FOUNDATION

&

PHILOSOPHY.

Praevus was founded to give yards, superyacht suppliers, and owners teams a dedicated engineering and consulting partner, one that takes full ownership and responsibility of a defined scope of work. We don't just provide advice; we engage directly with the challenge, finding solutions that honour the owner's vision while helping every party involved reach that goal efficiently and with confidence.

Founded by Mark Hiemstra, a naval architect with over ten years of experience in yacht building and specialist engineering. Mark's background spans composite materials, production processes, and on-site project management developed across some of the most demanding environments in the industry. Early in his career, Mark served as on-site representative for Vitters Shipyard during the construction of two 100ft carbon composite sailing yachts, SY Missy and SY Ribelle, built in the UK and completed in the Netherlands. In that role he bridged the gap between the hull manufacturer and the engineering team, ensuring that design intent and production reality stayed aligned throughout. He then joined Pontis, an engineering and consultancy firm specialising in practical process engineering, where he developed a structured approach to analysing production processes, identifying risks, and implementing improvements. Returning to yacht building as a project engineer in the exterior department, Mark led the exterior engineering through till production engineering for MY Ulysses, MY Moonrise, and a current newbuild at De Vries Makkum. His scope covered everything from translating the designer's shape into the master model from which the yacht is built, through to stainless steel styling details, pools, jacuzzies, exterior bars, ceilings and lighting and deck furniture. In short, everything an owner and their guests see and experience the moment they step on deck.