Build new. Or build on something exceptional.

From a blank sheet to a new beginning: Royal Huisman and Huisfit offer owners the freedom to create, transform and revive truly individual motoryachts.

Royal Huisman is famous around the world for building remarkable sailing yachts. Yet many of the qualities required to create those yachts are equally valuable when the propulsion comes from engines rather than sails. Lightweight construction. Precise weight control. Complex engineering in restricted spaces. Reliability far from home. Innovative solutions developed around an owner’s ambitions rather than around an existing production platform. These are all part of Royal Huisman’s DNA.

And when an existing motoryacht deserves a new chapter rather than a replacement, the same expertise is available through Huisfit by Royal Huisman. From technical upgrades and interior transformations to major conversions and comprehensive rebuilds, Huisfit offers owners another route to something genuinely individual. 

Together, they present two possibilities. Create the yacht that does not yet exist. Or transform an existing yacht into the one you really want.

The world's largest true sportfish yacht Special One at Royal Huisman's shipyard in Vollenhove: home to the world's finest custom yachts

Different yachts. Different builders. Different ages and requirements. The common factor is that the solution is defined by the yachts, their owners and their teams. 

A blank sheet, not a platform
Every fully custom Royal Huisman starts with an owner’s vision. There is no requirement to adapt that vision to a predetermined yacht platform or familiar layout. The design can begin with a blank sheet and develop around the owner, working with the naval architect and designers of their choice. That philosophy is central to Royal Huisman’s approach to bespoke motoryachts. 

Phi is perhaps the clearest example. Her experienced owner wanted something layered and entirely different. At 58.5m / 192ft, the yacht combines an exceptionally long and low profile with a gross tonnage below 500GT. Her sleek displacement hull was developed to deliver length, comfort, performance and energy efficiency within this demanding envelope. 

The vision: Phi and support vessel Phi Phantom

"We spoke with most of the pedigree shipyards: we were frustrated to be told ‘you can’t do that’ and so the idea of a sailing boat builder came in.” 

— Guy Booth, owner’s representative of Phi

Joining the aluminum superstructure to Phi's hull at the shipyard in Vollenhove

“Only a sailboat builder has the know-how and ambition to execute miracles on a square inch.” 

— Cor D. Rover, responsible for the general concept, exterior design and interior layout of Phi

That presented exactly the kind of challenge Royal Huisman understands. The shipyard's experience with low-profile sailing yachts meant its engineers were already accustomed to installing sophisticated machinery and systems where every cubic meter, kilogram and technical detail matters. The Phi team specifically valued this ability to engineer complex systems into restricted volumes while protecting space for the owner and guests. 

The result is much more than an unusual silhouette. Her construction required solutions ranging from complex compound curves and unusual glass structures to carefully optimized ventilation, weight and volume. As her owner’s representative recalled of the search for a shipyard, other yards were inclined to steer the project towards familiar platforms. Royal Huisman’s response was different: the project might be unprecedented, but the team was confident it could find the solutions required. That attitude remains fundamental to the Royal Huisman approach. 

Phi: the world’s longest motoryacht below 500GT, based on current Classification rules

When performance changes the rules
If Phi demonstrates what can happen when volume is the challenge, the motoryacht Special One demonstrates what happens when performance becomes the driving force. The 52m / 171ft yacht began as Project 406 and was conceived as a true sportfishing yacht on an unprecedented scale. She combines six decks and superyacht standards of comfort with the speed, maneuverability and specialized equipment demanded of a serious sportfisher. The original brief called for what was to become the world's largest true sportfish yacht. 

Special One, the world’s largest true sportfish yacht

“A dream come true”

— The owner of Special One

Achieving that combination meant strict control of weight and center of gravity, dense technical packaging and extensive engineering. Special One comfortably exceeds 30 knots and can accelerate from zero to 30 knots in approximately 46 seconds. Here again, sailing yacht experience proved surprisingly relevant. A high-performance sailing yacht demands lightweight but strong construction and requires complex systems to fit within hull shapes that leave little room for compromise. 

Phi and Special One could hardly look more different. That is precisely the point. 

Royal Huisman's more than 60 years of experience with aluminum construction adds another advantage. Lightweight, high-strength engineering can contribute directly to performance and efficiency without compromising structural integrity or safety. Phi and Special One could hardly look more different. That is precisely the point. Neither began with a shipyard formula. Each started with an owner's particular idea of what a yacht should be.

