Company History
From a Gulf Coast design practice to an international yacht and ship design office, the story of Overing Yacht Designs is one of purposeful vessels, evolving hull forms and a lasting commitment to quality.
Before founding Overing Yacht Designs in 1989, Jon Overing spent sixteen years building a foundation in naval architecture, shipbuilding and marine engineering. At thirteen, he began a four-year apprenticeship with Dutch naval architect Frank van Bentem, drafting commercial vessels, working in shipyards, and completing college-level courses in naval architecture and steel shipbuilding while still in high school. At eighteen, he joined Ingalls Shipbuilding, where he worked in submarine engineering and became a lead designer on Navy destroyer programs; later roles at Avondale Shipbuilding, Waller Marine and several engineering organizations broadened his experience across modular construction, tug design, naval modernization, commercial and government vessels, and offshore projects. The combination of formal study, technical responsibility and hands-on shipyard experience gave him a broad foundation for establishing an independent design practice. Within months, he secured his first major contract: Obsession, a 120-foot U.S. Coast Guard-certified charter yacht. From that Gulf Coast practice, Overing Yacht Designs grew into an international yacht and ship design office.
In 1992, Overing secured his first megayacht contract: Flagship Lady, later renamed Bon Bon, a 112-foot trideck and the first megayacht built in Mississippi. This landmark project also established Overing Yacht Designs as the first Mississippi company to design a megayacht. Further landmark commissions included the 100-foot, ABS-classed Carib Queen, built by Inace in Brazil, and Indiscretion, a 50-meter, ABS-classed megayacht built in New Zealand and later renamed Noble House. At the time, she was the largest motoryacht built in New Zealand.
The Indiscretion project also marked development of Overing’s first fast-displacement hull. That work grew into a broader program of hull design, analysis and testing, and later informed the FD2 hull and Dauntless Explorer series. Overing’s designs have spanned custom megayachts, commercial and government vessels, and refits, with each project shaped around the owner’s goals and the vessel’s purpose. Over the decades, this work produced advanced hull forms in full-displacement, semi-displacement and planing categories.
Overing Yachts is the evolution of Overing Yacht Designs, bringing proven designs and specifications together with experienced builders while preserving room for owner-specific choices and full-custom work. Styles and interiors evolve; the engineering principles at the heart of the practice—seakeeping, efficiency, durability, safety and vessel integrity—remain central.
Selected milestones
Overing Yacht Designs is foundedJon Overing establishes his design practice on the Gulf Coast.
First major contract: ObsessionOvering secures a contract for a 120-foot, U.S. Coast Guard-certified charter yacht.
Flagship Lady, later renamed Bon BonOvering secures his first megayacht contract for a 112-foot trideck. Launched in Biloxi in 1993, she becomes the first megayacht built in Mississippi. This landmark project also establishes Overing Yacht Designs as the first Mississippi company to design a megayacht.
U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender programOvering secures a contract to develop a new class of buoy tenders for the U.S. Coast Guard. Three vessels are built, and all remain in service as of 2026.
Carib QueenOvering secures the contract for a 100-foot, ABS-classed trideck built by Inace in Brazil. It is the shipyard’s first trideck motoryacht.
Indiscretion, later renamed Noble House, and the first fast-displacement hullOvering begins developing his first fast-displacement hull alongside the 50-meter megayacht project. At launch, Noble House was the largest motoryacht built in New Zealand.
Fast-displacement hull testingThe first-generation hull undergoes successful tank testing at BCRI in British Columbia.
Hull form registeredThe first fast-displacement hull form is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and becomes part of Overing’s design library.
First Dauntless contractOvering secures the first Dauntless contract for a 100-foot, Lloyd’s-classed explorer yacht and initiates development of the second fast-displacement hull, with tank tests again conducted at BCRI.
FD2 developmentOvering develops the second-generation fast-displacement hull for a 135-foot project and conducts extensive tank tests at Krylov in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Big CityOvering secures a contract for a 141-foot, ABS-classed trideck built at Trinity, using a unique labor-saving hull structural system he developed. A sistership to Big City also used this system.
Overing Piranha Oil SkimmerIn response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Overing develops a proprietary multi-role oil-skimming vessel and secures the construction contract. Seven vessels are built.
First composite DauntlessThe 75-foot Undaunted becomes the first composite Dauntless, built entirely of infused vinylester. The project was developed on another version of Overing’s fast-displacement hull.
Second FD2 hull for a new Overing 125-foot designOvering develops his second FD2 hull for a new Overing explorer design, creating another long-range motoryacht and the base design for the new Dauntless D125.
Overing YachtsThe design practice enters its next chapter with a model-led range while preserving the full-custom project option.