(Re)building on 60 years of experience: Holterman Shipyard launches Holterman Refit

Holterman Shipyard, the Dutch builder of tailormade steel and aluminium yachts and superyachts, is celebrating its 60th anniversary with the official opening of a new department: Holterman Refit. It signals another milestone in the development of the yard which, since its founding in 1964, has built hundreds of highly prized yachts and whose Xtreme series – which began with the multi-award-winning X-105 Lady Fleur – continues to demonstrate the team’s capability to build exciting, avant-garde, tailormade superyachts to the very highest standards.

It is not only this experience that will drive the new Refit division, however – Holterman has already undertaken numerous refit and maintenance projects in the past and already boasts a dedicated team who bring experience and backgrounds in both sail and power yachts. This will allow the new Refit division to take on complex and demanding projects up to around 50 metres in length, applying the shipyard’s trademark straightforward approach to ensure a top-quality, maximum-efficiency outcome no matter the demands of the refit or the type and style of yacht.

“Holterman may mainly be known for its new-build motor yachts but it has carried out refit works in the past both on its own models and on those built elsewhere,” confirms Tim Wedzinga, Holterman’s Refit Manager. “While the refit operation has in the past been low-key, we are able to draw on a talented inhouse team of engineers, carpenters, craftsmen and project managers, and we take a straight-line approach to communication between the owner’s and the shipyard’s teams. It’s a minimal management approach with an emphasis on detailed planning that ensures a seamless refit, where multiple trades can work concurrently.”

Indeed, the Holterman Refit team is already making its mark, in May 2024 welcoming iconic J-Class yacht Hanuman for an extensive refit project that will touch all areas of the yacht, from moving deck hardware to replacing interior elements, installing new air conditioning and fridge-freezer systems, upgrading the hydraulic system and painting the underwater body and topsides. It’s a demonstration not only of the breadth of capability the Refit team displays but also of the faith Hanuman’s owner and crew had in choosing Holterman Refit to undertake their demanding project, which includes an equally demanding timeline.

“Our state-of-the-art sheds at our shipyard in Meppel are just one aspect of Holterman Refit that we think gives us an advantage in the exciting and growing refit segment – our team is also second-to-none, and their broad experience across motor and sail at the highest echelons of the industry is a real ace card for the new division,” enthuses Robbert Holterman, owner and DGA at Holterman Shipyard. “Holterman Refit is the next logical step in our continued evolution, building on our new-build heritage and previous refit experience to offer a 360-degree solution for Holterman and non-Holterman owners alike who recognise the skills and expertise our team can offer, no matter the project. It means choosing Holterman Refit – much like the owner of Hanuman did – should be a straightforward decision.”

For more information on Holterman Refit, or to discuss a potential project and to find out why Holterman could be your perfect refit partner, contact the Holterman Refit division via [email protected]. The Holterman team will also be at both the Cannes Yachting Festival 10-15 September and the Monaco Yacht Show 25-28 September and would be very happy to meet with owners and their teams to explain the Holterman difference and to explore refit opportunities in more detail.