US new-build market snapshot

Like the current Marinas and Migration Survey, mapping Captains’, First Officers’ and Second Officers’ opinions, preferences frustrations of Mediterranean marinas and waters, in 2018, The Superyacht Intelligence Agency will focus their crosshairs onto the Caribbean region and identify how the industry has reacted to recent catastrophic events and outline migration patterns in the Caribbean. Marina stakeholders who want to contribute to this 2018 project should visit us in the Superyacht Pavilion.

Until then, we’re in the midst of the build up to FLIBS, and amongst a multi-billion-dollar exhibition portfolio, two US builders are worthy of note - Delta Marina and Christensen, both of whom hope to revitalise the US superyacht market after a tumultuous period.

The story of Vancouver-based builder, Christensen Yachts, highlights the turbulence of the US market in recent years, particularly in early 2015 when the yard closed and slipped into receivership, before being acquired by Henry Luken.

Delving into the Superyacht Intelligence archives, Christensen has an average growth rate of seven per cent over the last quarter-century, which equates to a delivered fleet of eight yachts in 1992, growing to 37 at the close of 2016.

While this is certainly positive news, looking a little deeper into the numbers, the delivered fleet growth from 2010 to present has stagnated to around three per cent, or only five superyachts.

But interestingly, the data suggests Christensen is delivering bigger and bigger yachts; gross tonnage in this decade is up from an average of 322gt last decade to 367gt.

Looking at Delta Marine’s figures by comparison, the delivered fleet from 1992 to the close of 2016 is very similar, with the Seattle-based shipyard delivering 14 yachts in the decade following 2000 and an additional six yachts from 2010 to the end of 2016.

Like Christensen, Delta is delivering bigger yachts than ever before. Underlined by a very impressive average gross tonnage increase of 114gt, from the decade-average of 371gt between 2000 and 2010 – a sign of a growing client appetite for greater volume.

But is a growing appetite for more volume and a bounce-back in US buyer confidence (incidentally, the largest superyacht owner demographic), enough to stop the purge from EU builders on the vastly eroded US superyacht builder segment? Time will tell.

There is a comprehensive US fleet report in our FLIBS issue of The Superyacht Report, which also marks our 25th anniversary special.

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Photo credit: Forest Johnson

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