IRENE SINO-CRUZ
Jeju Sea World from Jeju Island South Korea signs contract with SEALS Boatyard Inc, a local and Cebu based marine vessel building company, for the construction of five 14-meter luxury catamaran yachts.
Engr. Doyle Figueras, chief executive officer of Seals Boatyard Inc., said that the contract will enable the company to showcase its capability and experience as well as the craftmanship of Cebuano builders.
“We are very happy and excited about this project with Jeju Sea World on building a 14-meter Catamaran Yacht for an international standard yacht. This is just the first of the 5-units catamaran yachts we have agreed upon,” Engr. Figueras said during the contract signing held on Wednesday, July 22, 2022.
“Moreover, we are thrilled to represent the Philippines in the international maritime industry as a reliable marine vessel builder and we would be proud to say that it will be Filipino made with international standards quality vessel,” he added.
The contract signing marks another major step towards achieving set goals for Jeju Sea World. It also underlines the appreciation and trust of the Jeju Sea World’s owner in the Naval Architects and Marine Engineers of SEALS Boatyard Incorporated for their expertise and product quality.
Each yacht will be built according to international standards and will cost between P20 million and P25 million fitted with an engine and P16.5 million without engine, Figueras bared.
Upon completion of the first yacht in 2023, it will be delivered to Jeju Island, South Korea through a crew provided by Seals Boatyard.
South Korea is said to become a recognized as a developing destination in the yacht charter world due to the growing number of tourists who visits South Korea. In Jeju Island alone, the demand for marina tourism is rapidly increasing so the country is also expanding its marinas to cope with growing market.
Upon knowing and learning about the growing tourism market, Jeju Sea World sees the opportunity for a promising maritime industry market that led them to expand and to build yachts. In its search for a capable and expert marine vessel builder, Jeju Sea World decided to have their yachts built by SEALS Boatyard.
“The scenic route with the rising sun that blazes on the far-off horizon dyes the sea red and fascinates viewers with breathtaking view of natural wonder has attracted both tourists and residents at Jeju Island. And with the growth of the maritime industry that looks promising made us feel excited about it to expand our operations and to have yachts built,” said Hong Chol, chief executive officer of Jeju Sea World.
The marine vessel construction company is a Philippines MARINA Class C accredited marine vessel builder under the umbrella of the SEALS Group of Companies. Its shipyard is located in Luyang, Carmen, Cebu. The company can design and build marine vessels using state-of-the-art technology.
SEALS Boatyard Incorporated belongs to a group of companies collaborating and creating the right team with the right solutions that has a team of dynamic professionals and well experience in their field of expertise, that made Jeju Sea World choose them.
The SEALS Boatyard have already delivered two Waterbus with a 60-pax passenger ferry capacity for Caticlan-Boracay Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative (CBTMPC), and 10 more will be built this year for their fleet requirements.
It has also completed and delivered the first Topline Seabus, a 150-pax passenger ferry that will be servicing the Mactan Channel commuters of Cebu and Mactan Island. Three more Topline Seabus units will be constructed this year while another six are scheduled for construction next year.
Being able to build and produce passenger ferry boats and motor boats for business owners and locals of the Philippines and to be recognized is already an achievement for SEALS Boatyard Incorporated, that is proudly locally designed and made in Cebu, Philippines.
Engr. Doyle Figueras (2nd from left), chief executive officer of Seals Boatyard Incorporated, and Hong Chol (3rd from left), chief executive officer of Jeju Sea World, holds the signed contract. Engr. Jose Antonio Dupal-ag (extreme left) of Seals Boatyard and Captain Woo Je of Jeju Sea World (extreme right) were present during the signing.
Catamarans have gained rising popularity and the yachting/ chartering market is gaining momentum. The attributes of the catamaran’s rise in popularity to boat owners is because of its expansive interior and exterior spaces created by its broad beam which becoming a preferred yacht for charters.
Mr. Figueras also noted that through the building of the five luxury catamaran yachts, they will be able to create opportunities for careers in the maritime boat building industry.
SEALS Boatyard Incorporated aspires to be the leading and sought-after marine vessel builder in the Philippines providing the locals and international market of quality global standard products with exemplary services as Jeju Sea World continues to provide fascinating experience to its tourists and guests and treating them with unforgettable memories.
