North Star Yachts Review

North Star Yachts was located on the banks of the Columbia River in Kalama, Washington. The company is headed by Jerry Clark, and four other owners who all take part in the entire process from design to production. Building yachts was a Clark family tradition, Jerry is a third generation builder and has extensive experience building motor yachts. About eighty craftsmen worked in the 60,000 sq. ft. facility with an average of fifteen years of experience each until 2007. At that point the company was forced to relocate production to Zhuhai in China, where labor costs would be significantly reduced in order to make the company more competitive. However, marketing and the company headquarters remained in Kalama, Washington. The last boat built in Kalama was the NorthStar Lady III.

Each of the yachts produced by NorthStar take approximately two years to complete. The company officially began production in China in 2008 and it is expected that the first boats from that factory will be released sometime in 2010 or 2011. The company is constantly looking to the future and newest technology to improve their yachts. Their Sportfish vessels, custom, and semi-custom motoryachts are known for their strength, performance, comfort, stability, and safety.

Pricing

Previously owned North Star Yachts range in price from about $1 million to almost $5 million, depending on the year of construction, model, and options chosen at time of purchase. Prices for the most recent models have not yet been released.

Pros

• A history of quality construction from the Washington facility.
• Highly customizable allows each owner to own exactly what he or she wants.
• With a new production facility it is possible the yacht prices will decrease.

Cons

• The first boats produced from China are not yet available, so the production quality for the new vessels is unknown.

Featured Models

Some of the current models available from North Star Yachts include the 92’ Pilothouse Motoryacht, 100’ Motoryacht, 100’ Cockpit Motoryacht, 105’ Tri-deck Motoryacht, 112’ Raised Pilot house Motoryacht, 114’ Tri-deck Motoryacht, and the 80’ Sportfish.

Conclusion

Buying a previously owned North Star yacht is still a good idea because the quality and continuity of service for vessels built prior to 2008 is assured. The company was well known in the industry and had received glowing reviews during their tenure in the United States. The people who were designing and managing the company in the United States are still active in the production process in China, which potentially means the quality of new vessels will be equal to those created previously. As an added bonus it is possible that this excellent quality will be available at a reduced cost.