Seven years after delivery, one of the last Bilgin megayachts made of wood is wrapping up a refit at “home.” She’s Tee-Dje, and she’s leaving the yard in the next few weeks, following a six-month stay.
It’s rare to find cold-molded construction in modern times. Bilgin Yachts still practiced it, however, until it started signing bigger projects. Tee-Dje is a Bilgin 123, whereas now, the focus at the yard is on the Bilgin 156 and Bilgin 263.
Even though it’s been several years since delivery, Tee-Dje has been undergoing her refit with longtime craftspeople skilled in wood and epoxy construction techniques. The younger craftspeople among the team of 40 in total handling the refit are probably learning a thing or two along the way. The majority of the work centers around woodwork maintenance, plus upgrading hardware.
The refit extends inside to accommodations, too. The owners of Tee-Dje liked the layout and overall decor, but did want to spruce things up. Even the six-person crew is benefitting, getting newly designed cabins and baths. Bilgin’s team is replacing comfort-oriented systems like air conditioning. It’s further upgrading the televisions and other entertainment-related systems throughout.
Particularly of note, however, Tee-Dje will look exactly the same as she did on delivery day. (H2 Yacht Design created the interior with the owners back then.) This means fabrics and furnishings in the four staterooms, including the master, plus all other relaxation spaces. How is that possible, given that interiors needed stripping out for systems’ replacement? The refit team sourced the same brands and styles if they still existed. If they didn’t, artisans replicated the designs.
Bilgin believes it can hand Tee-Dje back to her owners ahead of schedule. While the original refit conclusion date is in April, the 16-knot cruiser could be back on the water next month.
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