Marine Link
Friday, March 29, 2024
SUBSCRIBE

Knight Carver News

09 Oct 2011

Knight & Carver Acquired by Hybrid Firm

Arc Light Acquisition Adds Capabilities to Marine Compnay's Existing Services. San Diego marine hybrid systems pioneer Arc Lite Power, LLC has signed an agreement to purchase National City shipyard Knight & Carver Maritime, the companies announced today. The $30 million total investment will expand the capabilities of the combined companies to serve the emerging “green marine” market. Knight & Carver, a leading provider of marine construction and maintenance services since 1971, will continue its traditional offerings in addition to adding the operations of the world’s first global hybrid superyacht conversion and certification center. An interim operating agreement will allow combined operations to begin immediately. “The future has arrived for hybrid marine power,” said Sampson A.

22 Sep 2010

Knight & Carver YachtCenter Gets 400-ft Drydock

According to a September 21 report from The Log Newspaper, a fleet of tugboats and the San Diego Port Pilots guided a drydock measuring 400 ft in length and 63 ft in height from BAE Ship Systems, through San Diego Bay, and to its new home at Knight & Carver YachtCenter. The drydock, named Diligence, can lift vessels weighing up to 4,000 tons. (Source: The Log Newspaper)

03 Jun 2010

Knight & Carver Acquires 4K Ton Dry Dock

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has acquired a 4,000-ton dry dock for its refit and repair operations. With the acquisition, financed by a locally-based investment group, Diligence & Company LLC, Knight & Carver will provide the largest lifting capacity for megayachts and commercial  vessels on the West Coast, and one of the largest such lifts in the United States. Knight & Carver will operate the dry dock, named Diligence, under an exclusive, long-term lease arrangement with Diligence & Company LLC, along with investment partner Fraser’s Services, a San Diego-based boat repair firm. Full dry-dock operations are expected to begin by August. Knight & Carver already has secured a commitment for a significant megayacht refit project scheduled for August.

30 Jan 2008

Knight & Carver Honored as Boatyard of the Year

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has been honored by the American Boat Builders & Repairers Association (ABBRA) as the nation's most outstanding boatyard for 2007. The organization's annual Boatyard of the Year award is made annually to the U.S. Accepting the marine-industry award on behalf of Knight & Carver at the recent ABBRA awards ceremony in Atlanta were repair yard manager Mike Alvarez and production manager Giovanni LoCoco. Known for specializing in megayacht refits, Knight & Carver will soon complete a major refit of Helios, a 194-ft Oceanco-built motoryacht that has undergone an extensive five-month renovation and upgrade. The yacht's traditional European styling has given way to a more glamorous, contemporary decor, reflecting the owners' lifestyle.

02 Jan 2002

Knight & Carver Launches Makara

Knight & Carver YachtCenter celebrated the launching of its latest custom-built motoryacht, Makara, with a christening ceremony December 12, 2001 at its National City facility. Makara, a 70 ft. luxury vessel with a 21 ft. 8 in. beam, was christened by owners, Jim and Nancy Martin of South Florida. Art Bollinger served as agent for the owners in the 30-kmonth construction of the vessel, the second custom yacht the Martins have had built by Knight & Carver. “We’re especially proud of the style, craftsmanship and fit & finish of this yacht,” said Knight & Carver president John Knight. Designed by Florida-based architect Tom Fexas and priced at $3.6 million, Makara features four state rooms and four en-suite heads. It offers a top speed of 29 knots, with a 2,600 gallon fuel capacity.

29 Jan 2002

Knight & Carver Launches Loco Buzzard III

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has announced the launching of its latest luxury yacht, Loco Buzzard III, a custom-designed, custom-crafted 65 ft. cruising catamaran yachtfisher. The launch, held Monday, January 21, 2002, at Knight & Carver’s facility in National City, Calif. The vessel’s owner, Buzz Sands, christened the $2.8 million vessel, which is the second custom-built and designed yacht provided by knight & Carver for the Southern California-based yachtsman. Loco Buzzard III offers a break-through in terms of combining conventional yacht desighn with the benefits of catamaran design,” said John Knight, president and co-founder. Loco Buzzard III was co-designed by Knight & Carver and Morrelli & Melvin of Newport Beach, Calif.

22 Apr 2002

Knight & Carver Re-Launches Classic 1914 Boat

San Diego's Knight & Carver YachtCenter recently hosted the re-launch party for Pilot, a vintage 1914 Pilot-boat. More than 200 members of the San Diego Maritime Museum, plus supporters, friends and civic leaders attended the invitation-only ceremony. The event was held on the docks of Knight & Carver, located along San Diego Bay, several miles south of the Coronado Bridge. "We're extremely proud to have been selected to host this historic event," said Sampson A. Brown, chief executive officer of Knight & Carver. The 52-ft. Pilot will officially join the museum's fleet and is scheduled to begin hosting school groups on educational voyages around San Diego Bay early this summer.

