For a yacht owner who has previously only purchased series-built yachts or used-yachts the notion of commissioning a new design to meet his own particular requirements can seem almost too ambitious, too much of a risk even. A great deal of Humphreys’ design work is at the bespoke end, and almost invariably it is an enjoyable process for both parties – designer and client.

There is no doubt that a custom yacht will be more expensive, both from the point of view of design and build, but as series production relies for its success on volume sales and therefore generalised design concepts, sometimes it is worthwhile going the extra distance to create something more specifically optimised to meet the owner’s individual needs and desires. And, this being a global market, custom yachts can be built very economically when one brings exchange rate variation into the equation.

The key to a successful project is a proper understanding between designer and client, and to this end the preliminary design stage is all-important. An owner may know exactly what he wants and can articulate his needs even by way of a detailed specification; others may have a rather more abstract notion of what they are wanting to achieve but nevertheless are able to get there pretty quickly by reacting to visual prompts from the designer. Humphreys’ approach is not to preach concepts but to listen and, sometimes, to read between the lines. Sometimes what a client wants is not, ultimately, what he actually needs, and it is only through good communication and visual exploration that one is able to get to the heart of the matter, a process in which the client himself becomes creatively involved as he finds his own thoughts taking material shape. It is very satisfying work and often very much more rewarding than simply buying ‘off the peg’.

Once the preliminary design work has defined the concept there is sufficient material and specification to allow the project to go out to tender, and the Humphreys office can advise and assist the owner in ensuring that he makes a happy choice. Thereafter the detail work required to complete the design falls into place like building blocks, relegating remaining decisions to questions of detail. The cost of custom design can vary from project to project, depending on the owner's exact requirements and the in-house detail capability of the building yard. However, one-off fees are unlikely to stray outside a 6-10% band, applied against the overall cost of the vessel. Preliminary design work from Humphreys, defining the concept and specification well enough for a Builder to be able to tender for the project, will cost between 10-15% of the actual design fee, and is deducted from the final fee once the decision is taken to proceed with the full design project.

Humphreys Yacht Design
Lower Seaforth House
Bath Road
Lymington
Hampshire
SO41 3RW
UK
Tel. +44 (0)1590 679344
Fax. +44 (0)1590 671651
info@humphreysdesign.com