Burger Boat launches largest yacht to date

Ingot will seek to wow owner prospects at boat shows

By: Charlie Mathews, Herald Times Reporter

MANITOWOC — The fifth swing was the charm Saturday morning as Rory Meyers christened her family's new megayacht, the largest vessel ever built by Burger Boat Company.

With the aid of Burger President Jim Ruffolo, the champagne sprayed as Meyers was finally able to smash the bottle into the hull of Ingot, a 153-foot tri-deck creation more than two years in the making.

Several hundred Burger employees, friends and members of the public gathered under sun-drenched, cloudless blue skies for the launching ceremony.

Ruffolo said workers help owners "interpret their dreams" as they design and build yachts capable of sailing oceans around the globe.

He said Ingot will be an ambassador for Burger Boat, hopefully, serving to entice luxury yacht commissions by wealthy around the world.

Indeed, following sea trials on Lake Michigan, Ingot will sail to France in late summer for the Cannes International Boat & Yacht Show, and then be on display for the Monaco Yacht Show at the end of September.

Ingot's co-owner is Rory's husband, Howard, who also is chairman of Burger Boat. In 2007, he acquired majority interest in the company. Meyers also is the chairman and chief executive officer of Dallas, Texas-based Quexco, a lead producer with smelting operations in several states.

"There's never really an 'owner' of Burger … I'm the caretaker for the next generation," Meyers said before the yacht was lowered into the Manitowoc River from a Travelift.

"Burger is a very mature company and will be here after I'm gone," said Meyers, whose two sons, Craig and Kevin, have other business interests.

Another launch next month

Meyers said Ingot is "incredibly green" with environmentally friendly water treatment and other systems.
Ingot features, he said, "low fuel burn" diesel engines, contributing to a lower gallons per hour operating cost than many smaller vessels.

Ingot is one of two vessels to be launched in 2008 from Burger Boat's yard on Spring Street. Hull 509 will go into the river in July.

Next year, Sycara and Sea Owl will be launched. Another vessel, a 140-footer, was commissioned earlier this month, with Burger Boat seeking another sale of a yacht, which can cost $20 million or more.
Meyers said all Burger yachts are full-custom, and no speculation boats are built.

"On my dock in Florida, there are three (yachts) that are in the $15 million (range) and look the same … our owners don't want that," Meyers said.

Potential customers are not just Americans, but live around the world. "They're not trust-fund recipients, but hands-on, self-made entrepreneurs," Meyers said.

For Burger Boat to continue to thrive long-term, Meyers said the company would need to continue to produce yachts of superior quality in a cost-effective manner.

Megayacht owners have the money to have diesel fill-ups of $50,000 or more. But, Meyers said, they will scrutinize all expenses associated with construction, operation and maintenance.

Meyers, himself, pays close attention to the bottom line with Ingot. When it crosses the Atlantic Ocean this summer, he said it would cruise at its most fuel-efficient speed, about 11 knots, or 12 miles per hour.

Setting their own standards

On Friday night, the Travel cable TV channel had a one-hour special on luxury megayachts. The narrator called Burger Boat "the Rolls Royce of American yacht builders … owners who have one know they've arrived."
Meyers said Burger Boat's principal American competitor is Delta Marine, based in Seattle. Burger also goes up against a handful of European companies.

Last year, the Alshaya family's Mirgab V won several design awards for Burger at prestigious yacht shows. Ingot will be entered into competition, as well. Its principal homeport will be a Florida marina.
"Awards are nice but, for us, it is all about setting our own high standards," Meyers said.

Ingot by the numbers

  The 31st yacht launched since the re-opening of Burger Boat in 1993.
  Ingot is 153-feet long, 30-feet wide and can sail in as little as about 7 feet of water.
  It weighs 499 tons.
  Its maximum speed is nearly 17 miles per hour, but cruises at about 14 mph.
  With fuel capacity of 17,000 gallons, its long-range cruise capacity is about 4,400 miles.
  Ingot has 4,150 square feet of exterior deck area and 5,025 square feet of interior area.
  In addition to captain's cabin and crews quarters, Ingot features an owner's stateroom with his and her bathrooms, and four guest staterooms.
  The yacht has an exterior, glass-surrounded spiral staircase on the sky deck. A full-sized, wheelchair accessible elevator with wood inlays provides accessibility to all four deck levels.

top of page