Following a five-month refit at Front Street Shipyard, Marae is back on the charter circuit. She’s the latest megayacht to make the yard increasingly popular with yachts of all sizes. That, in turn, underscores why Front Street Shipyard continues to keep expanding its footprint in Belfast, Maine.
The 108-foot (33-meter) Marae, built in 2004 by Alloy Yachts as Paraiso, was due for her 10-year Lloyds survey. In the process, Front Street Shipyard’s metal shop fabricated new plumbing parts, hull fittings, and windlass parts for the sloop. Marae needed minor repairs to her swim platform and interior, too, which the carpentry shop addressed. Marae received a new paint job as well. Her hull and superstructure were stripped, as were her mast, boom, and spreaders. The hull and deck were cosmetically repaired where needed, and everything was repainted.
As mentioned above, Marae is the latest megayacht to make Front Street Shipyard a rising refit yard. During a visit we made in August, Marae was among three superyachts on site, along with a handful of smaller boats. The other superyachts were Symmetry, a Frers-designed sailing yacht, and Tenacity, a Burger-built motoryacht. (On a side note, two patrol boats, designed by Donald L. Blount and Associates, were under construction, too. The majority of these boats are built at another Front Street Shipyard property a few miles away.) This month, two additional sailing yachts are arriving. The cold-molded Asolare (better known under her previous name, Scheherazade) and Axia, built by Palmer Johnson in 1990.
Even with climate-controlled work sheds, metal and wood shops, a dedicated area for vacuum-infusing parts, and more, Front Street Shipyard is adding additional buildings. A climate-controlled shed for yachts to 160 feet (48.8 meters) will be overshadowed by a taller and longer building. Plans and financing are still being finalized for it, measuring 22,000 square feet (about 2,044 square meters). If all goes smoothly, JB Turner, Front Street Shipyard’s managing partner, says up to four megayachts could be under cover at one time.
It’s even more impressive to realize that Front Street Shipyard is just three years old. The yard is widely credited with revitalizing the waterfront of Belfast. Where derelict buildings once stood (including a sardine factory), Front Street Shipyard has constructed all-new sheds. It has 165- and 485-ton lifts, plus deep-water access and a marina.
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