Feadship history

Feadship was formally established in 1949, when De Voogt, De Vries, and Van Lent united to compete internationally — the name is an acronym of First Export Association of Dutch SHIPbuilders. The constituent yards had roots going back further: Van Lent to 1849, De Voogt to 1913, De Vries to 1906. The brand first drew international attention at the 1951 New York boat show; Malcolm Forbes commissioned the first Highlander in 1957, and Henry Ford ordered his 33-metre Santa Maria in 1963. A permanent US office opened in 1977. Fourth-generation descendants of the founding families continue to lead the association today.

Production and facilities

Feadship's facilities are distributed across Aalsmeer, Makkum, and Amsterdam, occupying more than 200,000 square metres in total. The yards build vessels up to 130 metres, with a production rate of approximately five to six superyachts per year. In-house naval architecture is handled exclusively by De Voogt Naval Architects. Feadship was among the first yards to abandon wood construction — the last wooden hull launched in 1955 — and builds in steel and aluminium throughout. The association employs approximately 2,000 people across its facilities.

Feadship fleet

Feadship builds fully custom displacement and semi-displacement superyachts from 40 to over 100 metres, each configured to individual owner requirements for transatlantic passages and extended ocean cruising. Every vessel in the fleet is a one-off commission. The sole exception is the F45 Vantage programme — a six-hull series built between 2007 and 2008, acknowledged as a deliberate departure from the pure custom model. In 2025, Feadship delivered Breakthrough, a 118.8-metre superyacht that became the largest vessel ever launched in the Netherlands and the world's first hydrogen fuel cell superyacht.

Design and features

Feadship superyachts hold their resale value better than most in the market — a consequence of construction quality, pedigree, and the scarcity of fully custom production. The yard operates a dedicated refit division, sustained in part by the build quality that has kept virtually every post-war Feadship still afloat. Older hulls return regularly to Kaag or Amsterdam for major refits, sustaining the fleet across generations of ownership. De Voogt's in-house naval architecture capability means engineering continuity is maintained from first commission through successive owners.