[YachtForums]

US boatbuilder Westport has completed the superstructure assembly of its largest build to date — the new 50m (164ft) tri-deck motoryacht, which is due for delivery in early 2006. According to a press release, workers at the group's 102,000sq ft facility in Port Angeles, Washington, have secured the yacht's flybridge deck/coaming unit on top of the pilothouse and upper-deck lounge to complete the assembly, while other teams continue to work on the interior structure.

"Westport has invested heavily in infrastructure, design, tooling and process engineering for this project," says company president Daryl Wakefield. "The payoff here is that components fit precisely the first time, virtually eliminating re-work and delay while meeting very high quality standards."

Designed by naval architect William Garden and stylist Donald Starkey, the new tri-deck motoryacht provides enough accommodation for up to 12 guests, and is powered by twin 16V 4000 MTU engines for a maximum speed of 24kt. Computer-aided design and manufacturing technologies were used extensively throughout the build, allowing intricate sub-assemblies to be completed externally for a clean build and on-time completion.

Westport builds vessels ranging from 29.9m-39.6m (98ft-130ft), with the new 50m (164ft) tri-deck yacht due for release in 2006. The group has shipyards in Westport, Hoquiam and Port Angeles, Washington, with sales offices in Seattle and Ft Lauderdale.