Yacht Awatea Swaps Baby Blue for Bigger Benefits

Seven months after arriving in The Netherlands, the yacht Awatea has a much different profile. Although that much is aesthetic, further changes throughout her interior should keep her operational for her next decades.

A 148-footer (45-meter) from Royal Hakvoort Shipyard in 2008 (as the yacht My Trust), Awatea has borne a baby-blue hull for the past several years. It has made her readily identifiable in many waters, as has her traditional styling. The owners wanted a change, requesting a switch to a rich navy blue as one of the tasks for Balk Shipyard. It’s a lot closer to how she looked at delivery all those years ago.

Due to her age, multiple technical upgrades and modifications were further on the list. For instance, Balk Shipyard’s team treated spot corrosion. Deck equipment like her winches underwent servicing. So, too, did all of her main behind-the-walls equipment, including her engines, gensets, watermakers, and sewage-treatment system. Additionally, the wheelhouse gained all new radars, among a number of other displays and systems. The galley underwent a full renovation as well. Entirely new lighting inside and out on deck is now aboard, as is a new HVAC system. Furthermore, the shipyard craftspeople took care of window replacements and revarnishing doors and alfresco furnishings.

Although service shipyards regularly handle yachts from builders outside of their home country, sometimes challenges arise. This was the case when the owners and crew initially sought to address some needs while in North America. Firstly, specially designed hinges on the doors had sustained some damage, but apparently no one could source replacements. Since the Dutch shipyards know and use many of the same suppliers, Balk Shipyard says it found a solution the day the yacht Awatea arrived. Similarly, the crew couldn’t find an appropriate replacement for the wine refrigerators. They needed ones with specific sizes, voltage, and connectivity. Here as well, Balk Shipyard knew a good supplier.

With the work wrapping up, Awatea will soon set off for more northern and remote climes.

Balk Shipyard balkshipyard.com