No one seemed to have any complaints about the way the superyacht Ilona performed. Indeed the yacht was reported to be functioning perfectly since her launch in 2004. But the owner wanted a major re-design to accommodate some new ideas and, as owner’s representative David McQueen explained: “He wanted to have a large swimming pool and a helipad large enough to take his 3 tonne Agusta 109 helicopter.”
And so, last August, the yacht returned to Amels in the Netherlands for an extensive reworking of her interior and superstructure.
The below-deck helicopter hangar would be removed to make way for the swimming pool with a movable floor, enabling the pool to be replaced by additional deck space depending on the needs of the owner and guests. “With a variable depth floor with maximum depth of 1.5m, the 10m x 3m pool can be filled with 40,000 litres of sea water, which is then purified through a filtration system,” says McQueen. “The water can be heated to up to 6 degrees higher than the original sea temperature in just one hour.”
Aside from the engineering task, there was also the challenge of making these significant alterations without ruining the yacht’s profile.
Additional superstructure was added to accommodate the helipad would have affected the lines of the yacht, so the Owner’s deck and the bridge deck was extended by 2 metres in order to bring the aesthetic appearance back into balance. Metallic grey paint was used to reduce the visual impact of the helideck.
The refit went ahead as planned, with all tasks completed and the yacht delivered on schedule for her relaunch. Captain Kenan Seginer oversaw the work and commented: “For sure we’ll be coming back to Amels again.”
This was the 37th refit to have been carried out by the dedicated Amels Refit Department. With annual growth of 10% over the past four years. Already 2012 has been a busy year, with three new-builds and two refits successfully delivered on time, and with another nine new construction projects underway.
Specifications
- LOA: 74 metres
- Beam: 12.1 metres
- Gross Tonnage: 1836
- Owner & guests: 14
- Crew: 18
- Speed: 17 knots