Boat Inside

The construction of a 170 aluminum yacht is something most of us dont come across every day. I thought it might be interesting to illustrate a few steps along the way.

Heres a full scale section of the boat that was constructed by RMK prior to beginning in earnest. This was so that all parties would be satisfied with the construction method: we (the architects), the builders and the classification society, ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) who inspected and certified the construction.

Interior drawings were prepared by the interior designers, Redmond, Whiteley and Dixon. These were translated into artist renderings so the owner could envision the yacht and ultimately full scale samples were built for approval. Heres a typical rendering.

And heres a joinery sample built by the shipyard.

Finally the keel is laid.

Fast forwarding, the boat begins to take shape.

The boat was built upside down to a point and along the way the boat had to be righted. This required four massive cranes. If you notice the men in the image it puts things into perspective - shes big.

Finally a special cradle had to be designed and built to properly support the boat during launch. Launch condition weight was in the neighborhood of 750,000 lbs. Theyre the same principles we follow with any boat, its just a matter of scale.

And shes launched.