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Gold Coast-based luxury boatbuilder Riviera has made its largest ever single shipment to the US with 15 motor yachts worth a total of about $45 million loaded at the Port of Brisbane this week.
The motor yacht shipment, which ranged in value from $1.6 million to $6.8 million, is up from the previous high of 11 vessels exported to the US last year.
Most of the boats are destined for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show next month, which is the largest “in water” boat show in the world and a key sales driver for Riviera dealers in the US.
“It’s an impressive sight, seeing these beautiful boats being lifted into the air and onto the container ship,” says Riviera owner Rodney Longhurst.
“This is what helps drive the Queensland economy, creating jobs and opportunities.
“We undertake around 28 export shipments to the Americas each year, but this is our largest ever. The logistics of such a large shipment are considerable.”
The US is Riviera’s largest export market and in some years it can match the company’s proportion of annual Australian sales.
The company, which also exports to New Zealand, Europe and Asia, builds about 150 motor yachts each year, ranging from 39 feet to the flagship 78-foot Motor Yacht, which are built at its Coomera facility.
The company revealed earlier this year that demand for its boats had not been impacted following the introduction of US tariffs on goods imported from Australia.
Motor yachts in the latest shipment destined for buyers in the US would have been ordered up to two years ago, well before tariffs were even an issue.
Despite the current 10 per cent tariff imposed on Australian imports, Riviera’s US sales continue to benefit from a favourable exchange rate which has been tracking below US70c for the past two years.
Riviera notes that transporting motor yachts to overseas markets represent a major logistical exercise for the group.
“The yachts must be prepared for shipment including shrink wrapping the exterior, then they must be moved from our facility on the Gold Coast to Brisbane where they are placed on cradles and secured, then driven to the ship as required,” says Longhurst.
“The loading of the ship also must coincide with the correct tides, which can be challenging when there is a small window of time to meet the shipping timetable.
“I am so proud of our highly skilled team who builds our world class motor yachts, right here in Queensland.”
Amid a solid export performance by Riviera, the domestic market remains a mainstay for the group with the company noting that Australians are taking to the water in greater numbers. The latest data reveals that 2.33 million people were licensed to operate a watercraft in 2024 – up 8 per cent since 2019.
Queensland currently has about 275,000 registered boats with more than one million licence holders alone.
“Australia is home to some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, so it’s no surprise that the number of people who love boating is growing,” says Longhurst.
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