Prestigious Dutch shipyard Oceanco has completed its newest superyacht: the 364-foot (111-meter) motor yacht DreAMBoat, previously known as Project Y726. Commissioned in 2022, the vessel marks Oceanco’s fastest build of this magnitude, and one of its largest ever by volume at 4,550 gross tons.
The yacht is the “second yacht of the same name built by Oceanco for the same owner,” and it’s public knowledge that the first DreAMBoat, a 295-foot (90-meter) yacht, was built for Home Depot co-founder Arthur Blank.
That first vessel was conceived for enjoying extended time with loved ones, with features including a spa, an outdoor cinema and a generous layout to accommodate the owner’s adult children and grandchildren, according to a Yachts International article. The name itself reflects Blank’s values, with the stylized capitals subtly paying homage to his initials and his philanthropic initiatives via the AMB Family Foundation. The name itself, though, was chosen by one of Blank’s children as part of a contest he conducted.
The new and improved DreAMBoat builds on the strengths of its predecessor while introducing fresh features to suit the owner’s evolving lifestyle. Naval architecture was jointly developed by Lateral Naval Architects and Oceanco’s in-house team, while the exterior design is once again credited to Monaco-based Espen Øino International. The interior is by Mark Berryman Design, bringing a new design style to the interior mood and layout.
Building on the trust from their first partnership, the new DreAMBoat was completed exceptionally quickly. From first discussions in November 2021 to contract signing in February 2022, the project progressed at an “unprecedented pace,” shaving about 18 months off the typical schedule for a yacht of this size.
Oceanco credits the accelerated build schedule to close collaboration and decisive action. The owner reportedly made many major design decisions in the first year: sometimes on the same day. True to Arthur Blank’s original vision, DreAMBoat remains built around family experience. The vessel can host 28 guests and 34 crew, and the owner himself praised Oceanco for listening carefully to his ideas and translating them into reality.
Onboard spaces are generous and varied: there is a winter garden, a covered cocktail terrace, an outdoor cinema, and a private owner’s deck with an owner’s apartment. An entertainment area features a swimming pool and jacuzzi, and notably, a golf simulator on the sundeck invites guests to practice their swing at sea. Inside, the yacht offers a gym, a spa with sauna and steam room, and a beach club lounge with bar that opens directly onto the swim platform.
Captain André Salt, who also served on the first DreAMBoat, noted that building the successor felt like a genuine creative partnership, culminating in “an engineering masterpiece and a genuine work of art.”
“At Oceanco, we believe that great yachts come from great relationships,” commented Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout. “Having already built one yacht with the owner, we had a strong foundation and quickly aligned on vision. This created an enjoyable and productive environment in which the owner’s dream could be realized.”
For Oceanco, this project represents the power of creating, last long-term relationships. Repeat customers in this kind of superyacht size range are rare, but this fresh new delivery shows that dreamy collaborations are certainly possible.
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This story was originally published on forbes.com and all figures are in USD.
