Episode 2: Making The Impossible Possible

07/16/23 • 33 min

A typical superyacht has over a million components, all of which must be defined, calculated and engineered before the building even begins. And once the building starts, there’s little an owner can do to change it. So every detail, from the thickness of the glass to the type of propulsion, must be weighed against the owners’ intents and wishes in advance. That includes which innovations go on board. A lot can change in the three or four years it takes to build a Feadship, especially in the realm of technology, electronics, and materials.

Responsible for futureproofing these yachts is Feadship’s Knowledge & Innovation department. It’s their job to research how to keep pool water from sloshing during storms, to rethink the configuration of the yacht using cutting-edge cameras and sensors and to explore the boundaries of propulsion through fossil-free alternatives like hydrogen.

In this episode John tries to anticipate the future for his own yacht design, even paying a visit to a group of college students looking to prove to the maritime industry that hydrogen-propulsion is possible.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Previous Episode

Episode 1: The Offer Of A Lifetime

In this first episode of Feadship Uncovered , John gets his first taste of pure custom creation at Feadship’s ‘closed’ shipyard on the small Dutch island of Kaag. Strictly off-limits to anyone but billionaire buyers and master craftsmen, John has come to meet with Tanno Weeda, head of design, and Arjen van Elk, sales director. It’s their jobs to turn his ideas into reality and, more concretely, transform his yacht dreams into a blueprint of a real yacht. The Feadship journey begins for every owner the same exact way: with a blank sheet of paper.

John has a vision for 1950s modernist-inspired floating bungalow that can carry him to the world’s best surf breaks. With a suitcase full of inspiration, he challenges Tanno and Arjen with impossible demands like a hydraulic ping-pong table and a bowling alley, a cryogenic chamber and on-board wave pool. No matter what he asks for, however, the answer is always: Yes. Everything is possible...at a price.

In this episode John tries to get his head around the thousands of decisions that go into designing a superyacht from scratch. Overwhelmed, he gets help from Marsha van Buitenen, sales director, who promises to open every door in Feadship’s yachtbuilding ecosystem to ensure he gets the yacht of his dreams.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next Episode

Episode 3: No Cursing In The Cathedral

The shed – if there’s one place at Feadship that comes close to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, it’s the shed. The shed is the shipbuilding equivalent of the Silicon Valley garage. Closed off from prying eyes, it is a space purpose-built for innovation and imagination, a playground where mastercraftsmen and women come together to actually construct a superyacht. No more sketches, no more discussions – just meticulous hands-on carpentry drawn largely from 16th century shipbuilding techniques.

Feadship has several sheds around The Netherlands, but none is as large or imposing as the one in Makkum, which towers over the medieval village that surrounds it. Its sheer size and the enormous windows that shine bright with activity have earned this shed the nickname The Cathedral. This is where the big-boy yachts are built.

In this episode John enters The Cathedral with Sijbrand de Vries, director of the Makkum shipyard. He is blown away by the passion and detailing he finds inside. He also learns that master carpenters, like top chefs, are highly particular when it comes to their tools.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.