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Yacht Refits: Before & After

  • Updated: April 15, 2009

Yacht Refits: Before & After

You don’t have to charter out your yacht to benefit from a refit. No matter the size of your boat, there are real advantages to adding new technology, freshened soft goods, updated systems, and other new equipment. It will keep you away from the boatyard and unanticipated expenses, give you more and safer time afloat, and-most of all-enable the shiny yacht that first caught your eye to continue thrilling you for years to come. Scroll through the gallery to see four recent refits prove that updated can be as good as new.

Yacht Refits: Before & After

Before: Titan The exterior refit that ended in July aboard the 198-foot Brooke Marine Titan followed an interior refit that ended in winter 2007. New work included adding a sundeck with additional bar and barbecue areas, and extending the aft deck to allow for more guest space. The owner also added new davits for launching Jet Skis and tenders, thus giving the crew the tools they need to satisfy guest requests as quickly as possible. Apparently, the multiyear refit isn’t complete yet; plans are reportedly in the works for a third phase that will include a new indoor spa with gymnasium. Ocean Independence, (954) 524-9366; www.oceanindependence.com

Yacht Refits: Before & After

After: Titan

Yacht Refits: Before & After

Before: Va Bene The 156-foot Kees Cornelissen Va Bene kept what worked and modernized what didn’t. “Her exterior lines are timeless. They belie her age,” Burgess Yachts Marketing Director Alev Karagulle says of the 1992 build, with a refit that ended in June. “The owner knew this was a boat with a pedigree, but not keeping up with the times on the inside. He kept most of the limed oak, which was throughout the boat and would have required a near-rebuild to eliminate. There was nothing wrong with it, and the way the interior has been redesigned, you don’t notice it as much, so the boat doesn’t feel as dated. It was a smart refit.” Burgess Yachts, (305) 672-0150; www.burgessyachts.com

Yacht Refits: Before & After

After: Va Bene

Yacht Refits: Before & After

After: Big Eagle The 172-foot MIE Big Eagle did some interior refit work but concentrated on behind-the-scenes upgrades. “We put in brand-new generators, brand-new main engines, and new Quantum zero-speed stabilizers,” says Capt. Christiana Virgilio, who managed the refit that ended in October. “All these things that guests don’t see really do affect their experience aboard. Our cruising speed went from 10 knots to 13 knots, and we became 30 percent more fuel efficient. Our updated electrical transformers are necessary for our new flat-screen televisions and Kaleidescape sound system. The air conditioning is now more efficient, easier to control, and more reliable. It makes a big difference.” The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals, (954) 764-7722; www.sacksyachts.com

Yacht Refits: Before & After

Before: Sedation The 143-foot Heesen Sedation focused on decor as well as systems. “Nothing had really been done for 11 years,” says chief engineer Donovan Benbrook, who helped to oversee the nearly $5 million refit that ended in autumn 2008. Work included everything from installing new helm electronics to cleaning out every air conditioning duct. “On the interior, we kept the original woodwork because it was throughout the yacht, and because we wanted to keep the authenticity. She’s a well-known boat with a busy charter history. Now, she’s also more modern and clean.” Shown here is the master cabin, whose new styling doesn’t even hint at the build year of 1997. Camper & Nicholsons International, (954) 524-4250; www.cnconnect.com

Yacht Refits: Before & After

After: Sedation
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