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SonShip 81 Pilothouse
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Neil Rabinowitz
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SonShip 81 Pilothouse
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SonShip 81 Pilothouse
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Neil Rabinowitz
By Ashley Okazaki
In 2017, SonShip and West Bay Shipyards will celebrate their 50th anniversary from the same location where Ben and Leidy Vermeulen founded their Lower Mainland boat building and repair company. To mark this special occasion, SonShip has released the all-new 81 Raised Pilothouse – a luxury yacht made for open water adventure.
Available with a skylounge or cockpit, the 81 Pilothouse features sleek lines, elegant styling and a fully redesigned interior. It’s just over 26 metres long with a fuel capacity of 10,410 litres, a 757-litre water capacity, and twin CAT C18 1150 BHP, EPA Tier III engines.
From the lower deck to the command bridge, this yacht blends power and performance with the old-world craftsmanship that has built SonShip’s esteemed reputation. The fabrication is seamless: vacuum bonded sandwich construction using Vectorply fiberglass, osmosis protection below the waterline, and fiberglass stringers with a urethane foam core.
Inside, the 81 Pilothouse is graceful and welcoming. Owners and their guests will feel at home with spacious staterooms, custom woodwork, cedar-lined closets, and a galley to delight even the most sophisticated cook. Every detail has been considered, making the 81 Pilothouse ideal for exploring both local waters and exotic ports of call.
To see this fine craftsmanship firsthand, marine enthusiasts can visit West Bay Shipyards at their Fraser River headquarters, located about 20 miles south of Vancouver, BC. This full-service shipyard has over 100,000 square feet of climate-controlled design and production space on 6.5 acres of riverfront land, with a 200-ton marine ways. West Bay not only builds the SonShip family of luxury yachts, but also repairs and refits a wide range of boats, yachts and marine craft.
The on-water facilities were recently upgraded with a new set of concrete floats and a boathouse that can accommodate vessels up to 110 LOA. After half a century in the business, West Bay Shipyards has the skills and experience to provide nearly any marine service imaginable – including boat repairs and refits, design services, yacht construction and servicing, yearly maintenance, yacht refitting, yacht sales and much more.
West Bay and SonShip continue to be family owned-and-operated businesses, with the Vermeulen’s sons, Wes and Bas, and son-in-law Danny, leading this hard-working group into the next 50 years. Get in touch today, and experience why SonShip is built on quality without compromise.
To discuss a new build, service or retrofit project, please visit www.sonshipyachts.com