Twenty-five days from call to contract, and less than six months to complete. To say that the refit of Alta has been unusual from day one is an understatement. With two months to go before it finishes, Patrick Knowles Designs is giving an early look at the major transformation.
Alta is a 144-footer (44-meter) that originally launched from Palmer Johnson in 2004, as the well-known charter yacht Four Wishes. As if the above-mentioned timetable weren’t quick enough, the owner had just acquired her in the few weeks prior to calling Knowles on June 1. Certainly, a meeting of the minds took place, since he signed the refit contract with the team on June 25.
With Knowles, who established his eponymous design firm in 1998, the owner decided that essentially every part of the yacht needed redoing. In fact, all staterooms and lounges, the gym, the beach club, the sundeck, and the aft main and upper decks filled the work list. So, too, did nine heads and the addition of a crew cabin fully forward below decks. Really, the only rooms to remain untouched were the pantry and galley.
One of the first orders of business for Alta was creating a cohesive look. She featured pale fiddleback anigre wood on the main deck and deep cherrywood on the bridge and lower decks, for example. Furthermore, many of her design elements, like shoji screens, dated back to her original launch. They therefore weren’t in keeping with modern tastes. Ultimately, the owner wanted a chic beach house ambience.
The virtual fly-through of Alta’s saloon and dining room above hint at what’s in store when the refit wraps up on December 3. Gone are the carpeted soles, replaced with wide-planked wood. A rich espresso finish on walls creates strong contrast with satin-finished white paint. The paint is on doors (with java-colored leather and contrasting stitching), casings, baseboards, crown moldings, plus window surrounds and soffits. Even cabinetry doors and drawers are white, though in leather. Subtle yet distinctive brown stitching contrasts here, too.
Except for the skylounge bar, Alta is getting all new stonework, along with entirely new hardware and lighting throughout. Guests (a maximum of 10 accommodated in five staterooms) will enjoy a new audio-visual system as well. Though, first, they’ll note their staterooms have distinct identities. Embroidery on each of the four doors draws attention to a famous explorer’s name. Similarly, each stateroom’s en suite head, and the rest of Alta’s heads, has custom mosaics in light grey, white, and charcoal. Finally, of course, Knowles designed custom furnishings, all being made in South Florida, to complete the aesthetic.
Altogether, the Alta refit schedule should be 161 days. The owner will enjoy some time onboard, plus charter her through IYC, after redelivery.
IYC iyc.com
Patrick Knowles Designs patrickknowlesdesigns.com
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