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Inside Princess Yachts: How are they built

Saturday 30th November 2019

The sports boat and motoryacht market is by no means deficient in boat buying options. The modern buyer is now able to explore a vast range of designers, builders and brands in a bid to tailor his boat to his favoured marine application before committing to a decision. In terms of choice and accessibility, that certainly has its merits, but as we continue to see established brands taking ever greater advantage of the production efficiencies offered by third-party suppliers, overseas workforces and shared construction facilities, a builder like Princess Yachts stands out as markedly different.

Based in Plymouth at the traditional maritime hub of England’s southwest, Princess Yachts expanded fast after the original founder moved into a rental shed on an offshoot of the River Tamar back in 1965. By the time the company had reached its 40 th anniversary in 2005, it boasted 81,000 square metres of space, 1,450 employees and global sales in excess of £140 million. And following its entry into the superyacht sector in 2011 with the first of the new M Class yachts, it continued to expand. The company we see today employs more than 3000 people across seven manufacturing plants and has raised production from 230 boats a year to more than 300. And yet the story of yacht production at Princess is not defined by scale of operations or speed of production. It’s defined by culture, process and mindset…  

Keeping it in-house One of the most fundamental differences at Princess Yachts is the fact that the company designs and builds 80% of its components in-house. There’s an argument that the yard’s relative geographical isolation has compelled it to become self-sufficient over the years but whatever the truth might be, Princess now runs dedicated in-house departments for a variety of specialist tasks that most builders are compelled to outsource. For instance, Princess operates its own mould shop, where it builds its own plugs with a pair of five-axis cutting machines and uses resin infusion to create everything from its decks and structures to the hull of its 40-metre flagship. The fact that the process is controlled by computer and put under vacuum helps ensure exact fibre-to-resin ratios for greater consistency, stiffness and strength. And in addition to reducing weight for uprated on-water speed and efficiency, the absence of cumbersome stiffening beams helps optimise internal volume for increased space and versatility. Princess also runs a dedicated metal shop, where all the stainless steel fittings are built, as well as its own specialist loom shop. Here, specialist technicians pre-assemble all the required wiring harnesses in preparation for the fit-out of a yacht – and while that gives Princess the ability to alter designs mid-build, it also enables them to incorporate customer requests with far greater flexibility than other yacht builders can achieve. One of the yard’s most impressive assets, however, is its furniture shop. This bustling department is responsible for building all the timber elements of a Princess yacht, including the structural pieces, bulkheads, sidelinings and headlinings. And whether fixed or freestanding, it also builds the furniture from scratch, enabling it to optimise continuity throughout each yacht by using timber of precisely the same grain texture, pattern and colour. As Paul Bailey, Commercial and Technical Manager at Princess Motor Yacht Sales, points out: “This stuff is not sourced off the shelf at the same impersonal third-party plant that other manufacturers might use. It’s designed and built by Princess’s own craftsmen, so whether a customer chooses to spec up his boat or buy the ‘standard’ package, a Princess yacht will always have the feeling of something special; something unique; something much more artisan and bespoke than you might experience from other builders.”

Creating a culture of quality One of the key drivers behind Princess’s fastidious approach is the Chairman, Anthony Sheriff. Having come from an automotive background, he invested heavily in a quality management system based around a process known as ‘No Fault Forward’. This involved rooting out any faults early on in the build process, so they could be remedied before the issue was passed forward onto subsequent production stages. Its effective integration would require a very structured and transparent approach to problem solving, so he established a dedicated Quality Control Division that has since grown from six people to around 30. The idea behind this investment was to transform ‘quality’ from a formal manufacturing protocol into a culturally ingrained attitude inhabited by everyone at Princess Yachts – and to help achieve that, the quality division is involved throughout the entire process, from the moment a build begins right through to a yacht’s entry to market. The division’s personnel go out on the boats themselves; they talk to the test engineers and the boat management professionals; they do everything they can to understand the customer experience because getting things completely right is the means by which Princess aims to differentiate itself from the competition. The team have an inspiring approach to the yacht design, the most striking exponents being the company’s full-scale mock-ups. To ensure that a new design works properly, the entire boat is built from plywood in exhaustive detail, enabling the designers to step on board and examine it first-hand – to explore head heights, door openings, spatial arrangements and furniture; to think about materials and real human usability.  It enables them to inhabit the space and get a genuine feel for it in a way that a 3D CAD drawing can never achieve. Things can then be tweaked before the final design is put into production and while it does of course involve a highly skilled and labour-intensive process, its value in terms of the end product is fundamental to what Princess does.

