85ft De Vries Feadship re-fit notes on the problems and the solutions.
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| Project Management |
In 1999, the 85' De Vries Feadship, SEA HARMONY; was docked in Simpson Bay Lagoon, N.A. and had been for years. She had survived recent hurricanes damage free, though in one hurricane it was told she had landed with her bow in a local bar causing it considerable damage. The owners were unable to maintain her and we directly saw great potential in this classic yacht. Actively seeking buyers, it did not take long to complete the sale. By the end of the year, we escorted the boat with her new owners to Trinidad where they opted to manage their own refit lasting through the spring of 2000. They accomplished some hull repairs and partial renewal, not without a few serious mistakes that were later corrected by our team. Basic systems and the interior were upgraded and she was cosmetically greatly improved. As cause and effect will have it, they had bent the hull resulting in mis-aligned shafts. Their first voyage wore down the new bearings and she nearly sank off St. Lucia. The new owners were disillusioned by further costs and ownership changed hands again. We were approached for Phase 2 of the refit and this time, more critical repairs were seen to.
| Task list : Phase 2 refit from winter 2000 to spring 2001 : vessel Sea Harmony | √ Done | |
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| Rebuild two Gardner motors with all Gardner parts from UK | √ | |
| Rebuild one Northern Lights Genset with all NL parts from USA | √ | |
| Rebuild one GM 25KW Genset | √ | |
| Weld NEW steel decks including Ribs, fully documenting each area | √ | |
| New Teak Decks with 2" Trinidad Teak with 1/2" tongue in groove, bolted and epoxied to steel and sealed | √ | |
| NEW steel base for super-structure including supports | √ | |
| Renew all tanks and bilges- Bilges coated with epoxy cold tar, water tanks lined with cement | √ | |
| Renew shafts including part replacement; new seals, bearings and in particular, precise re-alignment | √ | |
| Rebuild anchor windlass | √ | |
| Installation of four new, totally independent Cruisair AC, hot&cold units | √ | |
| Upgrade plumbing | √ | |
| Renew all varnish, interior and exterior | √ | |
| Hull faring and AWLGRIP paint-job | √ | |
| Clear-coat exterior wood trims | √ | |
| Re seal all top deck teak | √ | |
| Lloyds survey | √ | |
| Sea Trials and delivery to USA | √ | |
The result of this refit is that the yacht is nearly new. All major 'new owner' concerns have been eliminated by the extensive attention given to mechanical and structural details. Phase 1 of the project upgraded the interior with new teak floors, new upholstery, tiles, canvas, electronics and new steel hull plates. After 35 years, her original twin 8cyilinder Gardners were long overdue for overhaul. This was meticulously done in Phase 2. Lack of proper maintenance over the years made deck renewal imperative. This, along with re-alignment of the shafts and all above listed improvements comprised Phase 2.
Basic Specs
| LOA: 85' | BEAM: 20' | DRAFT: 8'7" | YEAR: 1964 |
| Designed&Built: G. De Vries Lentsch Jr. Netherlands | Hull: Steel with Aluminum super-structure |
| 2001: GPS, Radar; Deep sounder: Auto-pilot, SSB, VHF, CB, Hi-Fi, Hydraulic Steering | Motors: Twin 8Cyl. Gardners;8L3B, @225HP, Diesel, Full alarm & fire systems |
| Cruise speed:11kn, Trans-Atlantic range, 4266gal fuel capacity | Gensets: Northern Lights 15kw, GM 25kw, Shaft unit 6kw |
| Cabins: 1xqueen, 2x double, 1x twin, 2x upper lower bunk cabins, forepeak for crew | W.C./shower: 4 + 1W.C. deck level. All electric |
| Galley: Gas & Electric 220v, fully equipped | Tenders: 12' Carib inflatable with hard bottom, 12' speed boat w/ 50hp outboard |
| Anchors: Navy 400lbs & 150lbs, 1/2" double link chain, powerful anchor-windlass, electric/manual | Water: 1600gal + water maker |
| AC: 5 units |
View photos of a few examples of before & after project details: SH Photos