Crafted in Plymouth

Dedication and attention to detail resonates deeply with our Plymouth craftspeople; over 3,200 people, each possessing a mastery of their skill. Through a culture of innovation, our yachts are not only some of the most technically-advanced in the world but also the most beautifully realised. Over 80% of each Princess yacht is crafted in-house. Scroll to discover more about how we bring our yachts to life.

The Princess Design Studio is our in-house team responsible for all areas of yacht design, styling and finish across the Princess range. Working with our naval architects to produce the most visually progressive and luxurious yachts in the world, the Princess Design Studio is setting a new standard for powerful, practical and wonderfully memorable design.

The Design Studio is comprised of 14 in-house teams including CAD (Computer Aided Design) and engineering departments as well as our customer facing consultants who are available to bring to life creative and diverse interior design schemes to meet the customer's personal tastes.

Our pioneering deep-V hulls are born from our naval architect’s obsession with exceptional seakeeping and voluminous space. Their sculpted form is shaped from a lightweight, resin-infused hull composite which can create greater internal volume compared to standard hull production methods. This ingenious design ensures it requires less power and burns less fuel to achieve its maximum design speed. Such precision thinking gives rise to the most exhilarating performance, defined by its efficiency, agility and poise. So whether you’re slicing through the seas at 40 knots or navigating stormy waters – a foundation of superior engineering rides with you.

The boats we design are a culmination of our ideas and our customers' feedback. This all goes into the pot at the initial concept stage which then translate into more detailed drawings and layouts, and once these are signed off, the mock up can be produced.

A 1:1 scale model is made of all new yachts at Princess. This a truly unique part of our design process, not carried out by any other yacht manufacturer. A mock-up of all interior and exterior spaces of the boat are created out of plywood for every new Princess model before ever going to build. Each mock-up takes approximately 6-8 weeks to create and they are housed in our Ropery building at the historic old naval site at South Yard, home to our X Class super flybridge yachts.

The mock-ups are an invaluable part of the design process; offering the design team the opportunity to sit in the spaces, tweak the rake of a seat, check sight lines in the windows, experiment with different materials and even optimise the design of component parts for assembly. Additionally they also offer our customers a unique opportunity to walk around a life size model of a yacht before it even goes into build. Our mock-ups allow people to feel the atmosphere that the space creates. It is this meticulous attention to detail that follows the Princess yacht all the way through each and every stage of her build.

Known as a ‘Plug’, full scale patterns are cut out of polystyrene using a 5-Axis machine which is essentially the template for all the moulded components of the yacht. This is all completed in-house.

Our mouldings production in classified in two groups: major mouldings sees the lay up of the hull and deck; small moulds includes the creation of smaller GRP (Glass Reinforced Plastic) component parts from wetbars to a locker door. We pride ourselves on delivering the same level of superb quality behind the carpets and doors and within the structure of the boat as we do the elements on show.

All of our hulls are resin infused, which is the most efficient and consistent method of manufacturing using GRP, resulting in weight savings, better performance and fuel economy. It is also better for the environment. This moulding phase can take from 1 week to 3 weeks dependent upon the size of the boat.

Once the moulding process has finished ,the boat then moves to the build shop. This first stage of the build process is called the Pre Build. At this stage all the plumbing is installed, holding tanks are loaded, fuel tanks installed and all the pump systems are fitted.

Once the mock up has been tweaked and adjusted to perfection , the drawings can be issued and the furniture shop can start the skilled task of creating all of the furniture for the yacht. All timber elements of the boat are created by our bench joiners and skilled carpenters from elements not seen by the customer through to head linings, bulkheads and of course the furniture, both built-in and free-standing pieces.

The furniture shop brings to life the beautiful shapes of the designs, giving the contemporary feel associated with all Princess yachts. A large investment in tooling ensures that the beautiful custom made, hand crafted furniture is impeccably realised. Component parts are precision cut from sheets of wood within the machine shop on our CNC machines. Hardwood edging is created using bespoke tooling, handmade in-house, to create the variety of different profiles needed on a yacht. Radio Frequency and Post-Forming machinery creates our signature curved furnishings.

Each craftsperson sees the furniture unit they are creating through from start to completion which gives them a great sense of pride in what they are creating. There is no tolerance for any imperfections, each piece is a labour of love. Timber is a natural product so can vary greatly in grain patination, colour and texture. By building the pieces side by side in one place gives the carpenters the ability to make sure each timber panel matches and fits together perfectly.

Once assembled, the furniture then goes to the paint shop where it is buffed and lacquered to a perfect polish and is readied for delivery to the build line.

Teams of welders and fabricators within our metal shop manipulate raw materials to produce pristine polished handrails for staircases, pulpits, dining table stands and components for fixtures and fittings throughout the yachts.

Welding is done by hand but must look like it has been done by machine, so the art of welding at Princess is to have the ultimate dexterity.

Some of the metal work is structural but most of it is on show and all of it looks and feels perfect.

The raw material is checked immediately upon delivery at Princess, if there are any blemishes or imperfections, then it is rejected straight away.

By dealing with the metal work in house it means the craftspeople can see where each element will go on board, they can visualise the finished product and as such ensure the quality of their work is world class.

The wiring gets fitted at a very early stage on the yacht and as such the electrical specifications and requirements are needed early on in the build. Complex wiring looms are produced to carry the electrical cables throughout the yacht to power everything from lighting and air conditioning to electrical appliances such as televisions and audio systems.

Around 200 looms are created for a smaller boat while over 800 can be found on some larger boats.

Operating on a ‘right first time’ basis, the looming aspect is a complicated engineering feat. Development by it’s own nature is fluid so the team must quickly respond to changes in the electrical design.

As each customer's yacht specification is unique, we are never building the same boat twice in the loom shop which makes it an exciting place to work for our skilled electrical craftspeople.

Once the pre-build phase is completed, the yacht enters fit out stage of her life.

Fit out sees all of the component parts and furniture being installed. The assembly of components can occur at different sites, but on boats up to 70ft they are installed on a rolling line, moving every 10-15 days. It is a hugely organised and structured process.

Despite 3D models and advances technical system, we ultimately reply on our skilled craftspeople to make things by hand, from handstitched upholstery to hand planed furniture, the quality is evident throughout every single element of the yacht.

To put this into context, when the galley is fitted out on board, the galley units arrives and the build crew install them. The units are already created in their entirety in advance, but are fitted out completely in one go including plumbing, taps and electrical items.

This fit out stage of the process can take from 30 days to 4 months dependent upon the size of the yacht.

Yachts which are built away from the sea are tested in a test tank at the facility in which they are built. The engines are started, the hull fittings tested, hydraulics and air con started up. Generators are fired and all on board systems are thoroughly checked.

The yacht is then taken to our Newport Street facility to commence the commissioning sea trials. The sea trials are completed by the Princess Outside Crew teams who perform over 3,000 checks on each boat.

Various people are involved in the sea trials, including the engine manufacturers and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) suppliers and all installations are tested and signed off. Nothing on-board your yacht, even the finer details, remains unchecked.

Sea trials culminate in extended trials and the yacht is only signed off once all the systems have been checked, stress tested and are running perfectly. Noise checks, performance checks and all speeds and rev ranges are also checked.

Final quality audits are carried out and the yacht is then cleaned and readied for handover and delivery to the customer.