Planning your build
From brief to handover, in eight phases.
A modern houseboat is a complex vessel. Floor plans, naval architecture, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC — every system gets engineered and signed off before steel is cut. Here's how the calendar usually plays out.
- 01Up to 6 months out
Reserve a build slot
Build slots fill quickly. We secure your spot in the production calendar with a refundable design deposit. Earlier reservations buy you better launch dates and more time for design choices.
- 02Week −16
Specifications & preliminary design
We capture intended use, marina constraints, guest count, and aesthetic preferences. Naval architects model a hull suited for your duty cycle and prepare initial floor plans.
- 03Week −14
Preliminary design review
Walk the proposed layout with our team. Adjust deck zones, salon flow, cabin sizes — every change here is cheap and pencil-only.
- 04Week −12
Interior design with the client
Materials library, joinery samples, fabric and leather swatches. We finalise the look before any wood is cut.
- 05Week −10
Final sign-off
Boat design, specs, interior colours, and material selections are confirmed. From here, changes become harder — but predictability rises sharply.
- 06Week −9
Drawings issued to production
Twelve+ engineering drawings — floor plans, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC — are issued to the build team alongside our internal QA checklists.
- 07Week −8
Construction begins
The hull is laid up, deck structure assembled, and systems threaded through. Owners receive weekly photo updates and are welcome at the shipyard at any time.
- 08Week 16
Sea trials & handover
Class certification, captain training, and handover at your home marina. After-sales lead becomes your direct line for the life of the boat.
Reserving a build slot
How payments work.
Design deposit
Refundable deposit secures your build slot in the production calendar and starts naval-architecture and interior-design work. The full amount converts to a credit against the final contract price.
Contract deposit
A percentage of the contract price falls due before construction starts. From here you choose between staged progress payments through the build, or an Irrevocable Letter of Credit (I.L.O.C.) drawn down on completion.
Progress payments (or I.L.O.C.)
If you opt for progress payments, instalments fall due at agreed milestones — keel laid, hull complete, fit-out underway, sea trials. The I.L.O.C. route bundles everything into a single drawdown at handover.
Final balance & handover
The remaining balance is settled at sea trials, against handover. Your captain training and on-board orientation happen alongside this, at your home marina.
Financing
Houseboats are a major investment. We work with select UAE banks and marine-finance partners on owner financing, charter-revenue models, and corporate leasing structures. Send your brief through the inquiry form and we'll route you to the right partner — there's no in-house lending, but plenty of pre-qualified options.
Ready to lock in a slot?
Send your brief — intended use, target marina, guest count — and we'll come back with a recommended hull, current build-slot availability, and a budget range within one business day.