In the world of yacht building, Cheoy Lee stands alone as the oldest continuous builder of boats, yachts, ships and working craft. This year, the company, which has been owned and run by the same family since its founding, is celebrating 150 years in business.

Now managed by the fourth and fifth generations, the company is marking the anniversary with several striking and innovative new designs. At Australia’s Sanctuary Cove Boat show in May, the brand new CLB65 SUV (above) was launched as part of the expanding B Series line of boats.

Martin Lo, a fourth-generation director of the CL Yachts and Cheoy Lee brands, noted, “CLB65 SUV is the sportiest and most compact yacht to date in the CL Yachts series, and it builds not only on the success of our CLB65 but also on five generations of boatbuilding prowess to deliver performance, maneuverability and comfort in equal measure. It’s the perfect embodiment of all that learned experience and traditional seaworthiness offered in a model that features the contemporary styling and modern features that clients expect from CL Yachts.”

The company is also celebrating the anniversary with the launch of the new Discovery 127 expedition yacht, the first in a new line of steel-hulled, long haul cruisers. The new yacht was created in collaboration with designer Nick Boska who, like Cheoy Lee, has extensive experience in both commercial and large yacht design.

Martin Lo explained that “The Discovery 127 is an exceptional compact and efficient go-anywhere explorer that packs the features and spaces typical of a larger explorer yacht.”

Cheoy Lee started building yachts in the 1950s with teak hulls and classic Phil Rhodes-type designs. They were one of the first boat builders to experiment with fiberglass and soon became a leader in modern production cruising boats, many of which were sold into the North American and European markets.

As it happens, I visited the Cheoy Lee yard in Hong Kong in the early 80s and was hosted and shown the facilities by Martin’s uncles. They took me to the factory on Lantau Island in the middle of Hong Kong’s harbor and then took me out to the famous Peninsula Hotel for dinner.

But, the Hong Kong government wanted the island for development, so they took it by eminent domain which forced the Lo family to relocate their business. They did so in China and never looked back.

Today, 150 years since it was founded, the Choey Lee company builds CL and Cheoy Lee Yachts, as well as custom mega yachts and a range of commercial and military vessels and ships. They have an international presence with a headquarters in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Hans Lo, Martin’s son, is part of the fifth generation of the family to work in and run the business. It’s a wonderful story of persistence, determination, family loyalty and constant innovation.

For example, Lo explains, “Beginning in 2022 we embarked on the development of hybrid and alternative-powered vessels tailored for our commercial endeavors, and this expertise also extends to the creation of new yachts as we see increasing demand from yacht owners for sustainable and more eco-friendly alternatives to traditional diesel power and conventional materials.”

The world has changed a lot in the last 150 years. What hasn’t changed is Cheoy Lee’s dedication to building the best boats possible.