Yacht Slow Poke Steadily Transformed During $8-Million Refit

A love of rebuilding classic cars and re-imagining old buildings led to a two-year hunt for a yacht ripe for refitting. Ultimately, an American yachtsman acquired a renowned Doggersbank design and tapped Vripack to ensure she was an even more-efficient cruiser. The subsequent two and a half years spent refitting her resulted in the yacht Slow Poke being so much more.

This American had a pretty specific wish list in embarking on his yacht search. He wanted something in the 100-foot (30.5-meter) size range, for instance, featuring durable systems and design for extensive long-range cruising. The size came as much from wanting a small crew and comparable operating costs as it did from the overall above-mentioned experience. Despite the size, though, the amenities and mindset needed to be those of a larger yacht, say 131 feet (40 meters). An equally important must-have was Dutch heritage.

He found his perfect match in the 2000 delivery Coy Koi, an 84-footer (25.5-meter). She belonged to the range of Doggersbanks from the shipyard. Getting their name from an extensive, isolated shoal off England, Doggersbank designs are rugged-looking and rugged-cruising capable cruisers. Vripack has been designing them for the better part of the past five decades. “I’m involved in a lot of design led projects and sit on the board of a design school, and for me, the Doggersbank is an example of the best packaging design in all of yachting,” the owner says. He was so convinced Coy Koi was right, in fact, that he bought her in 2000 without ever stepping onboard.

Her offshore-capable steel hull certainly hit the right marks. So, too, did an extensive systems’ refit in 2018, during which rebuilding the Caterpillar engines and gensets took place. Simultaneously, all-new electronics and a new wheelhouse went into place. Still, though, the owner saw new opportunities for performance efficiency and for aesthetics.

The yacht Slow Poke underwent $8 million worth of work over two and a half years at Lauderdale Marine Center in Florida with Vripack for these changes. “One thing that I immediately wanted to do was increase hull speed,” the owner says. This therefore led Vripack to design a bulbous bow as part of an overall nearly eight-foot (2.5-meter) hull extension. The extension further incorporated a swim platform with integrated, hydraulic swim steps. “I find I spend the most time on the swim platform, so that area was important to me in terms of renovation,” he adds. Sea trials confirmed 2 more knots of speed and a 10-percent lower fuel burn. Subsequent days of cruising additionally have proven the extra space, affording an outdoor heated shower plus watertoy staging and boarding, was wise.

While the owner wanted the yacht Slow Poke to still look every bit a Doggersbank, he wanted some vintage charm, too. The master suite, for instance, color matches his 1952 Porsche 356A bumper. Redd Kaihoi, a New York-based design studio, handled this plus other enhancements throughout. Vripack’s original cherrywood interior remains intact for warmth. Redd Kaihoi added bold retro colors like blues and greens, plus a healthy amount of black particularly in the saloon. The black hull paint and green hull stripe are retro, too.

Whether enjoying sunset cocktails, the owner of the yacht Slow Poke has yet one more special touch onboard. It’s a custom sun awning bearing a design by the artist Paul Kremer, a good friend. “I find his paintings to be very calming and have one of his paintings in every space that I inhabit,” the owner explains. Guests have just as calming experiences in their staterooms: Cameras in the bulbous bow send live feeds of underwater life to their TV screens.

The $8-million price tag for the refit may raise an eyebrow or two. But, remember, this two-and-a-half-year process required stripping, re-engineering, and rebuilding. This, even with many of the same systems from the 2018 refit going back into place. At the end of the day, the owner is the one who has to be pleased. Clearly, he is, since he’s cruised from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest since delivery. “It’s important to be able to feel the ocean when aboard, yet be safe in the knowledge that the boat’s durable enough to be seaworthy,” he says.

Fascinatingly, some of the owner’s most treasured times aboard aren’t necessarily out on the open ocean. “Even when I’m an hour from my house, I choose to stay aboard Slow Poke because it’s so calming, pleasant, and peaceful,” he declares.

Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center shmarinas.com

Vripack vripack.com