Composite specialist Yonca Shipyard launches Mishi Yachts brand to capture the supersail market
by Yonca Shipyard 25 Apr 13:30 UTC
Yonca Shipyard © Pozitif Studio
Yonca Shipyard is a high-quality builder of state-of-the-art composite vessels based in Tuzla, near Istanbul.
Founded in 1986, the yard has more than 180 ships and boats to its name, many of them in the demanding defence and law enforcement sector. Now this highly successful Turkish shipbuilding business is eyeing the leisure marine market.
The capacities of this impressive, modern shipyard speak for themselves. It covers 44,000 square metres, with around half of that under cover. The purpose-built construction facilities are capable of producing vessels up to 160ft from stem to stern and displacing 400 tonnes or more deadweight. As many as 20 naval and 20 leisure yachts can be built in a year.
Although Yonca is capable of building in steel, aluminium and even wood, its specialty is in the production of high-speed composite vessels, such as fast intervention craft, special operations and patrol boats. These vessels are renowned not only for their impressive top speeds of 40 to 80 knots, but also for their robustness and seaworthiness.
It takes exceptional engineering and design capabilities to survive in the demanding defence world, but Yonca has this and more. Its 180 skilled craftsmen and boatbuilders are very experienced in carbon and glass-fibre composite work.
"Yonca is exceedingly well-known in defence and as the skilled builder behind other yachting brands," said Chairman and founder Sakir Yilmaztürk. "But we are branching out in the leisure sector. We are taking the skills and capabilities honed over 36 years and bringing it to superyachting in a new venture we have named Mishi Yachts. Our debut designs are for an 88ft and a 102ft luxury sailing yachts."
The yard is well used to working with renowned naval architects and designers to ensure the highest standards of performance. It has proven its ability to achieve enduring superyacht finish in a stand-alone project for a launched 88ft sailing boat. Using in-house and third-party expertise, Yonca can tackle exotic marbles, valuable leathers and the rare materials that go into sculpting a superyacht.
Meanwhile, the yard's capacity to design and build complex moulds and produce flawless composite work is one of its key selling points. From CNC milling of the initial tooling to vacuum infusion, Yonca has mastered the art of producing large fibreglass structures to an impeccable standard. And its finishing capabilities are just as impressive, from its large woodworking department to stainless steel fabrication. A host of more specialist trades are available locally, thanks to the booming superyacht industry around Tuzla.
"We are as excited by every new project today as we were when we first launched in 1986," said Yilmaztürk. "Our reputation rests on our skill with composite work, as well as our ability to design and engineer complex, demanding projects and deliver them on time and on budget. I believe that it is time to bring those skills to a wider market and capture the growth that is our due."