Rockport Marine attains a crucial stage in the construction of the 29-meter contemporary classic superyacht, Project Ouzel, designed by Langan Design Partners and Mark Whiteley Design.
On a snowy day in Maine at the end of November, Project Ouzel, a 29-meter pilothouse sloop, accomplished a significant milestone. The hull, designed by Langan Design Partners and constructed with cold-molded Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar, and carbon fiber over a male building jig, emerged from Rockport Marine's build shop. The hull, complete with all structural bulkheads, was carefully inverted in a Travelift and rolled back into the shop to initiate the interior components' installation.
Sam Temple, President of Rockport Marine, stated, "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."
Peter Wilson, MCM co-founder and the owner’s representative, acknowledged the importance of this milestone, saying, "My congratulations go out to Sam Temple and the team at Rockport – one big step."
Tom Degremont of Langan Design emphasized the precision and coordination required for flipping the hull, noting, "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."
The next phase involves preparing the inside of the hull for the composite structural grid, which will transmit keel loads into the hull. Following this, the shipyard will initiate system layouts, install the main engine and associated machinery, and begin preparations for the interior components designed by Mark Whiteley Design.
The construction of the yacht's deck will run parallel, with plans for it to be joined with the hull in an outdoor operation in 2024. Due to the yacht's size, this union will occur outside, and the completed structure will be brought back into the building to finalize the build.
As the launch scheduled for the summer of 2025 approaches, Project Ouzel is poised to undergo the final steps, including attachment to its keel and the installation of its mast.
The MCM team boast 35 years of experience across a diverse range of projects since the company’s founding in 1988 with overseen the builds of 106 yachts, including 86 sailing yachts, for a combined length of 10,776 feet (3,284m).
Credits: MCM Newport