At Yacht Show, Dreams Are For Sail -- Kirkland Event Promotes Northwest Boatbuilders

The first thing you think of when you catch a glimpse of a megayacht isn't usually electricians, plumbers and fiberglass workers.

But the fact that these toys of the rich create good trades jobs for the Northwest has prompted area boat builders to position 14 superyachts on the Kirkland waterfront in the first invitational Superyacht Northwest: A Builder and Designer Showcase.

The show will run from noon tomorrow through Sunday at the Kirkland Yacht Club Marina, 135 Lake St. S.

Ranging from 66 to 155 feet and valued from $2 million to $8 million each, these yachts represent the work of more than 40 companies from Washington, Oregon and British Columbia that provide more than 1,000 jobs and another 3,000 in indirect work by suppliers and consultants.

"We're expecting at least 1,000 visitors, even though we are competing with the Monaco boat show (on the Mediterranean)," said Hal Burchard, skipper, marine consultant and show dock manager. More than 4,000 invitations to the Kirkland show were distributed in the U.S. and Europe.

The aim is to show potential big-bucks boat buyers from the rest of the world the quality of yacht construction in Pacific Northwest boat yards, and to attract more business here.

Featuring already-owned custom yachts, this show lets a growing Northwest industry - already respected for its fishing- and tour-boat construction - show its capability in a growing marketplace for pleasure boats. The show also will emphasize Northwest waters as a cruising destination.

The luxury yachts have all the comforts of a luxury home - touches of marble and granite, walk-in freezers, king-sized beds in mirrored master suites, high-tech electronic entertainment centers, fax machines and cellular telephones.

Easy-care exteriors are sleek, with little or no wood, unlike previous styles featuring teak rails and trim. Built-in barbecues and hot tubs, plus plenty of seating and dining space, are on the decks. The boats have fuel tanks large enough to cruise to Hawaii and beyond without refueling.

Casual boat-watchers will have to be content with a distant view of the show. Admission to talk with the builders and see boat interiors is $250, but the boats can be viewed free from the adjacent Kirkland city dock or from Lake Washington.

Bruce Ford, general manager of LeClerq Marine, headquartered on the Ship Canal, said owners sent their boats to the display to show friends and other potential buyers what they got from the Northwest yards. Referrals are big in the industry, Ford said, and boat turnovers are frequent as buyers find new versions.

Most of the yards also refit older yachts. That's because many first-time megayacht buyers want to purchase an older, less-expensive boat first, to test the waters, Ford said. His company's talents will be shown on the 103-foot Crystal Spirit, just lengthened from 88 feet.

Burchard predicted that "in six months there'll be a burp in the industry here because of the show."

He helped organize the event with Sharry and Don Stabbert of West Water Development. It's the first time local boat yards have cooperated on such a venture.

One aspect they are touting is that Northwest boatbuilders have pioneered and perfected the use of fiberglass in boats, particularly in fishing vessels and tour boats used around the world. This technology has been transferred to the megayachts.

Randy Rust, co-owner and general manager of the Westport Shipyard at Grays Harbor, will have the 98-foot Lady Dorron on display. He said Northwest yard owners have cooperated to develop the technology, doing business with each other (his company sells yacht hulls to other builders) and helping each other with processes and equipment.

"We really have the leading edge on this," he said. "We're well ahead of the pack."

As a result, the builders said they are gaining business in custom yachts while others on the East Coast are losing customers. The recession and the just-repealed luxury tax hurt the industry, but Northwest builders still expanded and now want to increase that momentum. They estimate they command at least 40 percent of the worldwide market for megayachts, a market previously dominated by East Coast and European yards.

Bruce Reagan, president of Sovereign Yachts, a builder of steel and aluminum boats on the Duwamish River, said the cooperation among suppliers, designers and producers here is unique and produces quality unmatched elsewhere.

"The capability here is as good as anywhere in the world," said Jim Bergman, design director of Walter Dorwin Teague of Kirkland. His firm made its name designing Boeing aircraft interiors but is expanding into the megayacht business.