In memoriam: Rien Moonen, founder of Moonen Yachts

Rien Moonen, the founder of Moonen Yachts, passed away earlier this week while on holiday in Spain with his wife, Mieke.Moonen was a lifetime boat enthusiast. As a young man he purchased his first boat, an 11-metre steel cruiser from De Ruiter Shipyard, while working for his father’s painting company. Eventually, he switched to a career in real estate and offered De Ruiter a plot to expand their shipyard in ’s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Through this relationship, Moonen eventually had the opportunity to take over the yard and renamed it Moonen Shipyards where he combined his skills as an entrepreneur with his love of yachts.