Southern Ocean Boats
Southern Ocean Boats is a private New Zealand custom boat builder founded in 1996, designing and constructing bespoke yachts, superyacht tenders, dive boats, marine equipment, and film props for affluent owners, commercial marine operators, and entertainment clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersTauranga, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Southern Ocean Boats does
Southern Ocean Boats (legally Southern Ocean Boat Builders, also trading as Southern Ocean Marine) is a private, custom boat builder founded in 1996 and headquartered at 40B Mirrielees Rd, Tauranga, in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty region. The company designs and constructs bespoke watercraft to individual client specifications, with a portfolio spanning custom yachts (Liara 1, Liara 2, Providence), superyacht tenders (Super Yacht Air, Super Yacht Ice, White Pearl Tender), dive boats (Tender to Serene), commercial marine equipment (Ocean Victory Deck Chiller), specialty builds (Project CQS), and props for the Hollywood film The Meg. Its core capability is hands-on fabrication rather than platform technology, anchored by the claimed sailing expertise and dedication of its build team.
The business operates on a project-based, one-off revenue model. Each vessel is commissioned to a customer's budget and specification, with no public pricing, no online purchase path, and no dealer or reseller channel. GTM is sales-led and direct: prospective clients reach the company via a website contact form, phone, or email, with Greg McNabb listed as the public contact. Marketing is limited to a portfolio-style website and an Instagram account (@southernoceanboatbuilders); there are no disclosed paid acquisition, content marketing, or SEO channels.
The company is privately held, with no disclosed funding, no parent company, no patents or trademarks, no awards, and no formal partnerships on record. It serves three identifiable customer segments: affluent private yacht owners, commercial marine operators (superyacht support, charter), and the film/entertainment industry. With 11-50 employees and no public revenue disclosure, Southern Ocean Boats is a small, founder-style bespoke marine manufacturer whose economic profile is intrinsically tied to a small number of high-value, custom commissions per year.
Southern Ocean Boats firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Southern Ocean Boats
- Legal name
- Southern Ocean Boat Builders
- Website
- https://southernoceanmarine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Southern Ocean Boats is a private New Zealand custom boat builder founded in 1996, designing and constructing bespoke yachts, superyacht tenders, dive boats, marine equipment, and film props for affluent owners, commercial marine operators, and entertainment clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Southern Ocean Boats industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Boat Building
- NAICS
- Boat Building (336612), Ship and Boat Building (3366)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Custom Yacht Building & One-Off Projects (IMAJAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Luxury Yacht Tenders & Support Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAMAK), Luxury Yacht Prototype, One-Off & Concept Build Programs (IMAJAMAL)
Keywords
Where Southern Ocean Boats is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tauranga
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Southern Ocean Boats business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Custom Boat Building: Southern Ocean Boats generates revenue through bespoke boat building services, constructing custom vessels tailored to individual customer specifications, budgets, and requirements. Revenue is project-based, generated from the design and construction of yachts, dive boats, superyacht tenders, and specialized vessels.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Southern Ocean Boats product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Southern Ocean Boats is a New Zealand-based custom boat builder founded in 1996 that designs, engineers, and manufactures bespoke boats for individual and commercial clients. Their portfolio includes custom yachts, dive boats, superyacht tenders, commercial work boats, and specialty builds such as film props. Each vessel is purpose-built to client specifications rather than produced from a standardized model line.
Product overview
Southern Ocean Boats is a custom boat building company offering bespoke watercraft construction services. The company operates as a single-product service business focused on custom boat building rather than a platform with modules. Their portfolio includes custom yachts (Liara 1, Liara 2, Providence), dive boats (Tender to Serene), super yacht tenders (Super Yacht Air, Super Yacht Ice), commercial marine equipment (Ocean Victory Deck Chiller), film production props (The Meg), and specialty vessels (White Pearl Tender, Project CQS). All offerings are custom-built to customer specifications and requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Yachts
Companies that use Southern Ocean Boats
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Southern Ocean Boats technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Southern Ocean Boats partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Southern Ocean Boats competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tansu Yachts: Turkey-based boutique custom yacht builder known for one-off, distinctive motor yachts. Directly comparable as a small, design-led custom yard producing bespoke vessels in the same premium niche as Southern Ocean.
- Pascoe International: Australian builder of custom limousine tenders, beach landers, and high-end support craft for superyachts. Directly comparable as a specialist in luxury superyacht tenders, overlapping with Southern Ocean's tender work.
- Hodgdon Yachts: US-based custom superyacht builder and tender specialist in Maine. Comparable as a boutique custom yard producing superyacht tenders and bespoke vessels for an overlapping HNW clientele.
- Mulder Shipyard: Netherlands-based custom yacht builder and refit specialist producing semi-custom and fully custom motor yachts. Comparable in bespoke build philosophy, premium client focus, and project-based revenue model.
- McMullen & Wing: Long-established New Zealand custom boat builder specializing in motor yachts, sailing yachts, and superyacht tenders. Direct competitor in the same NZ bespoke-build niche, serving similar ultra-high-net-worth clients.
- Yachting Developments: New Zealand-based custom yacht and superyacht builder based in Auckland. Highly comparable as a fellow NZ yard offering bespoke composite yacht and tender construction for luxury and commercial clients.
Regional players
- Orams Marine: New Zealand marine services yard in Auckland offering refit, repair, and new build work. Comparable as a domestic NZ marine builder/servicer, with overlap in custom project work and proximity to the same buyer pool.
Broad incumbents
- Princess Yachts: Established UK luxury motor yacht manufacturer with global distribution. Comparable end-customer base and premium yacht category, though operating at significantly greater scale and with a semi-custom rather than fully bespoke model.
- Sunseeker: Large UK-based luxury motor yacht builder with a broad model range. Comparable as a player in the same luxury yacht end market, though operating at much larger scale and with series production rather than purely custom builds.
Emerging players
- Vikal Yachts: Australia-based custom motor yacht builder focused on expedition and support vessels. Comparable as a Southern Hemisphere boutique custom yard building high-end, purpose-driven vessels for a similar clientele.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Southern Ocean Boats social profiles
Digital presenceSouthern Ocean Boats financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Southern Ocean Boats leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Southern Ocean Boats funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Southern Ocean Boats M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Southern Ocean Boats
What does Southern Ocean Boats do?
Southern Ocean Boats is a New Zealand-based custom boat builder founded in 1996 that designs, engineers, and manufactures bespoke boats for individual and commercial clients. Their portfolio includes custom yachts, dive boats, superyacht tenders, commercial work boats, and specialty builds such as film props. Each vessel is purpose-built to client specifications rather than produced from a standardized model line.
Is Southern Ocean Boats a public or private company?
Southern Ocean Boats is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Southern Ocean Boats founded?
Southern Ocean Boats was founded in 1996. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Southern Ocean Boats based?
Southern Ocean Boats is headquartered in Tauranga, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Southern Ocean Boats make money?
One revenue line is on record: custom Boat Building.
Who are Southern Ocean Boats's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tansu Yachts, Pascoe International, Hodgdon Yachts, Mulder Shipyard, McMullen & Wing and Yachting Developments. Orams Marine is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are Princess Yachts and Sunseeker. Vikal Yachts is listed as an emerging player.
Does Southern Ocean Boats have an API?
No public API is recorded for Southern Ocean Boats.
What industry is Southern Ocean Boats in?
Southern Ocean Boats's product category is Custom Boat Building. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAEAL, Custom Yacht Building & One-Off Projects, with a secondary code of IMAJAMAK, Luxury Yacht Tenders & Support Craft Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 336612 and its SIC code is 3730.