Lady K II Refit Underway at Solent Refit

If ever there were a megayacht refit story that promises a happy ending, it’s this one. Lady K II, half a century old, is in the midst of an anticipated 15-month rebuild and restoration. It’s taking place at Solent Refit in the UK.

At 189 feet (57.6 meters), Lady K II isn’t the largest megayacht that Solent Refit can accommodate. It has dock space for yachts to 328 feet (100 meters), land area for ones to 295 feet (90 meters), and a 1,500-ton horizontal lifting slipway. But given her recent history, which reads like a soap opera, Lady K II is arguably among the most significant.

To understand all that led to this point, a bit of history is in order. The megayacht saw delivery in 1961 by Austin & Pickersgill, a UK-based construction and repair facility. (Austin & Pickersgill is still around, though known as A&P Group and now focused on ship repair and conversion.) If you’ve followed yachting for some time, you might remember Lady K II under her previous name, Princess Tanya. As Princess Tanya, the megayacht was active on the charter circuit from 1992 through the mid-2000s. Her classic profile paired with an equally classic interior, opulent without being off-putting. The megayacht had accommodations for a party of 18 and unusual amenities like a beauty salon and a sauna, plus a fireplace in the master suite. Professional staff musicians even serenaded guests when desired.

Princess Tanya underwent a refit in 1996 and then another extensive refit in 2005. Unfortunately, the megayacht was neglected starting around 2006 and fell into disrepair. She ended up stranded in Monaco due to a lack of fuel, and then a bank repossessed her. The bank had the yacht towed to Marseilles, France in an effort to find a buyer and get repairs. For five long years, the yacht sat, no work done because no one stepped forward to claim her.

the Lady K II megayacht anchored at Solent Refit

Thankfully, once Allan Foot, part of the management team for Solent Refit, received an inquiry to refit her, things started looking up. Foot examined the nearly all-steel megayacht and recognized that she could indeed undergo repairs—not a simple task, but still feasible. His examination also dispelled rumors of widespread damage to everything from hull plates to the engines. Foot informed an interested buyer of all of his findings, both the good and the bad, and a surveyor confirmed the details. The buyer decided to proceed.

Some work started while Lady K II was still in Marseille, such as the cleaning and reinstalation of sea valves, reassembly of the engines, and preparation of gensets and other systems for use at sea for the first time in a long time. Lady K II traveled to Solent Refit (pictured) in September for the rest of the works to take part.

So far the engine room has been a primary focus. Still equipped with her original 840-hp Busch-Sulzer diesel engines, Lady K II will have them brought back to zero hours. (Interesting side note: Busch-Sulzer was actually the Busch-Sulzer Brothers Diesel Engine Company based in St. Louis, Missouri, owned by Adolphus Busch of Budweiser fame. He acquired the rights to make diesel engines in America to improve the brewing process for beer. He also reportedly kept his beer-making employees paid during Prohibition by having them make the engines for submarines.)

Lady K II should still be a leisurely cruiser when completed, expected to top out at 14 knots and have an impressive range of 7,000 nautical miles at 11 knots. She’ll also have a modified superstructure, though specifics are not yet available, and refurbished teak wherever possible. Suffice it to say the entire interior will be renewed, too.

As before-and-after images and information becomes available, we will post updates.