Cheoy Lee Yachts is the luxury-yacht division of a family shipbuilding organization whose roots reach back to the late 1800s in Shanghai. The Lo family moved its operation to Hong Kong in 1936, and all new construction is now completed at the company’s modern Hin Lee Shipyard in Zhuhai, China. Cheoy Lee has historically built an unusually diverse collection of sailing yachts, motorsailers, sportfishing boats, long-range cruisers, raised-pilothouse motor yachts and custom superyachts in fiberglass, aluminum and steel. Today, Cheoy Lee Yachts is primarily focused on custom and series-based explorer megayachts, including the steel-hulled Discovery 115, Discovery 120 and Discovery 127, along with the recently delivered Cheoy Lee 130 Explorer. Smaller, more performance-oriented luxury motor yachts are now marketed through the shipyard’s sister marque, CL Yachts.
Within the luxury-yacht market, Cheoy Lee occupies a distinctive position between established production motor-yacht builders and highly specialized European explorer-yacht shipyards. Its principal advantage is access to the same commercial-grade engineering knowledge, workforce and shipyard infrastructure used to build tugs, ferries, pilot boats and other professional vessels. In market terms, the modern Discovery yachts compete with long-range offerings from builders such as Bering, Cantiere delle Marche, Numarine, Nordhavn and selected Benetti explorer models, while legacy Cheoy Lee motor yachts may also be compared with Burger, Hatteras, Westport and Grand Banks. The Cheoy Lee 66 LRC remains one of the brand’s best-known classic long-range cruisers, while the 72 Raised Pilothouse, Bravo 78, Bravo 82, Bravo 90 and Global-series yachts are recognizable names in the brokerage market. Larger yachts such as the 104-foot Juanky, 125-foot Namoh, 145-foot Summerwind and 147-foot Dorothea III demonstrate the builder’s experience with serious global cruising.
Recent recognition includes Cheoy Lee and CL Yachts being named Builder in Asia at the 2025 Yacht Style Awards, honoring the broader shipyard organization’s craftsmanship, engineering and continuing product development. One of the most significant model-specific honors of the modern era went to the 147-foot Cheoy Lee Dorothea III, which received the Voyager’s Award at the 2020 World Superyacht Awards following a 34,965-mile journey through the Atlantic and Pacific. That achievement reflects how many Cheoy Lee owners use their yachts: not simply for entertaining at a marina, but for ocean crossings, remote-island exploration, diving, fishing, water sports and extended family expeditions. Current Discovery models combine those long-range capabilities with five-stateroom layouts, beach clubs, sky lounges, spas and professional crew accommodations, allowing owners to spend weeks or months aboard while traveling far beyond traditional Mediterranean, Caribbean or coastal cruising grounds.
Working with a Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales yacht broker is particularly valuable when purchasing a pre-owned or brokerage-listed Cheoy Lee because the available fleet spans numerous decades, hull materials, design firms, propulsion packages and construction generations. A JBYS broker can conduct a national or international search, compare long-range cruisers with larger explorer yachts, investigate ownership and refit histories and coordinate qualified fiberglass, aluminum or steel-hull surveyors. The broker can also help evaluate engines, generators, stabilizers, tanks, electrical systems, classification records, flag documentation and future refit requirements before managing negotiations, insurance, financing, closing documents and delivery. With more than 50 years of company heritage, over 1,050 years of combined team experience and nine locations across Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Florida, Jefferson Beach Yacht Sales can help buyers determine whether a particular Cheoy Lee is properly equipped for Great Lakes cruising, coastal travel or ambitious international exploration.
