Construction resumes at Moonen Shipyards

Four months after work at Moonen Shipyards was brought to a halt due to financial complications with shareholder Altos Hornos de Mexico, construction has resumed.

In an official statement released recently, Moonen announced it had received two new orders for yacht refits and was making a strong recovery, with construction resuming for the 30m yacht Matica from the Caribbean range.

Moonen was forced to file for suspension of payment and stop work in July after Altos Hornos de Mexico, a steel plant in Mexico and the main shareholder of Moonen, pulled out of the build for new yacht Martinique due to the global steel market collapsing.

The statement read, “Moonen Shipyards has built many award-winning motor yachts over the decades, but Saturday 14th November may well go down as one of the most pivotal moments in the yard’s distinguished history. As the hull and superstructure of the 30m motor yacht Matica were joined together, it symbolised the unity and determination to see the yard come out of its recent financial turmoil and regain its place as a leading exponent of premium quality yachts.”

Emili Bilterijst, managing director at Moonen, said that the owner of Matica was vital in helping it overcome financial difficulty.

“We are very grateful to these three clients for their loyalty and proud that they have retained their trust in the people at this shipyard. Despite the difficult situation at the yard we have been able to keep our experienced workforce and the expertise they hold. This is vital to our future as it is people that make a yard, not the facilities. Clients can have complete confidence that Moonen is capable of building the first-class superyachts that have given the yard its excellent reputation.”

Bilterijst also revealed that the hull of Martinique is now 90% complete and Moonen is looking for a new buyer. He added, “A new owner can still have major influence on the interior and have a phenomenal new motor yacht ready by the spring of 2017.”

For more information, visit Moonen Shipyards.