Explorer Yacht News

Listing Sheet- New Build 116' Bee Yachts

Dear All,
Approximately 3 years ago I had the pleasure to be invited to meet with the newly formed Bee Yachts team that were starting construction on what has become the 116' (35.42m) Bee Yacht.

New Build 116' Bee Yachts

I think a bit of background on the yards involved in this project is important to understand the expertise and seriousness that this group brings to their yacht division. Bee Yachts is located at ART Shipyard located in Tuzla, Turkey. Art Shipyard has a long history of ship building and maintenance and is now part of Besiktasship yard group.

Bee Yachts, Tuzla, Turkey

Besiktasship yard group owns and operates a number of shipyards in Turkey and is one of the larges service shipyards in Europe. The Art Shipyard is part of the Besiktaship yard group and has access to the expertise and backing of the group. When it was decided to move into the yacht market the Art Shipyard was chosen as its smaller size allowed them to dedicate space to just yacht construction and service but also had space to service and construct yachts inside their buildings up to 80m.

116' Bee Yachts Under Construction Nearing Completion

The group provides financial security, support and volumes of scale that other medium sized shipyards do not have available to them. The group smartly understood that yacht building is a different genre of building then ships and created a dedicated team with experience in yacht building. They went to one of the top Explorer Yacht design groups, Hydrotec and discussed with Sergio Cutolo regarding the correct way to enter the yacht market.

Bee Yachts Cutting Table

They pulled in a team of engineers and project managers with yacht backgrounds and formed a key group. I had the pleasure to meet with all of them several times and they are a diverse and talented group. Please understand, this group has the capability to build very large Explorer Yachts but smartly decided to enter in the mid-range with a 116' design, and to build two vessels in series. The result of which is the first one presently on the market and a second ready to be custom finished to a owner wishes.

Bee Yachts Yard

The Bee Yacht facility (Art shipyard) may be one of the smaller yards in the group but in fact is a large facility by yacht construction standards. When I went to the yard and walked into the building hall, the 116' was in a corner of a huge, covered shed that is attached to an even larger shed. It is hard to see in the photos the overall size. They have dedicated paint sheds, cutting facilities and cranes that can handle huge build blocks.

Bee Yachts Hull Under Build

The hull fabrication was underway when I visited the first time and the planning coordination and quality of the cutting fabrication and welding is first class. All lighting, cable and piping holes and other opening were pre-engineered and cut before framing was installed, and all edges where rounded to help with the application and longevity of paint.

n Turkey most of the yacht builders use subcontractors for different systems in the yachts. There are of course different levels of quality within each subcontracting group. I was able to meet with several of the key subs, including electrical, and from past experience and investigation, I know that the ones chosen were of the top tier.

Bee Yachts Hull Continuity Welding

The Bee Yacht team took their time with this first vessel; it was a luxury they had as they were able to build both boats on spec. This meant they had time to develop the process for future vessels and review and change items that they were not happy with on the first. I believe that this time, effort and their experience helped in creating a vessel that is more advanced them most first builds in a series.

I can go one for quite a bit longer regarding the yard, workers and overall environment of the yard. The commitment by all of them to create excellent quality and the synergies the group brings to Bee Yachts. If you have interest in learning more, I think this better handled in a phone call or meeting.

Bee Yachts Hull Under Construction

To summarize, if you want an Explorer Yacht in the 116' range (35m) and want high quality and a good value, contact me regarding the Bee 116'. If you are interested in finishing a 116' to your specifications let's talk about the second boat. If you are looking for a yard to build a custom project in any size range, we should speak about existing designs All Ocean Yachts has available or fully custom designs and the viability of getting an excellent vessel built at Bee yachts and other options around the world.

Contact John DeCaro, All Ocean Yachts at johnd@alloceanyachts.com or 954-671-0107.

Listing Sheet- New Build 116' Bee Yachts