A HISTORY OF INVESTMENTS… FOR THE FUTURE

The shipyard from 1884 until today, home of the world’s finest custom yachts

A HISTORY OF INVESTMENTS… FOR THE FUTURE

The shipyard from 1884 until today, home of the world’s finest custom yachts

3 MIN READ

1884

The yard was founded in a small hamlet called Ronduite, about ten kilometers / 6 miles east of Vollenhove. It all started there…

1930

Next to commercial or fishing boats the yard started to build cruising boats. During the second World War few ships were built or delivered. In the post-war years, the yard slowly re-established itself and the workforce grew to eight or ten men. When Wolter Huisman returned from military service he was determined to build in steel.

1961

The last steel yachts were built in the early 1960s. The shipyard moved on, pioneering the bending and welding of aluminum for the construction of hulls. Huisman Shipyard became a pioneer within Europe, exploring the vast advantages offered by this new alloy material.

1971

The boats were getting bigger. Because of insufficient draught in the adjacent canal; problems with transportation across the road and limited expansion possibilities, the yard moved premises to Vollenhove after the first hall was built on the present site.

1972 – 1974

Further expansion took place with the construction of three more halls.

1987

A much larger construction hall and new modern and sophisticated offices were built. It was in this year that the construction of the Endeavour, a magnificent 40m / 130ft J-class sloop began.

1990

Two new halls were brought into use: a hall for repair and refit work and a climate-controlled painting hall which features highly modern spraying facilities. The largest of its kind in northern Europe, the new paint hall exceeds strict environmental standards.

1996 – 1999

A new aluminum cutting shed and canteen were brought into use. The systems / installations hall was modernized and a new hall was commissioned especially for the carbon composite production of spars, hatches, steering consoles and superstructure components.

2000 – 2001

A state- of- the- art furniture manufacturing facility was created and opened — the new Hall 2 to accommodate the build of project 378, Athena. It exceeded all environmental, firefighting and working conditions requirements. In this same period the Vollenhove bridge was modified to facilitate the transportation of larger vessels to and from the yard and the IJsselmeer.

2003

The Rondal rigging and hardware facility moved into a new purpose built facility on the shipyard site.

2007 – 2008

Hall 1 was upgraded: the reinforced, laser levelled floor enabled greater dimensional stability during welding and greater accuracy during assembly. “Energy boxes” in the floor provide connection points for services such as electricity, compressed air, telephony and data. Hall 1 was also equipped with a radiant heating system, advanced industrial lighting, a higher and wider main doorway and welding fume extractors.

2009

New facilities include a central hall with stock room, sub-assembly facilities for aluminum construction, a canteen and additional offices.

2015

Hall 3 and 4 were extended to accommodate yachts of 60m / 197ft.

2017

The floor of Hall 2 was upgraded…

in preparation for project 400, Sea Eagle II.

2019

The shipyard facilities were extended to the Amsterdam region. This added 12.000 sqm / 129.200 sqft to the available capacity. This area is easily accessible from open sea and comprises three modern and heated main halls and a 120m / 394ft deep water quay…

…which can be extended with pontoons.

2021 – 2022

The workshop floor of the largest hall of Huisfit in Amsterdam was upgraded to be ready to accommodate larger and heavier refit projects.

The same hall is semi-permanently lengthened for a new, undisclosed Huisfit project.

2022 – 2023

Lengthening of Hall 2 and Advanced Composites Hall. Additional offices are built for engineering, production and owner’s representatives…

…and there will be improved workshops for the technical and joinery department.  Read on about “Committed to the future” on this website: follow the links to News > Announcements [link]

The newbuild shipyard in Vollenhove today

Home of the world’s finest custom superyachts