If there’s any question as to whether refits are on the rise, consider this: Derecktor Florida hauled 106 yachts via its 900-ton hoist in 2014. That’s 21 more than in 2013. Calixe (above) marked number 100 at Derecktor Florida, with Lazy Z (below) not far off.
The 188-foot (57.3-meter) Calixe was built by Feadship in 1986. Derecktor Florida has not revealed the checklist of work that it’s performing. However, it is ongoing, as Calixe is still at the yard.
As for Lazy Z, she’s getting a repower and major mechanical refit, among other things. The 169-foot (51.4-meter) megayacht, built in 1997 by Oceanco, actually had a mast makeover at Derecktor Florida last fall. That helped convince the owners to have Lazy Z return for this batch of work. An active charter yacht, Lazy Z is getting a new saloon layout plus a redesigned internal stairway. A new air-conditioning system will keep guests cool. Outside, Derecktor Florida is coordinating teak-decking replacement and sundeck modifications with subcontractors. (Derecktor Florida works with a number of local marine companies, as do other refit yards.) New MTU 16V 2000 diesel engines, with new exhausts, will purr below decks.
Once the refit of Lazy Z wraps up, in May, she’ll also have a new coat of paint.
Besides the above-mentioned increase in refits at Derecktor Florida, the yard is noticing an increase in size, too. That is likely a result of the activity on the brokerage market in recent years. While some brokerage buyers have already had refits done, others have waited—or had to wait, due to the volume many yards have been handling. Some anecdotal reports say that there’s a few months’ wait at some South Florida facilities, for example. Derecktor Florida does not put a number on it. However, it does say there’s “pressure on wet and dry space in available facilities.”
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