October 2025 Newsletter

October 2025 Newsletter

Diane M. Byrne, editor

All in the Family

Earlier this month, what was once a tiny shop in South Florida celebrated 75 years of success. Even more significant, Ward’s Marine Electric remains in the hands of the family who started it.

It got me thinking. Although private equity is increasingly characterizing the industry, it’s still rich with family-run businesses. Lürssen celebrated its 150th anniversary this year under the fifth generation of Lürssens. Mangusta is marking 40 years, with the third generation of the Balducci family. The fifth generation of De Vries family members are at Feadship nearly 110 years after their ancestors started the business. And, the second generation of the Jones family remains at the helm of Delta Marine, after 58 years.

How important is a family business to you? Would more in-depth interviews be of interest? Email me your thoughts.

Superyacht Selections: Silverlining Layers in Time Collection

Silverlining, the British custom furniture maker collaborating with superyacht owners globally, has a new, limited-edition collection, Layers in Time,

The eight pieces include the Cracked Earth coffee table. Silverlining’s design team took inspiration from the salt pan floor of Deadvlei, Namibia. The table’s top features oak and polished bronze inlay. More bronze forms the legs, which pass through a cluster of laminated oak forms. Each form is hand-shaped, too, to mimic the gentle curves of the top.

Production is limited to eight tables. Price: £82,200

Silverlining

People in Superyachting: Capt. Kelly Gordon

From sharing her story on social media to sharing it with CNBC, Capt. Kelly Gordon has a strong following inside and outside of yachting. Her videos about living on and operating superyachts teach valuable lessons to those who want to start or advance their careers. As much as she relishes opening these doors, though, she’s laser-focused on opening other doors: to discussing crew mental health.

Gordon founded Yachtie Minds Matter in part due to her own experiences with harrassment, plus the knowledge that intense pressure, isolation, and burnout are very real issues among captains and crew. Too few resources were at their disposal for dealing with these, complicated by drug and alcohol abuse. Yachtie Minds Matter is helping to counteract the taboo nature of discussing mental health while simultaneously providing resources to crew, including therapists, at little to no cost. .

Yachtie Minds Matter

Superyacht Snippets

A fully custom 200-footer (61-meter) is under contract for an American owner at Tankoa Yachts. All design inside and outside is by the shipyard’s in-house department. No other details are available, besides an expected delivery date in February 2029. …Oceanco is celebrating the signing of its largest megayacht so far, a 426-footer (130-meter). “This vessel represents not only a leap in scale but also in ambition,” says Marcel Onkenhout, the shipyard’s CEO. “Oceanco has embarked on an ambitious next chapter, pushing further on design, innovation, and sustainability.” Specifics remain confidential for now. …Speaking of pushing design, ISA Yachts will soon start construction on a super-sleek 328-footer (100-meter), which features exterior styling by Enrico Gobbi – Team for Design (above). The 2,999-gross-ton yacht bears a steel hull, a dedicated owners’ deck, a VIP suite with a lounge, and a helipad. …Currently in the final stages of outfitting, the Feadship Project 717 has sold. Measuring 162 feet (49.5 meters), the 10-guest yacht was acquired by a longtime fellow Feadship customer. Delivery should still take place early next year. Among the highlights are a glass-fronted hot tub, a beach club with fold-down sides, and a full-beam master suite.

Did You Miss These Stories?

megayachtnews.com

a podcast examining yacht transport, especially the crucial need to check your contract
an onboard report about the Riva 112 Dolcevita Super (right)
an interview with the CEO of Sunseeker about his call for fellow British builders to focus more on superyachts