Production
Meschede-Freienohl
In the middle of the countryside in Sauerland, Germany, where 170 Dehler yachts are built each year, in a total factory area of 50000 m2.
Joining the hull and the deck into a single piece is a time-consuming task, but when it comes to quality Dehler never compromises.
It is a technique that requires great precision, but joining the two parts together whilst still in the mould ensures the greatest possible strength and robustness.
?All production is carried out under our control?, explains the Production Manager. To maintain the high quality of our yachts requires the employment of very highly-qualified professionals: around 150 people, who are proud of their meticulous, rigorous work for a brand that has become a symbol of excellence..
The empty mould is retrieved from storage and checked for smoothness. A release agent is sprayed onto the mould, and then the first layers of white or coloured gelcoat are applied.
For all moulded parts, the gelcoat is followed by layers of laminate, laid in special directions and thicknesses to ensure strength and rigidity throughout the yacht.
Here the first layer of lamination is coming to an end, you can easily see the areas where extra laminate has been especially applied.
All Dehlers are built with hand-laid laminates with balsa cores. Here you can see the balsa is being applied onto the first layers of laminate. All the balsa is pre-cut for accuracy and ease.
All forces through the boat are transferred to these very substantial stringers that are laminated directly into the hull, ensuring the maximum performance.
Unlike many other production boats, some woodwork is fitted to a Dehler whilst the hull is still in its mould! This is due to our unique hull/deck join, which means once joined, everything must be brought down through the hatch.
The same hand-lay up construction system is used for the deck, meaning no weak areas anywhere on a Dehler yacht.
Here you can see all cables have been laid into special grooves in the deck inner-shell. This ensures they are fully protected from the elements. This innershell is then laminated into the deck.
This part will be inserted into the hull whilst in the mould, and forms all the places for installation of tanks, batteries etc. As usual, this is strongly laminated directly to the hull.
The magic is about to begin! Here the deck is being lowered onto the hull (still in its mould). Once aligned, the two units will become one by a lamination join that creates a unique monocoque.
From the inside, layers of laminate are hand-laid to ensure the strongest join possible. One that will survive any storm and mean a lifetime leak-free boat.
Once the lamination process is finished, the finished hull is carefully lifted out of the mould. You can see the ridge, which is a result of the robust hull-deck join.
The hull is now transferred to the milling department. Here, holes are cut for hatches, piping etc. and the ridge is ground down to a flush finish.
The hull now enters the Final-Assembly stage, where deck-fittings, electronics etc. along with all interior work is carried out. The hulls move gradually down the hall as work progresses.
The yacht is now in the final stages of production. Almost all the interior work has been finished, and all work above-deck has been completed. The hull now leaves the main hall, to be hoisted onto its keel.
The very last step sees the keel stepped and a thorough check carried out. The boat is also thoroughly cleaned ready for delivery.
