This 164-foot Jackpot launched the week of June 19 on the banks of the Columbia River in Washington from its Vancouver yard and delivered to New Jersey. This is the last yacht before Christensen moves to a new Tennessee facility that have been under construction since 2008.
This magnificent new yacht is luxury at its finest, Jackpot features a standard layout, with accommodation capacity for up to 12 guests across the on-deck master suite, a full-beam VIP and four guest cabins on the lower deck. The interior represents classic Christensen’s style with extensive use of walnut paneling and marble stonework.
The move to Vonore Tennessee, which puts the yard closer to East Coast markets, will double its capacity, with 13 construction bays in a 55-acre, climate-controlled shed, each capable of accommodating yachts up to 230 feet (70m). It will be among the world’s largest superyacht build yards under a single roof when the facility opens later this summer. Located in Vonore, Tennessee, adjacent to the Tennessee River and a 20-minute drive from Knoxville, the Tennessee Valley lake-and-river system allows passage for yachts to reach the Gulf of Mexico from the shipyard in under 10 days.
This is a big step for American yacht building, “In our new range, we can now compete with any builder in the world in both price and quality, and unlike our existing facility, we can offer yachts virtually unrestricted in beam.” Thanks to Sea Ray and other powerboat builders, Tennessee is one of the biggest fiberglass boatbuilding vendors in the world.
In recent announcements in media, Christensen is already negotiating with several clients on construction projects in its new 55-65 metre range of high-volume yachts after the imminent relocation. Amongst the potential customers is the owner of motor yacht Chasseur, who has been reportedly interested in purchasing an LY3-compliant 164-foot yacht to be built at the new yard.
What do today’s boaters want?
This isn’t the first East Tennessee has seen large boating’s industries emerge, however, boating today goes far beyond bass boats. While most are still used for fishing, the trend is toward day boats- with luxury and versatility for consumers.
Hydra-sports Custom Boats noticed people were using them more for travel and general pleasure cruising, so the company began offering different colors and textures, with appliances and other comfort features. Probably half of the boats HCB makes now have an extra seat where a livewell for fish used to go. Sales of larger, more expensive boats are accelerating, as people want more room and more amenities on deck. HCB makes fewer than 60 boats a year, all customized; they can take 6 to 9 months each, Yobe said. “It’s like building a custom home,” he said. “Our smallest boat is a 39-footer, and retail starts at around $725,000. Our largest boat is a 65-footer, and that boat starts at roughly $3.9 million.”
The move is toward watersports and luxury cruising, away from just fishing. “Just a few years ago, a 35-foot dayboat didn’t exist. Now we build a 35- and a 40-foot dayboat,” Ragle said. As younger people become boat-buyers, they are expecting the same high-tech features they’re used to elsewhere such as remote monitoring, video screens, and joystick operation.
Impact of East Tennessee’s boating industry
Within Tennessee’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Knoxville, 96 boating-related businesses create for a total annual economic impact of $711 million, the trade group figures. Statewide, 663 boating-related businesses have nearly $6 billion in annual economic impact, including 13,000 direct jobs and nearly 7,000 indirect jobs.
The East Tennessee boat-building industry took off when C.N. Ray, founder of Sea Ray, moved his company from Michigan to this area on Tellico Lake. Once factories were here, suppliers followed, and a skilled workforce developed. Because of I-75 going north and south, and I-40 going east and west, the logistics of shipping boats nationwide made the move sensible. Tennessee offers a good environment for boatbuilders– not just TVA’s network of reservoirs for boaters, but a good workforce and low corporate taxes. This is Tennessee’s 8th consecutive year of growth in this industry and expecting another 2% this year.
That personal service can include buyer visits to the factory, and a captain accompanying the final product for up to a week after delivery. Our prime location is not only desirable for real estate but very important to East Tennessee boating industries!
Posted by Polly Harrison, Lakefront Living, On the Lake Realty