The Ambitious Venture.
Beginning in 2024 and continuing for a full year, Feadship will be marking its Diamond Jubilee. While Feadship has been around for 75 years, the longest maritime history in the industry spans an astounding 404 years, thanks to De Vries (1906), De Voogt (1913), and Van Lent (which is commemorating its 175th anniversary this year).
Having grown from its humble beginnings in 1949, Feadship now has an incredible 1,700-meter yacht in various stages of development. This includes innovative projects like as Project 821, an awe-inspiring 118.80 metres long and powered by hydrogen fuel cells. In addition to its eight other locations—Hoofddorp, Leiden, Papendrecht, Moordrecht, Heiloo, Waddinxveen, and Fort Lauderdale, USA—Feadship now maintains four shipyards in the Netherlands: Aalsmeer, Amsterdam, Kaag, and Makkum. With over 2,000 employees, Feadship is the gold standard in superyacht construction.
De Vries Scheepsbouw - Copyright Feadship
Two years after a gathering of maritime industry people met at Amsterdam's De Roode Leeuw café in 1949 to discuss exporting Dutch-built boats, the first Feadships made an appearance at the New York National Boat Show. Since then, the company's development has been phenomenal. Feadship originated from a post-WWII pragmatic—and maybe desperate—plan to save Dutch industries by reviving exports and bringing in much-needed hard money, far removed from the glitz and glitter of the modern superyacht sector. Because most of Europe was in a financial and physical slump, boat builders who wanted to make it big had to go beyond their comfort zone. Among all possible markets, the US was the most alluring. Launched with the sole objective of "to promote the export of luxury craft to the United States of America," Feadship was established by six boat manufacturers with the guarantee of partial government backing. During that austere period, for such an obviously audacious undertaking, each member contributed 500 Dutch Guilders, which is equivalent to €2,400 today.
Cafe De Roode Leeuw - Copyright Feadship
Henry de Voogt, a renowned naval architect and ex-boat builder, quickly became a member of Feadship. Future Feadships were to be designed by him, and he was also expected to serve as the main marketer. It was an easy scheme: each yard would pitch in with an export-ready boat and split the bill for advertising Feadships overseas. Three tiny boats, an 8-and-a-10-meter motor cruiser and a 6.50-metre daysailer, were sent to the 1951 New York Boat Show, along with all the hopes and numerous chores. Everyone who wanted a look at the strong steel hulls bought a boat the moment they stepped foot in the Feadship display. Feadship was in full steam ahead after hearing in 1952 that wealthy Americans had acquired 23- and 30-metre bespoke yachts, and after the 1953 and 1954 New York Boats exhibits, the 17-metre Capri and the 19-metre Coronet were named Queens, respectively, of both shows.
Although there were some rough patches in the beginning due to issues with agents, financial flow, and the departure of several initial members, the market showed promise, with 90 boats sold in the US in the first eight years and rave reviews. Royal Van Lent and Koninklijke De Vries, the builders of the first two Feadships to be showcased in the US, are now superyacht behemoths. The Feadship brand has produced more than 500 boats to date, with four more scheduled for delivery in 2024.
Predator - Copyright Feadship
The yard's commitment to technological innovation in areas such as corrosion control, mechanical and electrical systems, aluminium and carbon fibre construction, and the use of glass, along with the addition of furniture maker Van der Loo to the team in the 1950s and De Klerk's subsequent contribution of exceptional quality to the yachts' interiors, propelled Feadship to the position of industry standard-setter.
Sussuro, Ecstasea, and Predator were FEA ships that sped up the luxury market, while Obsidian and Savannah were FEA yachts that demonstrated how FEA ships could reduce their environmental effect and set Feadship on its path to achieve net zero by 2030.