When others say it cannot be done
The shipyard team describes its approach simply: listen to the client, think outside the box and push boundaries. Rather than persuading owners to reduce their ambitions to what has been built before, the shipyard seeks to optimize those ambitions with designers, naval architects, project managers and its own engineering and production specialists. 

Special One's state-of-the-art five propeller blades actually overlap, covering 140% of each 1.8m / 6ft diameter propeller circle. At full power, the tips of these blades are turning at 181km/h / 112mph. She accelerates from 0 to 30 knots in 46 seconds. Special One is special indeed. 

“The research that was done in choosing the yard was extensive. The ability to control the overall weight of the build was the key to Royal Huisman’s selection.”

— Lydia Pascarelli, owner’s representative of Special One

The benefits extend beyond headline performance or styling. Designing sophisticated systems within restricted spaces can provide more net area for amenities. Careful weight management can improve efficiency. Extensive in-house knowledge allows design decisions to be considered together rather than in isolation.

Phi illustrates Royal Huisman's combination of internal capability and carefully selected partners. During construction, all essential superyacht knowledge in design, engineering and production remained within the shipyard team, while specialist co-makers could be integrated where they added value. It is custom yacht building in the literal sense of the word: developing the yacht around the client rather than asking the client to fit the yacht.

“The individual aspirations and challenges of both of these projects were well outside the comfort zone of many other yards”

Motoryachts at the Amsterdam facility: Skat and Broadwater (before her major conversion at Huisfit)

Not every owner needs to begin again. Sometimes the right yacht already exists. 

A different route to the dream
Not every owner needs to begin again. Sometimes the right yacht already exists. It may have pedigree, character, excellent naval architecture or a history that cannot be recreated. What it needs is a new interior, new technology, greater efficiency, more space or a completely different purpose. This is where Huisfit by Royal Huisman comes in.

Huisfit makes the infrastructure, engineering, craftsmanship and project experience associated with Royal Huisman available to yachts from across the global fleet. Its scope ranges from maintenance, surveys and technical upgrades to complete interiors, conversions and rebuilds. 

Transformation, not simply refurbishment
The Feadship Broadwater demonstrates just how far a conversion can go. Originally built as Rasselas, the yacht underwent a major transformation at Huisfit. A 4m / 13ft hull extension created substantially more space and changed her exterior appearance, while the project also incorporated extensive changes to her interior and exterior. The result was not simply a refreshed version of the existing yacht. It represented a new interpretation of a proven platform.

New stern for Broadwater

That same principle applies on a smaller scale to interiors. Huisfit can undertake targeted modifications, refurbishment and re-upholstery, or progress to new layouts and complete replacement interiors. The aim is to retain what makes an existing yacht valuable while adapting her to a new owner's lifestyle and expectations (learn more). 

The new looks of Broadwater replacing the classic interior. 

“Entirely recreated by the Dutch masters of Royal Huisman, her Feadship pedigree shines on.”

— The owner of Broadwater

From refit to rebuild
At the other end of the spectrum is the 1930 Atlantide. The 37m / 122ft motorsailer arrived for what was initially expected to involve repairs and interior modifications. As the yacht was opened up and thoroughly examined, the scope developed into an extraordinary two-year rebuild. Around 40 percent of her hull, deck and frames was replaced. Her interior was completely reimagined. Almost every onboard system was overhauled or renewed, while her original Gardner diesel engines were retained and restored. 

 Atlantideduring her rebuild by Huisfit

The project required the team to combine restoration with newbuild thinking. Huisfit describes major rebuilds as projects whose scope can become comparable with a new yacht, involving structural engineering, systems, interiors, conservation and craftsmanship within one coordinated program. Atlantide emerged with her character intact, but prepared for a new lifetime of use.

Atlantide following her rebuild by Huisfit

”Everything that Royal Huisman replaced was done with the highest quality.”

— Jim Clark, the owner of Atlantide

Proven across the worldwide motoryacht fleet
Huisfit's motoryacht experience extends well beyond individual showcase projects. The 71m / 232ft Lürssen Skat is a repeat visitor for technical and cosmetic upgrades. The classic motoryacht Fair Lady underwent a two-phase program of major upgrades while retaining her distinctive character. 

More recently, the 65m / 213ft Life Saga began a carefully planned two-phase Huisfit program in Amsterdam. The first phase focused on interior enhancements and technical upgrades ahead of cruising in Norway, followed by a return for drydocking, survey work and further improvements.