Van Der Valk Reveals Details of the Custom-Built Pilot

The 112-foot Pilot is a Cor D. Rover design that just splashed ahead of sea trials.
Van der Valk Pilot
The 295-gross-ton Van der Valk Pilot is a Cor D. Rover-designed, custom yacht for an experienced owner. Courtesy Van der Valk

Van der Valk shipyard in the Netherlands has splashed the 112-foot custom Pilot yacht ahead of sea trials.

Until now, the yard has released no details about the Cor D. Rover design, which comes in at 295 gross tons.

“The project has its origins in a design concept from our office which was aimed at creating the maximum real estate,” the designer stated in a press release. “The client for this bespoke build, an experienced owner of multiple boats, asked to extend the length within this maximum-interior-space principle while taking the contemporary looks to an even higher level of sophistication.

The three-deck yacht has a pilothouse with raked windows inspired by commercial vessels, along with air grilles inspired by the automotive industry. There also are black-painted surfaces in the superstructure that are intended to look like glass.

“All these exterior details and round forms required a great deal of skill from our aluminum-shapers and welders,” Van der Valk general manager Bram Kooltjes stated in a press release. “In essence, we had to create perfect straight lines on a perfect curved shape, one where even the slightest deformation would be instantly apparent due to the different colors used.”

Is this the first vessel Van der Valk has built under American Bureau of Shipping rules? Indeed, it is.

Take the next step: go to vandervalkshipyard.com