Some people find their dream yacht at boat shows. One Greek gentleman found her on the Internet. Not only that, but within the next 48 hours he had inspected her in the Bahamas and met with a refit team in London to discuss extending each deck.
Why such a hurry? Well, when you know what you want, why waste time? This owner wanted a brokerage Feadship in the 50-meter (164-foot) range, rather than a new build. And he wanted one with abundant room in main- and upper-deck lounges, plus enough staterooms for more than a dozen guests. The yacht he found while surfing the Web was Pegasus, a.k.a. White Rabbit, delivered in 1995. The 162-footer was conceived for personal and business leisure, with a bridge-deck lounge that doubled as a gaming area, complete with casino games. Because the original owner toted plenty of watertoys, each of the aft decks had extensive storage space. And there was an incredible atrium rising through all three decks that housed a towering sculpture for the first owner, used as a skylit atrium by the subsequent owner.
The Greek gentleman foresaw the ability to lengthen the three decks and make them larger lounging areas instead of a combination of relaxation and tender-stowage areas. They’d be the primary places he, his family, and friends would gather when heading to and from the islands in his homeland from summertime through early autumn. She’d be the perfect addition to his variety of speedboats and other yachts, and a better platform for accommodating everyone at once. As for the atrium, it would still be an ideal area to show off an equally towering sculpture (left).
Recall the meeting in London mentioned above: That’s where he discussed extending the decks with Feadship’s refit team. (He actually arranged the meeting with about 24 hours’ notice, calling Feadship’s main office from the decks of Pegasus in the Bahamas.) With the assistance of the De Voogt Naval Architects office, which was responsible for Pegasus/White Rabbit, the team confirmed the changes could be made. Within a few weeks of his acquisition, an entirely new layout was devised, in a 171’5” LOA. More significant, the increased LOA would allow for 265 square meters (more than 2,800 square feet) of new, usable space outside. All told, it would be a 10-month process, with several changes along the way due to the owner’s “endless flow of great ideas,” according to Ico Vergouwe, the Feadship Refit manager involved from the initial meeting to the end.
While the profile of Pegasus is certainly longer, her previously reverse-style transom is far different than before. The owner wanted a tender garage with a fold-down swim platform that could serve as a beach club when the toy was off harbor-hopping. Feadship cut off about six feet of the hull and instead added a 17-foot-long section featuring a sloped transom. A Nautica tender can hit the water thanks to a slipway system. When the swim platform is in place, it’s a teak-decked spot ideal for jumping into the water or sitting on the edge and sipping a drink from the bar, complete with refrigerator and icemaker, just steps inside the lazarette.
The main aft deck incorporates some more clever ideas. Shutter-like panels surrounding the settee rise at the touch of a button. I find this a smarter solution to ensuring privacy when tied stern-to versus relegating dining to an upper deck or interior area. For a little more privacy, and particularly if it’s windy, three lightweight panels flip down from the overhead to each side, locking in place to the caprails. The owner and the Feadship refit team devised these white panels, decorated with a horizontal teak center fitted with a port, which in turn is surrounded by stainless steel. It’s decorative and practical at once. But my favorite main-deck feature: the hammock that can hang off the port side of the main deck.
Of all the aspects of the refit, the conclusion to the story of how the owner found her is our favorite. As mentioned above, he met with a refit team to discuss possibilities within 48 hours of discovering her. But, what we didn’t mention is, he did all of those before he’d even cut a check. Obviously, ee did end up cutting the check, of course – less than a week later.
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