American yacht builder Christensen Shipyards is getting ready to move its operations from Vancouver, Washington, where it’s been located since 1983, to a new facility in Tellico Lake, Tennessee, about 15 miles from the Knoxville airport.
“This move has been in the works for 15 years,” said president of Christensen Shipyards Jim Gilbert. However, the expansion to a new facility was delayed for a number of reasons over the years, including the onset of the recession in 2008, a subsequent decline in yacht orders, a temporary suspension of operations in 2014 and the eventual sale of the business in the summer 2015.
Under new ownership and debt-free, Christensen looked poised to restart on steadier ground after a few difficult years having delivered 50 meter Silver Lining and 49 meter award-winning Chasseur (recipient of a Judges’ Special Award for Achievement at the 2017 World Superyacht Awards) in 2016. Hull 38, a sistership to Silver Lining already in build, was sold to a new client in 2018 and the shipyard introduced a number of new designs.