Zurn Yacht Design

What Zurn Yacht Design does

Zurn Yacht Design is a privately held naval architecture and yacht design firm founded in 1993 by Doug Zurn and headquartered in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The firm creates bespoke power and sailing yachts ranging from 22-foot daysailers to 74-foot expedition vessels, delivering end-to-end services including conceptual mockups, shop drawings, three-dimensional visualizations, material specifications, and build project management. Since inception, the firm has completed over 725 yacht designs across multiple decades, collaborating with more than fifteen premium boatbuilders including Hinckley, Lyman-Morse, Bruckmann Yachts, Lynx Yachts, Duffield Yachts, Delta Marine/MJM, and Boston Boatworks.

The firm's product portfolio spans a branded Zurn line (Z36, Z50, Z57, Z60 Expedition Cat, Zurn 52) alongside collaborative designs for production builders (Bruckmann 42, Salish Sea 48, Vanquish 26, B&G Daychaser 48, Williams 38, Hinckley Picnic Boat 39, Marlow Explorer 65C, Duffield 58). Technical capabilities center on naval architecture combined with advanced materials — lightweight coring, high-strength fabrics — supported by modern 3D visualization and CAD tooling. Notable commissioned clients include singer-songwriter Billy Joel (Vendetta and Shelter Island Runabout), illustrating the firm's engagement with high-profile UHNW individuals.

The business operates on a professional services model with quote-based design fees, no public pricing, and exclusive direct-to-client engagement. Distribution is entirely direct — no intermediaries, resellers, or commissioned sales channels — reflecting a deliberately selective relationship model. The firm has additionally launched selective brokerage services for Zurn-designed vessels and extended into branded merchandise (textiles, accessories), diversifying beyond pure design commissions. Operating geographies span the Northeast USA with a global client base served through direct outreach.

Name

Zurn Yacht Design

Legal name

Zurn Yacht Design

Website

https://zurnyachts.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zurn Yacht Design is a privately held naval architecture firm founded in 1993 in Marblehead, Massachusetts, designing bespoke power and sailing yachts through direct engagement with ultra-high-net-worth clients and premium boatbuilders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Naval Architecture and Custom Yacht Design

NAICS

Industrial Design Services (54142), Ship and Boat Building (33661)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sailing Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAA), Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM), Full-Custom Superyacht & Megayacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAB), Explorer Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAMAE)

Keywords

• Yacht design
• Naval architecture
• Custom boat design
• Yacht engineering
• Marine design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Marblehead

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Yacht Design Services: Bespoke yacht design services including conceptual mockups, shop drawings, three-dimensional visualizations, material specifications, and full project management through build completion. Revenue derived from design fees and ongoing client relationships for custom and production yachts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zurn Yacht Design provides custom yacht design and naval architecture services for power and sailing vessels, ranging from 22-foot daysailers to 74-foot expedition yachts. Services include conceptual mockups, shop drawings, 3D visualizations, material specifications, and end-to-end build project management with builder partners. The firm also offers selective brokerage services for Zurn-designed and other exceptional bespoke vessels.

Product overview

Zurn Yacht Design is a naval architecture and yacht design firm founded in 1993, based in Marblehead, Massachusetts. The company offers end-to-end design and engineering services for custom power and sailing yachts, including conceptual mockups, shop drawings, three-dimensional visualizations, material specifications, and build project management. The portfolio spans over 725 launches across powerboats, sailing yachts, expedition vessels, daysailers, runabouts, and commuter yachts. Key product lines include the New England Boatworks series, Bruckmann daysailers, Zurn Expedition Catamarans (Z60, Z57, Z50, Z52, Z36), Shelter Island vessels (Nomad and Runabout), and collaboration models with builders including Williams, Hinckley, Vanquish, Marlow, Duffield, and Lynx. The company also provides selective brokerage services for its own designs and exceptional bespoke vessels, maintaining relationships with clients long after launch.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yacht Design Services Custom yacht design and naval architecture services for power and sailing vessels, including conceptual mockups, shop drawings, three-dimensional visualizations, and material specifications. The firm creates bespoke yachts ranging from 22-foot daysailers to 74-foot expedition vessels.
• Brokerage Services Selective resale services for Zurn-designed yachts and exceptional bespoke vessels, offering insight, continuity, and design perspective for buyers and sellers.
• Project Management Services End-to-end build project management including coordination with builders, real-time web conferencing, updated drawings and information supply, and on-site shop-floor support throughout the build lifecycle.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Custom and Production BuilderscoreOthersZurn Yacht Design works with a range of custom and production builders to create yachts. The firm provides end-to-end project management including drawings, specifications, and builder coordination. Builders mentioned include New England Boatworks, Bruckmann Yachts, John Williams Boat Company, Salish Sea Yachts, Vanquish Boats, Boston Boatworks, Duffield Yachts, Marlow Yachts, Lynx Yachts, Hinckley Yachts, Delta Marine/MJM, Lyman-Morse, Samoset Boatworks, CH Marine, Coecles Harbor Marine/Derecktor Shipyards.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design: Boutique sailing yacht design firm specializing in high-performance offshore and superyacht sailing designs; comparable custom-yacht design services with similar premium positioning.
• Ron Holland Design (RWD): International custom sailing and motor yacht design firm with similar project-management-through-build approach; directly comparable boutique designer serving HNW owners worldwide.
• Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering: Multihull and high-performance powerboat design specialists whose Zurn 60 Expedition Cat, Salish Sea 48, and B&G Daychaser 48 overlap in catamaran and performance powerboat design; comparable boutique custom-design firm.
• Tripp Design Naval Architecture: William Tripp III's Newport, RI-based naval architecture office designing custom sailing and power yachts over a similar vintage; identical boutique model, comparable builder relationships, and direct overlap in the same Northeastern US HNW client base.
• Hoek Design Naval Architects: Dutch boutique designing modern classic sailing yachts and performance sloops; parallels Zurn's daysailer-to-expedition work and owner-led custom-build project management for HNW clients.
• Sparkman & Stephens: Legendary New York-based naval architecture firm with a portfolio exceeding 2,500 yacht designs across sailing and power; directly comparable to Zurn in custom yacht naval architecture, though substantially older and larger.
• Dubois Naval Architects: UK-based superyacht design house producing sailing and power yachts for UHNW owners globally; directly competitive with Zurn at the larger end of the custom-yacht market (50ft–130ft).
• Bruce King Yacht Design: California-based boutique design firm producing sailing and power yachts in the same size band as Zurn, with comparable custom-design-and-project-management services.
• Carkeek Design Partners: Seattle-based boutique design house producing high-performance sailing and power yachts and managing build projects through to delivery; closely mirrors Zurn's turnkey concept-to-delivery offering with similar builder partnerships.
• Boesch Design / Jim Boesch: Long-running US yacht designer specializing in Hinckley-style Downeast and luxury powerboats, including past collaboration with Hinckley Yachts — a builder Zurn also designs for, making them directly comparable in space and aesthetic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/zurnyachts/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zurn Yacht Design