The yard
Friedrich Lürssen opened his boatbuilding workshop at Aumund, near Bremen, on 27 June 1875, at the age of 24. Four generations later the company is still run by the family, and all of its shareholders are family members. Lürssen builds only custom yachts, each designed and engineered for one owner. It builds at several yards in northern Germany, around Bremen and at Rendsburg on the Kiel Canal. By the yard's own count, 13 of the 20 largest yachts built in the past 20 years are Lürssens.
The models buyers look for
Lürssen has no model range in the usual sense. Each yacht is a single project, so buyers compare yachts by designer, layout, volume, range and history rather than by line or series. Most Lürssens on the market are around 60 metres and above. Very few come to market at any one time: a leading listing site shows only a handful of Lürssens for sale, against dozens for most production builders, and some change hands privately, through introduction rather than public listing. When one comes to market, the buyer is choosing among very few comparable yachts worldwide, which is why off-market access matters at this size. The listings that exist are spread between the Mediterranean, the Caribbean and northern Europe. For buyers prepared to commission, a new Lürssen takes several years from contract to delivery, and our new build advisory covers that route.
Buying a Lürssen
A yacht of this size is bought through its records as much as its decks: class and flag documentation, the maintenance and refit history, the condition of the main machinery and systems, and the crew who know the yacht. The survey is a project in itself, run over several days by a team of hull and machinery surveyors, specialists for the main systems and, where the yacht is classed, the class society. The sea trial tests the yacht under way, and the findings set the final terms, through works before closing or an adjustment to the price. Ownership structure, flag and VAT position are settled in parallel, with the buyer's lawyers and family office. We stay on the buyer's side throughout, and our guide to buying a yacht sets out each stage.
After the purchase
At this size, management is a full operation: a large permanent crew, ISM and MLC compliance, technical oversight, refit planning and accounts. We arrange yacht management through selected management firms, and berthing is planned season by season with the captain. Flag and ownership structure decide where the yacht can cruise and whether it can charter; our note on ownership structures explains the choices. A charter programme requires commercial registration and certification under the flag's commercial code. Balthazar advises from its headquarters in Dubai and from Monaco and Hong Kong, wherever the yacht lies.