Along the Tyrrhenian coast in the industrial town of Vado Ligure Eurocraft Cantieri Navali was established in 1989. The shipyard graced fame in Italy as a contractor for building high quality hulls and superstructures. In 2000, because of the strong growth in the superyacht market and the strategic location of the yard, it was decided to build custom superyachts under the Eurocraft brand. To achieve this major investments were made in the facilities, among the construction of a new main shipyard covering 60.000m3.

The Shipyard

The yard has to adjacent buildings, which can house 2 and 3 yachts respectively. The first shed, with a length of 55 meters, width of 20 meters and height of 10 meters, is used for building the hulls and has two gantry cranes, each one weighing 16 tonnes. The second shed, which has the same length, but a width of 35 meters and a height of 20 meters, is used for outfitting of the yachts. The yard also boasts 1.100 m2 for joinery and structural work and equally large space for offices.

Soon work will start to enlarge the seafront area. When finished it will reach a total surface of 20.000 m2, of which 5.500m2 indoor. To perform refit work as well a lifting platform will be built to raise yachts up to 1.100 tonnes out of the water.

The Fleet

Eurocraft built its first yacht already back in 1989. The composite hull of the 33 meter Pas Encore was built by Crestitalia and she was completed by Eurocraft. More recently Eurocraft completed the 28 meter Beja Flores in 2005 and the super-fast 19 meter Diablo.

The future looks bright for Eurocraft with the upcoming launch of two yachts: a composite 30 meter fly and aluminum 37 meter open. A 42 meter semi-displacement yacht is under construction for delivery in 2009 and work is about to start on two 43 meter explorer yachts. The 42 meter will be build out of aluminum while the explorer yachts will have a steel hull with aluminium superstructure.

EUROCRAFTC.N.
BEYOND THE LIMELIGHT

A brand name doesn’t always reflect the name of the shipyard that actually builds the yacht. As is known, a lot of boats are partially or entirely built by a different shipyard. This happens in the case of small boats as in the super yacht category. It must be stressed though, that this doesn’t mean that the yacht is worth less, in as much as these lesser known shipyards are nautical realities to all effects and purposes which concentrate exclusively on boat building.

These yards are generally called contractors who usually work for different brands unless, of course, a single brand were to take up all of their production line. One of these shipyards which works and prospers keeping out of the limelight is Eurocraft Naval Constructions, founded in 1989 together with two other companies belonging to the same group. In the course of its history it has built its own boats but, above all, it has worked for Italian and foreign important brands and shipyards with success and credibility. The big change, however, occurred in 2000 when the three companies merged into one becoming a boat factory in real terms, called Eurocraft C.N. The expansion process reached its peak a few months ago, clearly looking at the super yacht category, with the inauguration of a 60,000 m3 warehouse designed to build custom made yachts in between 20 and 60 metres. This is why room was made big enough to host all of the production process with space for : a 55 by 20 metre hull centre with two 16 ton bridge cranes, a 55 by 35 by 20 metre area for fitting out the big yachts, a 5 metre deep water basin for static tests and an 11,000 square metre carpentry area.

In its interior, as proven by its recent varied and articulated production, yachts may be built according to the project in composite or in other materials with displacing hulls or not, with a classic or futuristic design and in short, yachts are really custom made. After the launching of an 18 and 28 metre hi-performance composite yacht, the shipyard in Vado Ligure is busy building a 30 metre "fly" in grp and a 37 metre open in alloy whose launching is scheduled for spring, in 2007. These will be followed by a 42 m. semi displacing light alloy yacht and by a 52 m. steel and light alloy motor yacht whose design is being completed by the yard’s technical office. Eurocraft C.N.‘s development programme foresees in the upcoming future, so as to offer refitting services too, an expansion of its waterway at sea to 20,000 sq. m, 5,500 of which will be covered and a slip area to lift yachts with a displacement of up to 1,000 tons out of the water.