Equipping the customer Princess makes a point of encouraging customers to come to its Plymouth headquarters and witness first-hand how its boats are put together. It urges them to take an active role partly because it is proud of its standards and partly because a customer who is properly equipped to collaborate in the detailing of his yacht is likely to end up with something much better tailored to his needs. To that end, Princess has a team of designers dedicated solely to helping customers navigate their way through the options and select the choices that will be of greatest benefit to their favoured cross-section of boating activities. The company’s fastidious in-house approach has an impact on the long-term quality of the ownership experience in other ways too. For instance, in addition to safeguarding the standard of each finished yacht with exhaustive sea trials encompassing more than 3,000 checks, every part of the build process is archived and traceable. That enables the yard to examine original engineering diagrams for each yacht and to identify the ‘who, how and when’ of every individual element. It can then leverage its distributor network to provide bespoke support for a customer’s yacht throughout its lifetime, even after that yacht is sold on to new owners. As the industry’s appetite for international third party construction plants continues to gather traction, that degree of care, accountability and control looks set to become even more special than it is today.

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All the jobs available at Princess Yachts - and how much they pay

Luxury boat maker needs dozens of workers to fill vacancies throughout the company, find out more here

• 13:45, 15 JAN 2018
• Updated 14:01, 15 JAN 2018

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Luxury boat-builder Princess Yachts is launching new models and attending the world’s biggest boat shows – and recruiting dozens of new workers.

So if you’ve ever fancied being a de-nibber or a bench joiner or a laminator, now is your opportunity.

The Stonehouse-headquartered company has just been at the London boat show at London ExCel, where it debuted the new Princess 55 and V40, alongside the award-winning S65 Princess 43.

It will follow this by launching three new models – S78, V65, and V50 – at Boot Düsseldorf, in Germany, from January 20 to 28.

The company will also have the largest yacht at the show – the award-winning Princess 35M Superyacht.

And the manufacturer also plans to unveil a “revolutionary” and literally dazzling new vessel in early 2018 – which will look like nothing else on the water.

Princess Yachts has been keeping the final design of the new model under wraps, but said it will be smaller and faster than its usual yachts and push it into a new market.

And it will be brightly coloured with a design influenced by the “dazzle” camouflage used on some naval vessels in the two world wars.

During 2017 Princess Yachts saw its order book hit a record £640million as it embarked on a five-year investment programme.

The manufacturer said the figure represented an 85 per cent hike on the 2016 sum.

Princess Yachts, which already employs 2,500 people in the city, has begun a £100million, five-year investment programme to support ambitious product launch and business development strategies.

It’s order book has been boosted by the weak pound sterling following the UK’s decision to Brexit from the European Union.

The company said: “We are recruiting for skilled craftspeople across our six sites.”

These are the roles that need filling:

Fit Out Carpenter (Grade 6)

Location: Plymouth

Salary: £13.54-plus per hour

Duration: Permanent

Hours of Work: 38 hours per week (four day shift Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm)

Princess Yachts is looking for fit out carpenters, ideally from a shopfitting background.

Candidates must be qualified to NVQ Level 3 or have served an apprenticeship.

Significant proven experience (five years plus) will be considered in absence of qualifications.

Production Lead - Carpentry/Engineering

Reports to: Production Manager

Salary: £30,000-£33,000 per annum

Hours of Work: 38hrs per week, Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm

The firm needs someone to manage production resources in an efficient, effective and safe manner to produce high quality products in compliance with the prevailing quality standards whilst meeting schedule requirements.

Productivity, discipline, pace, cost, compliance and H&S are critical accountable success factors in the role.

Bench Joiner – Carpenter

Applicants must have a solid, proven background in bench joinery and or cabinet making, have excellent attention to detail, be able to work quickly and accurately from working drawings and be able to resolve constructional and technical problems, combined with a strong work ethic and team player skills.

“This is an immediate start for the right candidate,” a Princess Yachts spokesman said.

Candidates must be qualified to NVQ Level 3 or have served an apprenticeship. Significant proven experience (five years plus) will be considered in absence of qualifications.

Fabricator/Welder

Hours of Work: four day week shift (7am to 5pm Monday to Thursday), three day weekend shift (6am to 6pm Friday/Saturday/Sunday)

The firm needs people to prepare and assemble metal components for welding and subsequent welding, working within a busy metal shop environment.

Fit Out Engineer

Salary: £12.60-plus per hour

This involves installing all mechanical and electrical items in sequence of build.

Must also be able to test all electrical circuits, carry out fault finding and problem solving, and mechanical installation of generators, steering rams, rudders. Also, carry out all critical checks and sign off boat file for compliance, fit air conditioning, as required.

Must have completed a recognised apprenticeship, for example as an auto electrician, car mechanic, installation electrician with City & Guilds/NVQ3. Ideally at least one year post apprenticeship experience. Alternatively at least 10 years experience.

