About Manta Marine Design | Van Schaik Marine Design Ltd

Manta Marine Design is a naval architecture and marine design studio founded by Pepijn van Schaik (B.Eng Naval Architecture, AMRINA). With over 20 years of experience across practically all disciplines of naval architecture and marine design — from structural engineering and build kit development to custom yacht design and 3D visualisation — the studio brings practical hands-on knowledge alongside design expertise, from drawing board to shipyard floor. 

Background

Pepijn's connection to boats started early. Growing up in the Netherlands, his family spent much time aboard a Tjalk — a traditional Dutch sailing barge — exploring the inland waterways and coastal waters. That upbringing was very much an inspiration for getting a degree in Naval Architecture.

During his studies in the late 1990s, Pepijn completed a shopfloor apprenticeship at a Dutch shipyard building steel and aluminium yacht hulls, and stayed on for several years. That experience of working directly on the shop floor — understanding how designs actually come together — continues to inform how he approaches structural design and build documentation today.

In 2001 he joined Vripack Naval Architects, working first as a Structural Engineer and later as a Naval Architect. A working trip to New Zealand and Australia in 2004–2005 included time at an Auckland yacht builder — an early connection to the country he would eventually call home.

Back in the Netherlands, Pepijn founded his first design business before becoming drawn into the tallship world. He completed a nautical qualification at Enkhuizen Nautical College and went on to sail as part of the permanent crew aboard the Bark Europa, including two expeditions to Antarctica and several Atlantic crossings. Time at sea in some of the world's most demanding waters added an important dimension to his experience that very much complements the design and engineering work.

Manta Marine Design was founded in 2009. In 2016, a collaboration opportunity with a New Zealand marine designer brought Pepijn and his family to New Zealand permanently, and the studio is now based in the Bay of Islands.

That mix of experience — shipyard floor, structural engineering, naval architecture, offshore sailing — is reflected throughout Manta Marine Design's work. Unconventional briefs are welcome, practical buildability is always considered, and no two projects look the same.

The studio works with clients worldwide. If you think there might be a good match for your project, feel free to get in touch.