Extreme Makeovers

Stuck in the backlogs of new superyacht commissions? Consider a pair of refit projects that proved to be nothing short of transformational.

- Michael Verdon

THE PANDEMIC-INSPIRED SURGE in superyacht demand prompted a corresponding jump in refit work as owners unwilling to wait three years for a new build are instead opting to commission late-model makeovers. Case in point are two crafts, a 238ft Lürssen, launched in 1994, and a 184ft Benetti from 2005, each with different refurbishment objectives. Christened Coral Ocean and Galaxy, respectively, the former was considered an artifact while the latter, though well-built, was forgettable. “The last thing we wanted was a boat that age,” says Ian Malouf, owner of Coral Ocean, “but it had a fantastic original structure and was due for a generational change.” Yet what was intended as a quick US$5 million remodel grew into a two-year, US$35 million metamorphosis for the eclectic Jon Bannenberg-designed yacht.

“We renovated the entire interior and at one point, the upper decks were down to the bare aluminium, like a new build,” says Will Kaye, Coral Ocean’s captain, who oversaw the project at Mallorca’s STP yard. “We added 150 gross tons, or about 10 per cent, to the boat’s volume.”