Tearing apart an engine room on a 156-footer, rebuilding major machinery, reconfiguring the sundeck, gutting the owner’s stateroom and some of the guest staterooms, redesigning crew staterooms, and redecking two of her three decks is no small task. So imagine doing this in nine months’ time—on schedule, despite the scope of the work having increased over initial plans by 15 percent.
That’s what happened with Va Bene at Pendennis over a period extending from last September to last month. And like the Italian translation of her name, “it goes well,” all did indeed go well, since the owner, the captain, and the Pendennis team are all thrilled.
Va Bene, built in 1992 by Kees Cornelissen, has been chartering the past few years, and between the owner’s desire for a more modern look (it was last redone in 2002/2003) as well as the need to bring some areas of the megayacht up to current regulatory requirements, a major overhaul was ordered. The main-deck owner’s suite, for example, was stripped and reconfigured to a design by H2 Yacht Design. Struik & Hammerslag, a Dutch firm with offices in the UK and which has worked on several superyacht projects, did the job under Pendennis’ direction. The room now features a walk-in shower, double sinks, separate toilet/bidet, and a separate bath in the en suite bathroom, plus a walk-in closet and an office that can convert into a kids’ bedroom (accommodating three). It’s interesting to note that because of the extent of the work here, the crew accommodation, directly below, benefited from extra space; the mess was being redone anyway to meet class requirements.
While the five guest staterooms mostly received just new fabrics, mirrors, lighting, and bedding, the VIP suite head was gutted and redesigned with limestone and modern fittings.
But none of that compares to what went on with Va Bene’s technical areas and equipment. Below the waterline shafts were drawn, the props were refurbished, and the stabilizers and bow thruster were serviced. The saloon sole received a permanent soft patch to permit better future servicing of the engine room. And speaking of the engine room, once the gensets were removed for rebuilding, the air-conditioning plant, watermakers, and all pumps and compressors were removed for inspection.
Nick Line, the owner’s representative and onshore manager for the refit, says, “Undertaking a refit of this magnitude is always a stressful exercise,” additionally acknowledging the increased extent of the work. But he was quick to say that Pendennis’ team “went out of their way to make the process simple as possible.” He also pointed out that “Pendennis welcomed the crew of the yacht and made it possible for both crew and yard workers to work alongside each other to achieve the objectives. The owner of the yacht and I are very pleased with the end result, and Va Bene will be returning to Pendennis in the future.”
If that’s not a resounding endorsement, I don’t know what is.
Va Bene is chartering in the Med for $238,000 per week, plus expenses. She’ll head to the Caribbean for the winter season. She’s part of the Burgess fleet.
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