Derecktor To Open Megayacht Yard in Fort Pierce

After a nearly year-long process, the St. Lucie County and Derecktor Shipyards have signed a long-term agreement for the development and operation of a megayacht maintenance, repair and refit facility at the Port of Fort Pierce.

The new shipyard will be designed and built specifically to accommodate power and sailing yachts in the 200-foot plus range. These large yachts, particularly sailing vessels, which require extreme overhead clearance and considerable water depth, have had few or no shipyard options in this country. Derecktor Fort Pierce (DFP), as the new yard will be known, will provide direct access from the Atlantic through Fort Pierce inlet, with no overhead obstructions and a maintained depth of 28 feet. The yard will feature a concrete apron of more than eight acres, providing work and storage area, as well as more than 1000 linear feet of deep-water dockage. An existing large building will be refitted to house machine, wood, pipe and electrical shops along with other service support activity.

Vessel hauling will be accomplished through both a mobile lift and a drydock providing flexibility in the range of yachts the yard can accommodate. The lift is anticipated to have a 1500-ton capacity, making it the largest in the world. This, combined with the advantages of the site, will make DFP the one US yard fully capable of handling the international mega sail fleet. Plans are for the lift to be up and running by fall of 2020. The drydock, which will go into operation after the lift, is projected to be able to accommodate vessels up to 4,000 tons.

“This is a big day in the history of our company,” said Paul Derecktor, president of Derecktor Shipyards, after the signing. “This yard lets us bring in a whole new range of boats. It’s a new market for us and, in large part, a new market for the U.S. We see great things ahead for Derecktor, for Ft. Pierce and for the people of St. Lucie County.”

Initial plans call for infrastructure improvements will begin as soon as permits are in place. DFP will start bringing in vessels for dockside work in the very near future, with operations steadily expanding as the facility is improved.