Aerie, the 124-footer built by Delta Marine in 2001, returned home in late 2008 for an extensive refit. The owners, passionate cruisers who travel with three generations, decided to give Aerie some sprucing up as well as more personalized touches.
Some of the items on the list are visible on the exterior of the yacht. A new Awlgrip paint job, for example, complete with silver accents and a blue bootstripe, was among them. To accommodate the addition of a second inflatable tender, three Ocean Kayaks, two eco-bikes, and a handful of other watertoys, the Nautical Structures davit already onboard was rebuilt.
Many megayachts swap out electronics, including navigation instruments, during refits. Aerie was no different. Delta Marine rebuilt her flying-bridge dash to house two new flat-panel HD day/night screens. These can call up radar, the Nobeltec navigation information, the depthsounder, and the CCTV cameras’ footage. She also received a new KVH broadband satellite communications network and VoIP (voice over Internet protocol).
The electronics upgrade didn’t stop there. Notably, more than a mile of new cabling replaced the old analog cabling to support a new digital AV package. Eleven new flat-panel, high-definition TVs are onboard, from the owners’ areas to the crew areas. All include DVD players, iPod docking stations, and laptop docking stations. If anyone wishes to watch a movie or listen to music, including what someone else is enjoying in another room, they can now select from hundreds of DVDs and tens of thousands of songs stored on a central server. Finally, to complete the mood, remote controls let everyone access lighting. (The same remotes can access the security system if needed.)
The owners of Aerie additionally replaced much of the furniture and wall coverings. For instance, leather panels now accentuate the dining area. The owners purchased a bronze statue while cruising Alaska last summer, called “Whale’s Tail & 2 Porpoises,” which now sits in the saloon. A custom art board in the skylounge lets them change the mood at will, displaying anything from a colorful Kandinsky to a black and white photo of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. at New York’s Carnegie Hall in 1961.
One decor item that didn’t change: a detailed mosaic sole inlay made of petrified wood, depicting two eagles circling in flight. It’s fitting, as it echoes the megayacht’s name (“aerie” means an eagle’s or other bird of prey’s nest).
Aerie and her owners, who acquired the superyacht in 2007, are off to Cabo San Lucas, followed by Costa Rica. They’ll part ways soon after, since the yacht will transit the Panama Canal with just her crew onboard. But, the owners and their family, including seven children and three grandchildren, likely will rejoin Aerie once she reaches the Caribbean. Island-hopping should continue through the Bahamas as well. The Chesapeake and New England are on the itinerary for later this year.
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