How Taiwan Makes Its Name In Mega-Yacht Production
Taiwan is the largest mega-yacht producer in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. It stands out from global competitors thanks to its highly customized yachts.
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00:00This is Ocean Lily, a 33-meter-long, nearly 140-ton megayacht sold for 13 million U.S.
00:08dollars.
00:09It was ready for testing in open water and shipping after over a year of production in
00:14the southern port city Kaohsiung, the heart of megayacht production in Asia.
00:20Taiwan has historically been the largest Asian producer and ranked fourth globally in 2020.
00:26The local industry's annual revenue is around 300 million U.S. dollars.
00:31In a sea of mass-produced yachts made by U.S. and European competitors, Taiwan takes pride
00:37in its fully customizable yachts that bring the client's vision to life.
00:41Founded in 1987, Horizon Yacht was one of the many companies that were launched amid
00:58a shipbuilding boom.
01:00After World War II, Taiwan went through a series of infrastructure upgrades, officially
01:05called the Ten Major Construction Projects, proposed and overseen by then-Premier Chiang
01:10Chin-ku.
01:11One of those projects was Taiwan's first shipyard for producing large metal ships to
01:16replace wooden sandpans, flat-bottomed boats that had been built and used for local transport
01:21since the 18th century.
01:23In the late 1970s, some shipyards started to build leisure boats at the request of foreign
01:28firms stationed here.
01:45With a solid foundation in shipbuilding and talent from across the country, Horizon has
01:51expanded its business to become an entirely self-sufficient shipbuilder.
02:16The magic begins with development, digitally.
02:21Time is put in long hours to adjust a boat's engineering, exteriors and interiors to fit
02:26the client's needs.
02:27They say it's like building a mobile home, and a small adjustment can have a critical
02:32impact on the safety and functionality of a boat.
02:45Once the exterior and the interior designs are finalized, a mold will be made using computer-controlled
02:51machinery that twists and tilts along five axes to create the intricate designs.
02:58The mold will then be layered with high-tensile fiberglass sheets and filled with resin, using
03:03a special technique developed by the U.S. Navy, to ensure no air bubbles are trapped
03:09inside.
03:11Then it's time for woodworkers, electricians and plumbers to shine in the joinery process,
03:16which takes up 70 percent of the production time, since it's all done by hand.
03:23After 16 months, Ocean Lily was ready to launch for the first time at a dock five kilometers
03:28from the factory.
03:30But getting it there wasn't easy.
03:32It was a meticulous process that allowed no room for mistakes.
03:37The crew worked late at night to avoid any traffic and roadblocks.
03:41Workers on the ground and on the boat must constantly report to each other, as even a
03:46tiny scratch could cost them a fortune.
03:49One final run, and it's ready to be delivered to its buyer.
03:54For the team behind the Ocean Lily, it's a relief and a badge of success.
04:15While Taiwan's tech still takes the main stage, mega-yacht designers and builders are
04:20forging their own path to fame.
04:23This is James Lin and Irene Lin for Taiwan Plus.