Having newly purchased Die Swaene, a classic Swan 90 from Nautor Swan built in 1991, the owner sought to undertake a major refit on the yacht. He has converted her into a contemporary family-friendly 27.5-metre performance cruiser that maximised all on board spaces and renamed her Spirit.
Choosing the right yard to undertake this mammoth task was crucial.
The keen yachtsman who is based in SE Asia was attracted to and chose Yachting Developments shipyard in New Zealand because of their refit work in recent times which included the 18-month refit on the J-Class Endeavour(JK4)
Endeavour had subsequently picked up an award for best refitted Yacht. With full in-house capabilities for the design, construction, engineering and upholstery work the yard offered all the services this detailed refit would require.
The key concepts for the refitting of Spirit were to gain a more modern look, while retaining her strong sea-going capability, reputation for build quality and safety, and good cruising performance.
The rig was made to be manageable by a family. In the cockpit area the brief was to provide a large open space for al fresco living. Cabins and living spaces were upgraded with today’s finishes and larger windows installed in the main cabin, to give a lighter and brighter feel throughout.
Over the course of the year-long refit, work included the removal of the aft deck and cockpit and a new cockpit seating arrangement under a semi-fixed bimini plus the addition of twin wheels in place of the original single wheel.
A new, larger, owners cabin was installed aft, and accommodation on board increased with the addition of a new guest cabin in the forward sail stow area. All interior spaces were improved and reworked, with a light overall palette and furnishings.
A complete rewiring, the addition of a twin generator, a full repaint and brand new sails completed the picture. Use of composite meant the refit took 5 tonnes off the overall weight of the yacht, giving her extra speed and manoeuvrability when underway.
On her relaunch Spirit’s owner was delighted with the end result and is looking forward to making use of his new yacht, which is registered in Singapore. “I was particularly impressed with the way the hull and structural modifications were formed and the quality of finish, through all key trades,” he said. “The design team solved some key problems up front and have implemented clever solutions. Above all, attention to detail has been a key feature.”
“Our team have done a fantastic job on the Spirit refit and the before and after shots really speak for themselves on the quality of work they have achieved,” said Ian Cook, Managing Director of Yachting Developments. “We are delighted to have such a happy customer and are all very proud of the end result.”