History

Dick Gilles was born with oars in his hands. After doing up a simple rowing boat, his interest spread to building and thinking up new techniques. The ability to burn and bend wood, preferably inland oak, exerted a magical appeal on the young Dick. Meanwhile, he progressed from small sailing craft to large sailing yachts and worked on board superyachts in sunny climes.
It led to the forerunner of the present company, where all kinds of sailing vessels and motorised yachts were maintained and renovated. It was not long before the first polyester ‘spiegel’ sloop was designed and launched onto the market. This subsequently resulted in the construction of the ‘Enkhuizer 500’ and the ‘Sesa Elektrische Slopenvloot’. Work involving these sloops has now been transferred, but this electrically powered fleet still operates in the canals of Amsterdam.
Boundaries continued to be pushed in the Kop van Noord-Holland with the latest techniques, better designs, and complex sailing vessels, such as the Victoria sloops, the Brandaris Limited and White Pearl, and the small superyacht, Ribbon 45 SC.
Since 2015, the workshop in Middenmeer, under the name Dick Gilles Maritime Innovators, has been the scene of much hard work.