95-Year-Old Yacht Fair Lady Departs Royal Huisman After Extensive Refit

A near-centenarian-status private yacht is back on the water and ready for cruising. Following two phases of extensive upgrades and repairs, the yacht Fair Lady has departed Royal Huisman. The 121-footer (37-meter) may be as refreshed as a brand-new launch in some areas, but retains her original classic character.

Originally built at Camper & Nicholsons in England in 1928, the classic megayacht has passed through the hands of multiple owners. Given her age and the owners’ desire to preserve her, Fair Lady has undergone several refits and upgrades through the decades. Those yard periods include a top-to-bottom restoration in 1996, for instance. Work on her topside joinery plus her original 231-hp Gardener diesels took place in 2013. Subsequent smaller refits took place, too. However, when a new owner acquired her in September 2021, it was time once again for a larger task list.

A further challenge existed, though. The owner wanted to balance necessary improvements against his enthusiasm to spend an initial season aboard. Therefore, a two-phase plan emerged, with Royal Huisman’s Huisfit refit division taking on the extensive work over two winter seasons. Namely, phase one occurred November 2021 into February 2022, with phase two starting September 2022. This therefore allowed the owner to enjoy springtime and summer cruising in 2022.

During phase one at the Amsterdam-based Huisfiti facilities, hull, tank, and varnish repairs took place. So did servicing the gensets, stabilizers, and main engines—which date back to 1928, a pair of Gardener diesels. Additionally, the craftspeople refreshed the guest cabins and installed new carpeting. Phase two was much more involved. In fact, the Gardeners and all other engine room components came out. New gensets and stabilizers went in, as did the Gardeners after being overhauled. More steel hull plates needed repairs, too. Finally, the yacht Fair Lady gained an all-new wheelhouse.

“Thanks to the owner’s vision to preserve Fair Lady’s heritage, this classic motoryacht will not become forgotten history,” says Stefan Coronel, Huisfit’s manager. “We are proud to have been a part of the Fair Lady’s new lease on life.”

This isn’t the first time that Huisfit has tackled a classic yacht refit. In 2017, it rebuilt the Herreshoff-designed Vagrant, for instance. In 2021, the 1930-built Atlantide arrived for a refit, too.

Huisfit huisfit.com