14 Jun 2002

Knight & Carver to Build Excursion Catamaran

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has announced a new vessel contract to build a 72 ft. excursion catamaran for a popular destination resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Construction of the vessel has already begun, with completion slated for late 2002. The Vallarta Adventures IV will accommodate 149 passengers for diving, whale-watching and sight-seeing trips, Upon completion, it will be the third excursion catamaran Kight & Carver has built for the resort, Vallarta Adventures. “Knight & Carver has a long history of building sturdy, efficient and comfortable vessels for commercial passenger use,” said Sampson A. Brown, CEO of the company. Brown noted that the agreement to build the vessel, designed by Morrelli & Melvin of Newport Beach, Ca.

19 Jul 2002

O’Neill Joins Knight & Carver

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has announced that Katherine (Kate) O'Neill has joined the company’s staff as a sales representative based in its Shelter Island (San Diego) satellite office. A native of Australia, O’Neill brings first-hand knowledge and experience in the yacht and charter cruising industries to Knight & Carver. Most recently, she owned and operated Sailing Tours.com, based in Zihuatanejo, Mexico, aboard the 65 ft. cutter "Nirvana." For the past four years, she coordinated private sailing tours aboard the vessel through an arrangement with Club Med Ixtapa and various five-star resorts in the region. Prior to that, O’Neill traveled the western coastal waters of the U.S. and Mexico aboard “Nirvana” for more than a year.

04 Nov 2004

M Ship Gets $6M Contract

M Ship Co. has been awarded a $6 million contract to build the M80 Stiletto, an advanced technology demonstration craft. It will be used by the Department of Defense to validate high speed, smooth ride quality and stealth characteristics of the company’s patented M-hull design and explore the scalability of dynamic lift technology. The lightweight carbon fiber composite craft will demonstrate special operation capabilities by launching and retrieving an 11-meter RIB, a 36-foot auxiliary craft for Navy Special Forces. It also will launch and operate unmanned vehicles.

02 Aug 2005

Ronin Begins Refit at Knight & Carver

M/Y Ronin, the 192 ft. Lurssen owned by Oracle Corporation founder/CEO Larry Ellison, has arrived at Knight & Carver YachtCenter and is now undergoing a refit project scheduled for completion by August 2005. According to Captain Steven Bates, the project’s emphasis will be on extensive audio/visual and IT upgrades, cabinet carpentry throughout all state rooms, re-caulking of the teak decks and hull paintwork. A full-time crew of Knight & Carver’s talented tradesmen has been assigned to Ronin. The most subtantial portion of the project will be completed on Knight & Carver’s 300’ drive-on dock, with haul-out at nearby Knight & Carver’s partner, Southwest Marine. Knight & Carver’s Cliff Mayo is serving as project manager.

16 Oct 2007

Helios Undergoes Major Refit at K&C

Knight & Carver YachtCenter’s Cliff Mayo (left), is shown aboard Helios with the megayacht’s chief engineer Per-Eric Kallstrom (center) and HF Interior managing director Curt Biller. By the time Helios completes her six-month refit January 31, the 194 ft. Oceanco will be ready for her close-up. For now, the yacht’s once-classic European styling has been stripped away, to be replaced with a far more glamorous, sexy look. “It’s going to be a floating beach house, totally chic, edgy and contemporary,” said Captain Tommy Gurr. “The owners wanted something more fitting to their lifestyle. Launched in 2001, Helios now calls the Pacific its cruising base, one reason Gurr opted for a lengthy refit at San Diego’s Knight & Carver YachtCenter.

13 Nov 2006

Knight & Carver Launches Custom Technologies

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has announced the formation of Custom Technologies. Operating as a stand-alone division of the company and serving its core customers’ desires for the latest and most advanced entertainment systems, Knight & Carver Custom Technologies will provide clients with a wide array of high-end systems. These state-of-the-art systems will include ambient lighting and music, large-screen hi-definition TV screens, satellite radio, Internet, email, Dolby-sound cinema theaters, mood lighting in every room, security systems, temperature controls, as well as the finest in on-board and external communications and related amenities. Each system will be customized and fully integrated for the maximum ease, comfort and convenience of the yacht’s owner and guests.

31 Jan 2006

M. Ship Launches Experimental Vessel

M. Ship Co. launched the M80 Stiletto, designed as an operational experiment for the Pentagon's Office of Force Transformation (OFT) and an example of the next generation of military vessels that combines new materials (carbon fiber), with a networked architecture and a revolutionary hull. The M80 Stiletto initiative is part of OFT's Wolf PAC Distributed Operations Experiment, conducted in association with USSOCOM, to explore command and control of geographically dispersed, but networked, autonomous and semi-autonomous military forces. This new concept of operations by the Department of Defense is in response to diffuse threats that are perceived as emerging in the future.

