Fully customised. Bespoke. Tailored to your every need. These are terms often used when describing luxury boat builders however, for the team at Whitehaven, it is more than just terms. It goes to the very heart of the Whitehaven difference. It’s the DNA of the Whitehaven business and the foundation of everything we build.
The story of Whitehaven Motor Yachts started in 2010 with avid and long-time boat owners, Bruce and Julie Scott, searching for a new 65-plus-foot enclosed flybridge boat. They wanted a builder who would allow them the scope to have what they wanted in a new boat and not be limited by what production manufactures were offering.
Top of the list of things that were important to the couple was a fully enclosed tender garage to store a 3.6-metre RIB. “We didn’t want to carry a tender on the foredeck or swim platform as these are premium recreational spaces and it was never a pleasant exercise launching and retrieving the tender from the foredeck,” explained Bruce.
They also felt that a new vessel of this size should be able to accommodate a free standing dining table to comfortably seat six to eight people in the saloon. “Our previous smaller boats had U shaped dinette seating arrangements and with a bigger build, we wanted more freedom of movement in the saloon for diners. We thought this would be a relatively simple request, but it proved to be impossible to find from a major manufacturer willing to accommodate it,” continued Bruce.
Also important to Bruce and Julie was to have the saloon run seamlessly on the one level into the cockpit or mezzanine alfresco dining space. Bruce explained, “Every vessel we inspected had lowered cockpit which disconnected to flow between indoor and outdoor space. As we weren’t into fishing, we didn’t require a low cockpit, but again we found it impossible to find a manufacturer who was offering an enclosed flybridge model with this attribute.”
So, Bruce went in search of a luxury production boat builder who would accommodate these fundamental requirements along with a list of others but to no avail. Time and time again he was presented with options, but always options with limitation. This cabin layout or that one. These choices of finishes or others from a fixed selection. This engine and propulsion package or that one. None offered the flexibility and the freedom of choice they sought so the search continued.
Then Bruce happened on Keith Hanson and his son, Ryan, who were producing completely semi-custom designed and built motor yachts to an astonishing level of quality. And their boats didn’t carry a significant price premium for the custom features on offer. Bruce had found someone ready, willing, and able to listen and deliver his vision and he saw an opportunity. If he could not find what he and Julie required in a production boat, then surely there were others seeking the same level of customisation and quality at a competitive price.
And with that Whitehaven Motor Yachts was born with a commitment to customise each and every boat to the owner; to build boats to the Australian marine environment and climate; and to make the journey and process of building your boat exciting, enjoyable and something to relish.
As an evolution of that commitment, Whitehaven struck up a relationship with yacht designer, Misha Merzliakov. His design flair, naval architecture training combined with Ryan’s production and boat building expertise means they can accommodate requests for changes in layout, design, aesthetics and even hull length. It is a level of customisation and design which is commonly associated with superyachts not luxury boats.
If you are seeking a boat designed and built to your specific needs and wants, then contact Whitehaven Motor Yachts to start the journey
