Choosing a yard to build a new yacht?

Is this the builder?

Outer Reef Yachts

Druek's boats are good, but the people in his organization are not. We've caught several of them attempting to solicit our members via the PM system. I notified Druek, but he doesn't seem to care, which is why we no longer provide any coverage for OR. I closed their forums years ago but the link to our review remains, therefore bringing buyers to YF via search engines where they can find lots of other choices by builders that don't operate in clandestine ways.

Which takes us back to a few posts back where NEO56 mentioned that the "rep" he has been talking about is not "his" rep but the builder's guy.

NEO, Carl's comments kind of clinched it for me as I have been hesitant to comment since I read your post, but it might be prudent to employ someone who is wholly in your camp and has only your interests to protect. If that "rep" is an employee of the builder you would be wise to keep a bit more distance regarding your dreams and desires. Those should remain between you and your own representative.

Which model in their line has a 24' beam?


Outer Reef Yachts



8oo MY = 21' beam

860 CPMY = 21' beam

860 DBMY = 21' beam

108 Explorer = 26' 6" beam

Why do those words sound familiar?

Hope this is not a preview of your new boat's launch.

LiveLeak.com - 90' Yacht capsizes on launch (comments)

Back to the topic of this thread a moment and that's the question about CAT Gens. Why? Outer Reef has a history of Northern Lights which have a history of being very good. Now you go to CAT. Although CAT engines have excellent reputations there are many other factors to a generator. Plus Lugger engines also have a great reputation. Also CAT engines are generally heavier than others of similar power and noisier, neither of which is a good generator characteristic.

Re-examining everything being done on the boat will lead to all sorts of problems. Price creep. Schedule creep....no, schedule run, delivery being much delayed. Minor but annoying issues due to less experience in given areas matching equipment to equipment. Every change from their routine or previous products involves a risk. Adding length does, widening does, changing drives, changing watermakers, changing sewage systems. Many of these are minor and by themselves little risk. But suddenly you're communicating changes to a plant in Taiwan that may not be familiar with what you have them doing. Not saying they can't learn but again talking about the risk of mistakes. While I wouldn't ever be so cruel as to compare Outer Reef to Northern, recognize that the 90' sitting in Anacortes had change after change from their norm. The schedule moved way out. Cost rose. Buyer decided to sell it. And this was all before it toppled over. Marlow decided a few years ago to introduce a 97' and it's been a cause of major issues.

A few things I would suggest. If you're going to make all these changes, I would recommend your own naval architect reviewing the work done internally at Outer Reef. A good architect and a good builder can serve as excellent checks and balances on each other. I would also recommend you have someone representing you through the entire process whether an engineer or experience manager of new builds or a surveyor. You do not want this boat designed or committed to by sales men. Their stock answer will be "yes, we can do that." Yes, they can. You can do anything. But you can get yourself into trouble.

I would personally recommend a proven hull which the dimensions you quoted don't seem to be. I believe this will be their longest semi displacement ever as well. With every piece of equipment and electronics I'd want their standards detailed first and then I'd decide which of those was important to me to change. I wouldn't change away from Northern Lights. Similarly their experience is with Caterpillar engines and I'd be very reluctant to change. I have MTU but not because I think they're better, because that's what the builder uses 100%. With OR I'd go CAT for the same reason. I would change as few things from their norm as possible. Something as simple as toilets. They use Headhunter on all but crew cabin.

Keep it as simple as you can and still get essentially what you want. To build a truly custom boat in all respects would require quite a bit of naval architecture and might not be Outer Reef's greatest strength. A production one might not meat your needs. To me that calls for semi-custom with the least customization you can get by with.

Well said, OB.

If NEO needs an example of the insanity that can come of following a "rep" into the land of dreams, take a look at this.

The owner spent more than 8 times the value of the boat ...

Curtis Stokes Yacht Brokerage- 47 Marine Trader/D'Antonio Motor Yacht Sun Drum

I don't know if I'd go with a one off from a hull that they have laying around. I have heard Outer Reef builds a good boat. I have been on one and it looked well engineered. But then again to me, they look a lot like an old Hatteras.

Personally for what you're looking for I'd look at Moonen really hard and strong. The Hatteras 100' is another one I'd look at, but a different animal.

Another yard's mold? What yard? Have they told you? So you have no idea what the history of that mold is and how the boats built with it have performed? Frankly your "rep" would scare the heck out of me.

Well up middle of the night with my asthmatic bronchitis that I got visiting the inland... in-laws... springtime in Provence can be less than ideal if you have allergies... have not slept for two weeks.

Anyway, a couple comments on boats and equipment. I was reading NEO56's posts. The Moonen 114 (was My Issue now Beluga) used to hole up over in Monaco but now is berthed down in N. Italy. I was on a couple years ago... lots and lots of updated done over time. Including interestingly all the bolts in the machinery spaces replaced with Stainless. It's for sale now for 6.9 million Euro or just under 10 million US. Just about the best maintained Yacht I have seen on the market... even better than Northlander. The engines have very little time on them and even the gen. sets are very low hours... something like 1500 ME hrs and 3500 GEN hrs as I remember. I have heard the owner is very motivated as he wants to cut the drain of owning. Its a nice basic interior but needs some decorating, nice bridge and galley. By the way thinking on value was right at where it is listed now... good deal... probably 24-26 million US to replace maybe more now. Hard to beat it or Northlander for value... right now. May go lower with the economy and oil issues developing... maybe be less effected in the USA than Europe right now.