Feadship Completes Odyssey Refit

Feadship De Vries Makkum has re-launched the 41-metre Feadship Odyssey, originally launched in 1989 as White Rabbit and since called Lady Columbo, Ladina and Bullish. This major project included extending the hull by three metres and adding significant real estate to the superstructure. The delighted owners will soon embark for a Caribbean cruise to make the most of the new hydraulic swim platform, hydraulic passerelle and guest lazarette plus a host of other facilities designed to maximise onboard comforts.


The yacht was originally purchased in early 2009 by a family looking for a pre-owned yacht to refit to their personal requirements. “She had to be large enough to cruise the world but still be able to access secluded areas and ports,” explains Feadship Refit Manager Ico Vergouwe. “The owners also sought a quality product that they could be sure would retain her value. As well-maintained Feadships rarely – if ever – drop below their original purchase price, the clients were convinced that a refitted Feadship would offer better value in every sense than a new build with virtually any other motoryacht brand.”

 
After the Feadship Refit Team had visited Florida to discuss the project, the owners had access to all builder’s information, two decades worth of after-sales data, the design and engineering team responsible for the original yacht’s concept and, crucially, the craftsmen who created their new asset.

 
“Rebuilding a yacht requires a dedicated workforce that is available for the whole project,”adds Vergouwe. “It is also vital that the yard has the right tools to provide the same quality work as on the original build. All too often at maintenance and refit yards around the world, projects are merely facilitated by the yard with the project manager and the accountant being the sole constant factor in the process. You would not build a yacht at such a facility so why rebuild one there?”


After signing the refit agreement the yard started engineering the aft sections in order to have production well underway when the yacht arrived at the yard in January 2010. Over the next nine months Odyssey was completely transformed inside and out, ranging from a complete repaint of the hull and superstructure to an extensive refurbishment of all luxury interior areas.

The main deck aft was extended to include a new U-shaped seating arrangement, while a new tender crane was fitted on the lengthened bridge deck. All decks have been re-laid with teak and new cap rails adorn every deck. The ‘indoor’ changes are equally impressive, with new bathrooms in all suites, a new galley interior (including stainless steel furniture and equipment), a new interior for the extended bridge deck lounge, new provision freezers and refrigerators, new laundry interior and equipment and a wide-ranging refurbishment of all crew interior areas. Two new Caterpillar C6.6 100 kW generators have been fitted in the repainted engine room.


For more information visit www.feadship.nl