“All too often at maintenance and refit yards around the world, projects are merely facilitated by the yard, with the project manager and the accountant being the sole constant factor in the process. You would not build a yacht at such a facility, so why rebuild one there?”
These wise words of advice are from Ico Vergouwe, Feadship’s refit manager. “Rebuilding a yacht requires a dedicated workforce that is available for the whole project,” he adds. “It is also vital that the yard has the right tools to provide the same quality work as on the original build.”
Those tools are among the reasons why the family that bought the 38-meter (125-foot) megayacht Bullish (see below), launched at Feadship in 1989 as White Rabbit, took her to Feadship De Vries Makkum to be stretched and restyled. Now known as Odyssey (seen above), she measures slightly more than 41 meters (nearly 135 feet) and has hardly a bulwark or bulkhead that remained unchanged.
One of the things that helped the owners determine whether the way they hoped was the ability to meet the original design and engineering teams. They were also able to tap Feadship’s database of after-sales information on the yacht (20 years’ worth). The designers at De Voogt Naval Architects determined that to meet their needs, they’d need to lengthen the hull by three meters (9’8”), extend the bridge deck by two meters (6’5”), and enlarge the sundeck by one meter (3’3”).
Odyssey now has a hydraulically operated swim platform that folds down from the transom and a more user-friendly lazarette. (Recall that yachts built two decades ago didn’t have beach clubs.) All staterooms received new baths, and even crew areas, ranging from their staterooms to the laundry and extra stores area, were renovated. The chef is probably one of the happiest crewmembers, as the galley has entirely new appliances. Further changes: New caprails adorn each level, which also feature new teak decking. The now-larger bridge-deck lounge has new furnishings, as does the aft main deck. The extended decks permitted more alfresco space, too. Even the relatively small extension to the sundeck translates into extra sunning space around the Jacuzzi. All told, the project took nine months to complete.
One thing that changed just ever so slightly: Odyssey’s maximum speed. Prior to the refit, it was reportedly to be 14 knots. Now she should eke out within a knot more.
Look for Odyssey in the Caribbean this winter.
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