Appledore Shipbuilders Given Lifeline Order

After a long wait, Devon shipyard gets hull contract

North Devon shipyard, Appledore Shipbuilders have secured work after a long gap in their order books.

Now part of DML, that company has won an order to build a steel hulled multi-million pound superyacht and it is understood that the hull will be built at Appledore.

It has long been awaited and hoped for that the last commercial shipbuilder in England would get orders for hull builds as the parent group pursued the growing superyacht market.

Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox hopes that this order will be the start of many more and that it was 'a long time coming'.

He said he was delighted for the workers at the yard and that it showed the high regard the yard was held in as was the quality of its design team.

Appledore have struggled in recent years, most noticeably when an order for three ferries that most people would have thought Appledore would win, given they were for the local Taymar Bridge and Torpoint Ferry Joint Committee, went instead to the Ferguson shipyard in Scotland. Appledore laid off most of its staff shortly afterwards.

Once the hull of the yacht is complete it will be towed to Devonport for outfitting and completion. It is reported that 200 jobs at Appledore will be secured as a result of this order.