Your queries answered:
Frequently asked questions

Passion, experience, expertise, excellence. 
With over 40 years of producing beautifully crafted custom boats, we have built an enviable reputation for quality and fine craftsmanship - amassing an impressive portfolio of bespoke, luxury super yacht tenders, sailboats and motor yachts. 
Our overriding goal is to provide our clients with a build experience second to none; we believe the journey of building a boat should be just as enjoyable as owning it – we strive to make that a reality for all our clients.  

Our process is one of collaboration, with quality and integrity our highest values. Driven by Lloyd’s relentless quest for excellence, we incorporate our client’s unique vision and preferences into every aspect of the build to deliver an exceptional vessel of uncompromising quality.

We are experts in all forms of composite and wooden boat building, including working in carbon fibre, aramids, lightweight balsa, foam and honeycomb cores, as well as traditional e-glass and timber. Composite work is either hand-laid or vacuum-bagged, with resin infusion used for lightweight projects. As custom boatbuilders, we are able to incorporate multiple techniques and processes in each build, ensuring our boats are constructed using best practices and to the highest standards. 

We can build any boat from 10m to 30m, motor or sail, mono or multihull. We turn dreams into reality with no compromise on quality and craftsmanship. 

As all the boats we build are entirely custom, with no two the same, build times will vary depending on the size and complexity of the boat and the number of other projects we have underway at the time. But to give you a general idea, to build an 18m motor yacht like Zaphira will take approximately 15-18 months.

The cost is totally dependent on the specifications of the boat you would like to build. To use Zaphira as an example again, in 2024 dollars, an 18m, highly spec’d luxury motor yacht is approximately NZ$5.7 million, including GST – in the water, keys in your hand.

For the majority of our projects, we provide a fixed-price contract in New Zealand dollars. If you are an international client, you will likely have a sizable exchange rate discount, plus you will not pay the 15% New Zealand sales tax (GST). 

Occasionally. Once in a while our clients do sell, but not very often. Check our “For sale” page to see the boats currently available. 

Exactly that. Every single boat starts as a bare space on our factory floor, on which we build a boat. The design and style of your vessel are entirely up to you and your designer. Every boat we build is specifically tailored to its owners’ exact requirements. This includes interior and exterior layouts, material choices, colour fixtures, and fittings. Most owners have their preferences for engines, electronics and entertainment systems but we are here to advise where needed.

Yes. The very first boat Lloyd built was sold to a client in the U.S.A. and we have been building boats for international clients ever since. Be it a motor yacht, sailing yacht or super yacht tender, we can build it for you – all with a level of service and collaboration that you will only find with the very best boat builders.  

And shipping is not an added cost you will have to account for once the boat is completed. For every international project, an estimated shipping cost is included in the fixed price build quote, with the confirmed shipping cost provided approximately six months prior to delivery. Our shipping allowance is not a guess. We use TNL Pinder, specialists in global leisure yacht transportation, to ship all our vessels. Our experience with TNL Pinder and analysis of global logistic trends ensures the variance between the estimated and the actual cost is kept to an absolute minimum.

One of our key drivers is to give our clients a stress-free and enjoyable build experience. As part of this commitment, every project has a dedicated project manager who utilise multiple communication tools to ensure our clients are always up to date and 100% confident with how their project is progressing.

• Regular weekly video calls with your project manager, if required. This is mainly for our international clients.
• The Friday update. Every Friday (New Zealand time), we send our clients a digital diary - Friday Update - of the week's progress using the GlobalWorkshop app.
• International clients have access to a live, online, 24/7 video stream of their build. We assume our New Zealand based clients will visit their build in person. Of course, in-person visits are very welcome from all our clients.

Click here for detailed information on how we support our global clients.

We build all our boats in our purpose-built yard at 10 Ra Ora Drive, East Tamaki, Auckland, New Zealand. 

Yes. We have a dedicated Service and Refit department to cater to all our New Zealand-based clients’ servicing, maintenance, and refit needs.

We can provide a year-round service/maintenance programme and an annual maintenance inspection (identifying and scheduling any work required), or you can contact us directly if you discover an issue - we will undertake a preliminary inspection at no cost and then provide a cost estimate for the work required.

We do provide maintenance and repair services for our international clients. We discuss the needs of each request with the client involved, from which the most cost-effective and practical solution is agreed. 

The primary benefit is that your boat is 100% unique and specific to you, incorporating all the features and functionality you desire. 

Secondly, build quality. Our expert team of craftspeople has been building luxury custom boats for over 40 years and, in the process, earned a reputation for building boats of the highest quality. This expertise and knowledge are applied to every project, so you have the confidence in knowing your custom boat will still perform as intended many years from now.

This quality and craftsmanship will be evident to every guest you have on board, reinforcing the fact that they have stepped aboard a special boat, a boat unique to you. 

See our custom versus production page for more.