project 410. "It's all twice as big as anything we've ever built," announces lead engineer Bart van der Meer.
Rondal's other projects include, for example, hydraulic winches with 32 tonnes of pulling force, controlled by joystick. The first prototypes for electric variants are in the works. The captive winches with carbon drums for the Giga-Slup are also among the in-house tasks; they are said to be up to 50 per cent lighter than comparable "old" models.
Rondal has various refit projects in its order book. The 56-metre Perini Navi "Panthalassea" (2010) was not given a new rig until 2023, while the 93-metre "Eos" from Lürssen (built in 2006) and the 58-metre "Ethereal" from Royal Huisman (2009) are also on the to-do list.
Huisfit is busy overhauling various sailing yachts. In addition to "Ethereal", it is the turn of "Whisp" (48 m, 2014) and "Elfje" (51 m, 2014) - all returners. A special project ended in autumn 2023. "Atlantide" dates back to 1930 and was actually only scheduled for cosmetic improvements, but then the nostalgic motorised sailer was given a two-year refit, including the interior. The 42-metre-long Super-J "Hanuman", which the owner took delivery of from Royal Huisman in 2009 and had refurbished by Huisfit in 2020, provided the template for the interior. US entrepreneur Jim Clark is a true fan of the shipyard, having also had the 47-metre "Hyperion" (1998) and the 90-metre "Athena" (2004) built here.
The Dutch company is rightly proud of its projects, including the fact that almost everything is produced under one roof. This increases the quality because all trades interlock. "Only when we have too much to do do we subcontract some jobs," confirms Jurjen van 't Verlaat. This could happen more frequently in the foreseeable future. With its books full, the company is looking ahead to 2024 and celebrating its 140th birthday in a fairly relaxed manner. Congratulations!
