Reason to refit

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Swans are known for their longevity, but sometimes refits are necessary, for a variety of reasons: perhaps new ownership comes with a desire to individualize a yacht; maybe there is a need to bring newer technologies to an older vessel; and one can't rule out the patching of extensive damage – requiring the craftsmanship of the original builders to repair.

A recent refit, undergone due to such extensive damage, was given to a Swan 90, Kora 5. Following a massive collision on the start line at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last September in Porto Cervo that left the sloop with a gaping hole in her side, a dynamic refit was undertaken. She has recently been re-launched: Re-named Altair, and given a color change (navy blue to snow white top sides with grey lines), the Swan 90 was successfully transformed.

The main focus was above the waterline, with a restoration of the aft amidships cabin on the starboard side of the saloon. This re-fit was split into distinct phases, beginning with the removal of all installations in the outboard area of the cabin (including covered plumbing, electric wiring, interior furniture and deck gear, in order to gain access to some of the hull laminate). The next stage saw a section of hull area being removed, prepped for joining with a new hull piece, fitting and bonding.

During the lamination phase, in-house Nautor’s Swan joinery craftsmen were also upgrading the interior furniture with a complete new set created for the starboard guest cabin. After the lamination work was finalized and post cured, assembly staff at the yard started rebuilding the plumbing and electrical systems, followed by the interior joinery team's reconfiguration.

The hull was then faired in and prepared for the overall paint job. At the same time, her mast and boom were painted for an exact match.  Finally, the reinstallation of the the deck fittings on the bulwark, together with the new pulpit, pushpit and starboard side stanchions took place. The teak deck was then given a light sanding to ensure a consistent finish and the boat was re-launched, ready to continue with her calendar of events for the rest of 2012. 

By Ocean Navigator