Located 23 kilometres south of Perth, on the coast of Western Australia, is the Australian Marine Complex (AMC), the Southern Hemisphere’s premier integrated marine industrial facility. A world-class centre for excellence in manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, maintenance and technology development, it is home to more than 150 businesses. These businesses are separated into four main precincts; fabrication, support industry, technology and shipbuilding.
One of the companies found operating at the heart of the AMC is Hanseatic Marine, an Australian builder of some of the finest custom luxury aluminium superyachts found anywhere in the world. From its home within the AMC, Hanseatic Marine is blessed with direct access to all the key ship building resources it could ever need, while its own facilities include two 85 metre boatbuilding halls, a purpose built interior fit-out shop, state-of the-art engineering hall and design offices.
Within these facilities the company utilises a straight-forward approach to building boats, one that is based on the traditional values of craftsmanship, proven technologies and only the finest equipment and fittings. Supplying its creations to markets across the world, with particular attention paid to Asia, the Middle East and America, Hanseatic Marine typically spends between 18 and 24 months building each vessel. The time and effort spend has proven itself to be well worth it with the company achieving successful sales to some of the planet’s richest individuals and receiving of the “International Super Yacht Award” in 2007.
In recent years the company has continued to work closely in the design and construction of its vessels with internationally renowned designer, Espen Oeino. A graduate in naval architecture and offshore engineering at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland, Oeino set up his own design studio in 1994. The company, Espen Oeino International S-A-R-L, is today based in Monaco and is considered to be one of the leading studios when it comes to large custom motor yachts.
One of the most successful collaborations between Hanseatic Marine and Oeino was the creation of the SILVER luxury yacht, a 73 metre long aluminium semi-displacement charter motor yacht that was completed in 2008. Built to accommodate up to twelve yacht charter guests, SILVER boasts a cruise speed of 18 knots and a top speed of 25 knots.
Espen Oeino designed SILVER to meet the specific performance requirements and environmentally conscious goals of the vessel's owner. At 73.3 metres, her semi-displacement hull creates a highly efficient and stabile sailing platform, while SILVER’s slender lines and sleek profile depart from a ‘higher and wider’ trend in modern yacht design. The overall effect is an elegantly understated yet modern shape that has since been embraced by a large number of yacht owners.
SILVER possesses a “Contemporary Italian” interior style with extensive use of advanced lightweight materials. This very minimal and modern design creates gathering spaces that are warm, comfortable, and casually stylish.
Built to Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) passenger ship classification, Silver has been engineered to guarantee safety and reliability. Her owners insist that a boat is to be sailed and all of its equipment has been selected to meet the most stringent operational demands. Powered by two 16V-4000 MTU engines, the vessel's shallow draught provides for a highly responsive helm and allows the boat to explore areas off limits to nearly all other vessels in her class.
In total it took Hanseatic Marine two years to build SILVER with some of the finishing touches being to include hand-made carpets, American walnut veneers, stitched leather upholstery and contemporary Italian-style minimalist furniture.
March 2012 was another important month for the company. It was then that it officially launched the Smeralda, at the time the largest all-aluminium megayacht ever made in Australia. The 77 metre vessel was built for Guido Krass, the owner of the Pari Group. It was Krass who had previously commissioned both the aforementioned SILVER vessel and its successor the Silver Zwei.
As well as bearing a sleek profile similar to that of her sister vessels, the Smeralda’s power is supplied by twin MTU 16V 4000 M90s that give it a top speed of 30 knots. When maintained at a steady 18 knots the Lloyds-classed and MCA-compliant vessel is capable of a range of approximately 4,500 nautical miles.
Despite having an upper deck almost entirely given over to a single owner’s apartment, the Smeralda also boasts nine guest staterooms spread over the main and lower decks. Three VIP staterooms are forward on the main deck, while six twins, one also with a Pullman, can be found amidships below. The vessel also comes with several extravagant extras including an outdoor cinema and glass-fronted hot tub on the sundeck, plus large dining areas on both the aft main deck and sundeck. Meanwhile, the ten metre, beam makes indoor areas like the saloon and beach club/gym equally welcoming.
Such was the level of work that went into taking the Smeralda from blueprints to a complete, sea-worthy vessel that Hanseatic Marine estimated that it took its staff some 550,000 man hours in total.
With an entire catalogue of past projects and a wealth of satisfied customers under its belt Hanseatic Marine continues today to break new ground in the superyacht sector, while at the same time exploring the opportunity to expand into exciting new international markets as it looks to diversify. By successfully achieving these aims the company will no doubt remain one of the key global players within its field.
Written by Will Daynes, research by Jeff Abbott
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