Maintenance is the key to unlocking high brokerage values for Heesen yachts.

Strong brokerage sales confirm the Heesen premium

Quality counts for Heesen after a strong year for brokerage sales

Heesen brokers share their sales tips.

Words by Sam Fortescue

Many a yachting aficionado dreams of building – one day – their very own Heesen. But the brokerage market is a quicker way to join the Heesen family, and every year, canny owners skip the queue in this way. With 480m of our yachts changing hands in nine separate transactions in 2023, we went on the hunt for clues about how Heesens perform.

Long experience has shown that owners don’t part lightly with their yachts, so the rate of turnover each year is low compared to other brands. The average Heesen remains in the same hands for around five years, although some owners are into their third decade with the same yacht. Inevitably, as the fleet grows, there are more brokerage opportunities – but they don’t last long.

“Heesen yachts typically spend less time on the market compared to other brands, reflecting their high demand and prestigious reputation,” says Sergey Patrikeev , business developer at Arcon Yachts , who recently sold the 50m Sairu (now Julia and previously Ann G). “As per market statistics, 39 Heesen yachts have been sold over the past three years.”

Jonathan Hind of Burgess recently sold the one-year-old yacht Lusine, and says that the age, condition and price are key to a successful transfer. “But for argument’s sake; if there were very similar yachts (age, condition, price, etc) being compared, then I would say that the Heesen would be one of the favourites to sell.”

Arne Ploch of Camper & Nicholsons sold the 50m VanTom after just four weeks, and notes that a correctly priced Heesen yacht, “will not last long on the brokerage market”. Regular, preventative maintenance is critical to protecting value, he says. “Owners of high-quality yachts tend to keep them in top condition, which helps to find a buyer quickly. Good quality, Dutch branding and workmanship, combined with some of the best designers in the world, is a great concept.”

Heesen boasts a 16-strong aftersales team whose focus is entirely on helping owners keep their yachts in perfect shape. From engine and hydraulic maintenance to electronics updates and refit, no owner request is too far out for our customer services.  Mark Cavendish, Heesen CCO: “Our team is in touch with around 100 of our boats., and I’m We are really proud of the team because it’s a very demanding world,” he says. “Whether we’re working through partner shipyards or sending out our Heesen ‘Flying Squad’ technicians to work on-site, our common goal is to ensure the owner can enjoy their yacht to the max.”

In some cases, a well-maintained Heesen barely depreciates, according to Thomas Conboy , director of sales for Heesen in North America and senior director at broker Ocean Independence . “For example, Heesen built nine 50m semi-displacement boats, starting with Satori in 2011. In the first three years, most of those owners broke even – they didn’t lose money,” he says. “If you start with a north European platform and maintain it, you retain good value.”

Conboy recently sold the 55m Lady JJ (now South, formerly Abbracci), which was maintained to museum quality. He believes it comes down to experience because a veteran owner knows how to take care of their asset. “Don’t charter the yacht for 20 weeks a year,” he advises. “It’s better with rotational crew and give the boat plenty of downtime – it’s not a car or a jet!”

The point about crew is also critical because it is they who will undertake the day-to-day maintenance in the owner’s absence. Recruiting and retaining the right people is part of the art. “It mainly comes down to how the crew are compensated and how they are treated,” Conboy says. “Experience is helpful in finding the right crew. If you’re out shopping for the cheapest crew and captain, your boat’s going to reflect that.”

When it comes time to sell, Ploch of C&N has a final trick up his sleeve. “Present the yacht as if she is ready to go cruising with the owners – that’s always the best way to show a yacht. The potential buyers get the impression that all they need to bring is swimming gear and off we go... that the stew offers a coffee or something to drink obviously helps to get this feeling.”

Maintaining the yacht

High-quality yachts like Heesens are rarely in and out of the shipyard to fix things that have actually broken. “The components we use are the best,” says Chief Commercial Officer Mark Cavendish. “Our aluminium hulls are welded up in-house in our own manufacturing plant: we don’t subcontract it to people who are less interested in the job than we are. Our steel hulls are built by a long-term partner Talsma Shipyards in Franeker in the north of Holland – we don’t subcontract to other parts of the world. It takes us longer to build a boat than others – it’s around three years to build a 50m. It’s a different mentality.”

Yard visits are more about preventative maintenance and preserving equipment in top condition. From the engine to the cold storage, everything aboard has a servicing interval to respect. Luckily, Heesen makes it easy. “We have a comprehensive aftersales department which is available 24/7 and have a dedicated hotline,” says Cavendish. “We provide many of our yachts going back years with parts and service. Many of our owners like to buy their parts through Heesen, so they are OEM.”

Heesen itself has no yard capacity for refit or servicing, but it has built close links with some of the best-reputed refit shipyards in the world, including ICON Yachts in the Netherlands, Amico & Co S.p.A. in Genoa, MB92 Barcelona and La Ciotat, IMS Shipyard in Toulon, Lauderdale Marine Center, and @Mina Rashid Marina in Dubai. But no matter where the boat lies, from Hong Kong to South America, Heesen’s Flying Squad will travel to carry out or supervise the necessary work. “The goal of the Customer Support department is to stay in contact with our sailing fleet, as we know the yachts the best, including the people on board and the history,” explains Cavendish. “Our professionals have been working 25-plus years at Heesen.”

They deal with the full gamut of issues. From the regular, such as engine or safety equipment maintenance, to the more demanding. For instance, Heesen is currently helping some of its clients switch over from longstanding rubber shaft bearings to the new composite units that Class Societies increasingly favour. Another current project is to provide the technical drawings necessary to refit a yacht with a fixed staircase up to the sun deck instead of the ultra-private hydraulic ‘drawbridge’ solution that the previous owner had specced. “Every owner has their own priorities,” Cavendish says. “Our job is to help them get the most from their boats.”

Combined with the sky-high build quality of the yachts, it is this attitude which ensures that Heesen’s fleet remains in excellent condition. Small wonder, then, that they are such fleeting visitors to the brokerage market and command such strong values. Only the lucky few will get to own a Heesen yacht, but they can rest assured that it will outperform almost any other brand in terms of value.