The team of craftsmen at Rockport Marine in Rockport, Maine, has reached a significant milestone with its 95-foot sailing yacht Project Ouzel, raising and inverting the hull in a Travelift, and then rolling the hull back into the shop to begin work on the interior components.
“We planned for this carefully, and there were no surprises other than some light snow,” Sam Temple, president of Rockport Marine, stated in a press release. “It’s not the first time we’ve done this operation, but Ouzel is certainly on the larger end of the spectrum for us. I’m happy to say it all went smoothly.”
The hull is designed by Langan Design Partners. It is built of cold-molded Douglas fir, western red cedar, and carbon fiber over a male building jig.
“This process certainly marks the passing of an important milestone,” Peter Wilson, co-founder of Marine Construction Management and the owner’s representative, stated in the press release. “Even though Rockport Marine has their systems well dialed-in, there is always some element of trepidation when turning a large hull. My congratulations go out to Sam Temple and the team at Rockport: one big step.”
Langan Design’s Tom Degremont added: “The process of flipping the hull requires precision and careful coordination. It highlights the attention to detail that Rockport Marine brings to every aspect of the build. In addition to the technical achievement, it is the first time we all see the yacht right-side-up and outside—as there isn’t much room left inside the building to stand back and appreciate her scale and lines. She has given us all a stunning first impression.”
The next step in Project Ouzel’s construction is to prepare the inside of the hull for the composite structural grid that will transmit the keel loads into the hull. Once that is complete, the shipyard will start the systems layout, install the main engine and associated machinery, and prepare for the interior components designed by Mark Whiteley Design. Many of those interior components are already under construction.
The yacht’s deck is being built too, and is expected to be installed later this year. Because of Project Ouzel’s size, the hull and deck will be joined outside and brought back into the building to complete the build.
Project Ouzel is expected to be completed and launched in 2025.
For more information about Rockport Marine, visit rockportmarine.com.
For more information about MCM, visit mcmnewport.com.