03 Jul 2003

Altmann Joins Knight & Carver

Walter Altmann, who brings more than 15 years of yachting industry experience in a variety of roles, has been hired by Knight & Carver YachtCenter as its on-staff naval architect and designer. Altmann spent the past two years with Hatteras Yachts in North Carolina, where he was in charge of new-product design. According to Sampson A. Brown, President/CEO of Knight & Carver, the addition of Altmann gives the boat-building and repair company its first full-time staff architect/designer in many years. Altmann has served as a naval architect, marine engineer and yacht broker. Prior to joining Hatteras, he spent three years at Cabo Yachts in Adelanto, CA, where he coordinated conceptual design for Cabo’s new models.

05 Feb 2003

Knight & Carver Promotes LoCoco to VP

Knight & Carver YachtCenter has promoted Giovanni LoCoco to the newly created position of Vice President/Operations. The announcement was made by Sampson A. Brown, the boat-building company’s president/chief executive officer. LoCoco, who has been with Knight & Carver for 19 years, now oversees all three divisions – new-vessel construction, vessel repair/refits/repowers and wind-turbine blade manufacture and repair. A native San Diegan, Mr. LoCoco joined Knight & Carver as a carpenter in 1984. He has expertise in virtually every department of the company, including all phases of boat building, along with engineering, sales, marketing and business development.

29 Apr 2003

Southwest Marine to Provide Facilities for Knight & Carver

Knight & Carver YachtCenter of San Diego announced a teaming agreement with Southwest Marine that provides Knight & Carver full use of Southwest Marine’s dry-dock facilities to service vessels of virtually unlimited tonnage. Under the agreement, Knight & Carver will be able to use Southwest Marine’s facilities for large-vessel haulouts, with Knight & Carver’s work crews working at Southwest Marine on an as-needed basis. The two companies are located several miles from each other along the San Diego bay front. The teaming agreement, made jointly by Knight & Carver President/CEO Sampson A. Brown and Southwest Marine Vice President/Commercial Marketing Alex Vinck, takes effect immediately.

04 Sep 2001

Knight & Carver Names Brown As CEO

Knight & Carver YachtCenter, San Diego, Calif., has appointed Sam Brown as CEO. For the past 14 years, Brown has served as legal counsel to the company, whose revenues exceeded $12 million last year. Under Brown's watch, Knight & Carver recently opened new sales offices in Shelter Island (San Diego); additional offices are located in Newport Beach, Calif. and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

20 Feb 2002

Knight & Carver Forms Alliance with Pinnacle

As part of its sales effort, Knight & Carver YachtCenter has announced an alliance with Pinnacle Marine Corporation, which will represent Knight & Carver to the commercial vessel industry, both in the U.S. and overseas. The firm’s president, Robert McMahon, is a 20-year veteran in the industry. “We are pleased to be aligned with Pinnacle Marine because of its proven reputation for integrity and results,” said Sam Brown, CEO of Knight & Carver. “This partnership marks a significant step in our effort to increase our involvement in the commercial vessel industry.”

09 Jun 2003

People & Company News

Michael Carthew, President, Chevron Texaco Shipping and Dean Taylor, President and CEO, Tidewater Marine were elected to the ABS Board of Directors, by the ABS Council, following yesterday's Annual Members Meeting of the classification society in New York. General Dynamics announced the appointment of John F. "Dugan" Shipway, 60, as president of Bath Iron Works, reporting to Michael W. Toner, executive vice president of General Dynamics Marine Systems group. Shipway succeeds Allan C. Cameron, 57, who has announced his retirement. Cameron had been president of Bath Iron Works since 1996. Edwin W. Stephan, a founder and former longtime president and vice chairman of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., will retire from the Board of Directors following the company's May 20 annual meeting in Miami.

07 Sep 2005

M/Y Ronin Begins Refit at Knight & Carver

M/Y Ronin, the 192 ft. Lurssen owned by Oracle Corporation founder/CEO Larry Ellison, has arrived at Knight & Carver Yacht Center and is now undergoing a refit project scheduled for completion by August 2005. According to Captain Steven Bates, the project's emphasis will be on extensive audio/visual and IT upgrades, cabinet carpentry throughout all state rooms, re-caulking of the teak decks and hull paintwork. A full-time crew of Knight & Carver's tradesmen has been assigned to Ronin. The most subtantial portion of the project will be completed on Knight & Carver's 300 ft. drive-on dock, with haul-out at nearby Knight & Carver's partner, Southwest Marine. Knight & Carver's Cliff Mayo is serving as project manager.