Manufacturing Engineering Manager

Reports to: Director of Production Planning

Hours of Work: 39hrs per week, Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 4.30pm, Friday 7.30am to 12.30pm

Manufacturing Engineering defines how the product will be assembled by production including the work packages. This person will have to review efficiencies and eliminate waste within the manufacturing process, and lead all manufacturing engineering, encompassing capital and process development projects, providing superior technical knowledge.

The person will be responsible for providing leadership, outstanding people skills and management to a team of manufacturing engineers.

And the employee will implement and manage continuous improvement principals by highlighting deficiencies and recommending changes in training, working practices and processes.

Production Lead - Engineering

Salary: £30,000-32,000 pa

Princess Yachts needs someone to manage production resources in an efficient, effective and safe manner to produce high quality products in compliance with the prevailing quality standards whilst meeting schedule requirements. Productivity, discipline, pace, cost, compliance and H&S are critical accountable success factors in the role.

Lead Composites Process Engineer

Reporting to: Operations Manager

Salary: Competitive, five day week (Monday to Thursday 7.30am to 4.30pm, Friday to 12.30pm.

To project manage introduction of composite processes into production and ensure production readiness

Needs a minimum of three years of direct experience with layup, bonding and assembly of prepreg composite structures in a production environment.

Lead Paint Process Engineer

To project manage introduction of painting of composites structures into production and ensure process capability and production readiness.

Must have minimum three years of direct experience with wet spray painting, ideally with training/mentoring experience.

GRP Repairer

Salary: £10.12-plus per hour

Hours of Work: 38 hours per week (four day and three day shifts available)

Would suite Car body repair technicians/panel beaters/paint sprayers.

Duties will include basic gel coat application and laminating skills, identification of basic laminating defects, basic mould repairs and using repair filler.

This position would suit candidates who have a practical hands on background and have a good level of experience of using hand tools in a manufacturing environment.

Duties include prior preparation of furniture before application of finishing coat.

Sanding various high build base coats and carrying out any repairs to damaged paint finishes.

Previous experience of using buffers/polishers/DA sanders is essential. Position would suit candidates from a car body repair background.

Logistics Operator

Location: Plymouth – Various sites across the city

Salary: £10.12 per hour plus potential bonuses

Hours of Work: 38hrs per week (Monday to Thursday, 7am to 5pm)

Staff needed to support the logistics activity by receiving and delivering goods, whilst ensuring stock accuracy and customer focus.

Senior Business Improvement Lead

Salary: circa £45,000, dependent on experience

Responsible for supporting improvement throughout Princess Yachts with overall exposure to all areas of the business.

Look to identify waste and use lean tools to set clear objectives and deliverables for waste reduction.

Specifically to drive change and continuous improvement, at all levels, working alongside the management teams in support and implementation of business transformation. Drive initiatives locally, through project management and develop sustainable processes to share business wide.

Business Improvement Lead

Salary: circa £35,000, dependent on experience

Responsible for supporting Improvement throughout Princess Yachts with overall exposure to all areas of the business.

Specifically to drive change and continuous improvement, at all levels, working closely and alongside the management team in support and implementation of business transformation. Drive initiatives locally, through project management and develop sustainable processes to share business wide.

InfoHUB Technician

Salary: £23,000

Department: Development Engineering

To produce and provide competently, general work instructions, whilst adding to and incentivising a vibrant, creative and forward thinking team.

Under own supervision attend project status meetings and co-ordinate project requirements to the lead.

Engage with other departments and team members in an encouraging and favourable manner, to further the project objectives.

Designer – NSO (Bespoke) Detail

Salary: Competitive

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product/furniture, industrial or transport design.

The role can be adapted to suite the candidates skills and experience which should range from one to six years in a competitive design environment, marine industry experience is not essential.

Designer - Concept

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, industrial or transport design.

Designer – Detail

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, industrial or transport design. The role can be adapted to suite the candidates skills and experience which should range from one to six years in a competitive design environment, marine industry experience is not essential.

CAD Designer - Surfacing

The candidate should have a degree preferably in product, 3D visualisation or transport design.

C ompliance Training Instructor

Salary: £28,000 to £32,000

Department: Training

Someone is needed to establish training programmes to be delivered in house, ensuring competency with employees.

The ideal candidate should have sound knowledge in the field of training being instructed and be knowledgeable of the company and its manufacturing processes.

Recruitment Advisor

Grading: £23,000 to £26,000 per annum

Reports To: HR Manager – Operations

Department: HR - Recruitment

Someone is needed to provide general recruitment advice and to support the company with regards to all recruitment activities.

To balance daily operational focus and strategic activity to ensure continuous improvement.

For full details of these jobs, and how to apply visit: https://www.princessyachts.com/recruitment/

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