Luxury and hard labour

摘要

Vessels that can lift great loads or sculpt the landscape around new port construction or civil engineering projects are well-known Dutch specialities, but the Netherlands has also made a name for itself in a more glamorous field. In the yachting sector, the biggest builders include Vollenhove-based Royal Huisman, which specialises in sailing yachts and has three orders; De Vries in Aalsmeer, which has built 35 vessels and has been commissioned to build another; Van Lent in Kaag, which has three orders; Hakvoort at Monnickendam, which has orders for four yachts (including the aptly named Pretty Woman); and Heesen in Oss, which has a healthy order-book with six yachts commissioned.