Creative conversion
The interest in conversion projects continues to grow as a result of lengthy waits on new build projects, and the economic benefits to owners. Moulding an established vessel into something new and personal to the owner, while enjoying the historical background of such a boat, does not come without its limits. However, in the right hands, it can be transformed into something special.…
The interest in conversion projects continues to grow as a result of lengthy waits on new build projects, and the economic benefits to owners. Moulding an established vessel into something new and personal to the owner, while enjoying the historical background of such a boat, does not come without its limits. However, in the right hands, it can be transformed into something special.
There are a number of studios that have created concepts based on a commercial platform such as the 60m commercial project by Liebowitz & Pritchard Architecture + Yacht Design, the 70m offshore anchor handling project by Claydon Reeves, and most recently released, the 60m commercial conversion design by ODENWALD - The Yacht Surveyors, in collaboration with Anders Design.
Operations manager at ODENWALD, Silke Bitzer, says today’s owners were very specific about what they wanted and most had done their homework and/or had extensive knowledge of the vessel they were interested in and how much it was worth. “A 60m is not something you might easily build yourself, but it might be something you would consider converting," she explains. "Taking into account the price of a new build compared with the costs needed to convert a vessel of the same size, they can be poles apart.”
Bitzer goes on to explain that with the decommission of commercial vessels, you can sometimes come across one that has been maintained to a level that would make it suitable for conversion. “Not every vessel should be considered for conversion,” reveals Bitzer. “It should be a long range, go anywhere vessel that can cope with all-weather and coastal conditions. Boats that were originally built to comply with these demands are perfect for conversion.”
Together with a clear construction plan and an experienced team, a conversion project has the potential to deliver a great yacht at a reasonable price. This was the route taken by the owners of the 51m superyacht Northern Sun: the yacht is an ex fisheries research vessel built in 1976, that they bought in 2005 and converted into a long-range expedition yacht. “We are very pleased with the results on Northern Sun; we have all the advantages of upgrades and all the advantages of engines made with a quality of durability rarely found any more," they told The Superyacht Owner.
“The idea of a new-build never entered our minds, we like the ‘old-into-new’ feeling of a treasure-hunt that we get from bringing these older vessels back to life,” said the owners. “Some people like to find old houses to bring up-to-date; we love to do that with vessels.”
When it came to the design of the 60m, the ODENWALD team, alongside Anders Design, created two proposals after being approached by a client who later withdrew from the project, which remains with central listing broker Dan Sharp at Think Yachts. Embracing the original character of the vessel, both design options feature a high bow and a superstructure far more in-line with that of an explorer vessel. The first concept keeps to the shape of the original superstructure, whereas the second version adds to the aft section of the upper deck, providing more interior volume.
“The concept here was drawn according to economic principles as well as preservation,” reveals Bitzer. “Maintaining as much of the existing hull and structure in order to avoid high costs for structural changes. In accordance with this brief, the decision was made to draft a design which removed rather than added materials and structural elements to the vessel.”
A conversion project won’t be the right option for every owner, but it is a possible avenue for the more adventurous client. In the case of 52.7m SuRi - which was built as a shadow vessel and has undergone extensive conversion, while also being extended to 63 metres - it was the challenge that interested the owner. “Our family has now expanded to include grandchildren and we felt that SuRi didn’t quite have enough capacity to house us all in the way we wanted it to,” explains the owner. “There were two choices: sell the yacht and build another, or (as our engineer suggested) add 90 per cent of the capabilities that we would get out of a new boat with a refit. We decided to challenge ourselves and do something different.”
There are a number of studios that have created concepts based on a commercial platform such as the 60m commercial project by Liebowitz & Pritchard Architecture + Yacht Design, the 70m offshore anchor handling project by Claydon Reeves, and most recently released, the 60m commercial conversion design by ODENWALD - The Yacht Surveyors, in collaboration with Anders Design.
ODENWALD project - the original 60m commercial vessel in her heyday
Operations manager at ODENWALD, Silke Bitzer, says today’s owners were very specific about what they wanted and most had done their homework and/or had extensive knowledge of the vessel they were interested in and how much it was worth. “A 60m is not something you might easily build yourself, but it might be something you would consider converting," she explains. "Taking into account the price of a new build compared with the costs needed to convert a vessel of the same size, they can be poles apart.”
“In accordance with the brief, the decision was made to draft a design which removed rather than added materials and structural elements to the vessel.”
Bitzer goes on to explain that with the decommission of commercial vessels, you can sometimes come across one that has been maintained to a level that would make it suitable for conversion. “Not every vessel should be considered for conversion,” reveals Bitzer. “It should be a long range, go anywhere vessel that can cope with all-weather and coastal conditions. Boats that were originally built to comply with these demands are perfect for conversion.”
Together with a clear construction plan and an experienced team, a conversion project has the potential to deliver a great yacht at a reasonable price. This was the route taken by the owners of the 51m superyacht Northern Sun: the yacht is an ex fisheries research vessel built in 1976, that they bought in 2005 and converted into a long-range expedition yacht. “We are very pleased with the results on Northern Sun; we have all the advantages of upgrades and all the advantages of engines made with a quality of durability rarely found any more," they told The Superyacht Owner.
The ex fisheries research vessel, Hokko Maru
“The idea of a new-build never entered our minds, we like the ‘old-into-new’ feeling of a treasure-hunt that we get from bringing these older vessels back to life,” said the owners. “Some people like to find old houses to bring up-to-date; we love to do that with vessels.”
Northern Sun after the conversion
When it came to the design of the 60m, the ODENWALD team, alongside Anders Design, created two proposals after being approached by a client who later withdrew from the project, which remains with central listing broker Dan Sharp at Think Yachts. Embracing the original character of the vessel, both design options feature a high bow and a superstructure far more in-line with that of an explorer vessel. The first concept keeps to the shape of the original superstructure, whereas the second version adds to the aft section of the upper deck, providing more interior volume.
Concept 1
Concept 2
“The concept here was drawn according to economic principles as well as preservation,” reveals Bitzer. “Maintaining as much of the existing hull and structure in order to avoid high costs for structural changes. In accordance with this brief, the decision was made to draft a design which removed rather than added materials and structural elements to the vessel.”
A conversion project won’t be the right option for every owner, but it is a possible avenue for the more adventurous client. In the case of 52.7m SuRi - which was built as a shadow vessel and has undergone extensive conversion, while also being extended to 63 metres - it was the challenge that interested the owner. “Our family has now expanded to include grandchildren and we felt that SuRi didn’t quite have enough capacity to house us all in the way we wanted it to,” explains the owner. “There were two choices: sell the yacht and build another, or (as our engineer suggested) add 90 per cent of the capabilities that we would get out of a new boat with a refit. We decided to challenge ourselves and do something different.”
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