Big things on the way for Florida’s newest and most capable megayacht facility.
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - After a year and a half of waiting - and working - Derecktor Ft. Pierce (DFP) is open for business. And, what better place to make the announcement than during the 60th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.
As of November 1, DFP is accepting dockside work and offering pierage to the global super and megayacht fleets. At the same time, Derecktor has announced the 1,500 metric ton mobile lift being built for the facility is expected on site in 2020. The lift will be the largest in the world when complete.
The opening represents another major milestone in the project, begun in early 2018 when St. Lucie County issued a request for qualifications from bidders on a megayacht repair and refit shipyard. Following a thorough and lengthy evaluation process culminating late that year, Derecktor was selected to develop and operate the facility. In the ensuing months a contract was signed between the parties and site work and permitting processes have been underway.
The new shipyard, when fully built-out, will be unique in the U.S. - the first facility designed and built specifically to accommodate power and sailing yachts in the 200 ft. plus range. Until now, these large yachts, particularly sailing vessels which require extreme overhead clearance and considerable water depth, have had few or no shipyard options in this country. DFP changes that. It provides direct access from the Atlantic Ocean through Fort Pierce Inlet, with no overhead obstructions and a maintained depth of 28 ft. (8 meters). The yard itself features a concrete apron of more than 8 acres, providing ample work and storage area, as well as more than 1,000 linear feet of deep-water dockage. An existing large building is being refitted to house machine, wood, pipe and electrical shops along with other service support activity. Work is now underway on the large well needed to accommodate the huge lift.
Vessel hauling will be accomplished through the mobile lift and planned drydocks, giving DFP tremendous flexibility in the range of yachts it can handle. The lift, with its 1,500-ton capacity, combined with the physical advantages of the site, will make DFP the one US yard fully capable of handling the international mega sail fleet. Plans are for the lift to be up and running by late 2020. The drydocks, the first of which could go into operation before the lift, are projected to be able to accommodate vessels up to 5,000 tons, meaning all but a handful of the world’s largest yachts can be serviced.
“This is an exciting step forward for our company,'' Paul Derecktor, President of Derecktor Shipyards, said. “This yard lets us bring in a whole new range of vessels. It opens a new market for us and, in large part, a new market for the U.S. We see great things ahead for Derecktor, for Fort Pierce and for the people of St. Lucie County.”
Founded in 1947, Derecktor Shipyards has since become a worldwide leader for excellence in the construction, repair and refit of yachts, commercial and military vessels. Today, four Derecktor facilities span the East coast of the U.S. from Maine to South Florida, offering vessel owners and operators everything from marina space to megayacht construction. For more information about Derecktor Shipyards, visit www.derecktor.com or email info@derecktor.com.
