Travel with Indigo

Indigo has carried ever since its initial construction the yachting world’s highest and most stringent classification, Lloyd’s 100 A1. One of the many and excruciatingly detailed requirements for maintaining this seal of approval is that the vessel must undergo a major Lloyd’s monitored refit and survey each ten years, a period that expired just as we pulled into the Marine Industry Park, downstream on its eponymous river from the wonderful city of Brisbane, Australia. Prior to our arrival, our engineer Sean had visited the various refit yards, talked with the major tradesmen and material vendors and, with the captain’s added research and concurrence, recommended this yard for the extensive work we would need. A work program was prepared with detailed cost and time estimates, a bid process was initiated, and tradesmen and vendors chosen. We also employed Scotty, a highly competent Aussie engineer who knew all the vendors that would need to take part, as an assistant project manager.

Indigo was lifted out of the water on a 300-ton travel lift and moved into her new home, a 200-foot long fully enclosed metal shed in which scaffolding was erected and work was begun. Over the five and a half months from early May to mid-October the refit was duly and competently completed, on time and on budget despite numerous unexpected issues arising. Though the work list was quite extensive, the main items were these:

•    Overhaul both main engines, top ends only;
•    Replace both generators with new more advanced units;
•    Replace the tender, which had become tatty from extensive use;
•    Repaint the entire vessel, top and bottom, in a handsome dark blue on the hull and soft white on the superstructure;
•    Overhaul the HVAC  and water making systems;
•    Design and install a new sun canopy and cocktail seating area on the boat deck;
•    Repair and replace as needed sections of the teak deck;
•    Add upgraded bridge electronics;
•    Turn and balance the props and shafts and align these with the main engines;
•    Install new cutlass bearings;
•    Rebuild, reorganize and repaint the aft lazerette to bring it up to yacht standards;
•    Strip all teak caprails and table tops down to bear wood and varnish with fourteen coats of UV stable, high quality yacht varnish;
•    Rebuild both stabilizer wings;
•    Cosmetic improvements to the interior spaces, including carpet, drapes, replace all upholstered ceiling panels, refinish interior wood decks.

The end result of all this is that Indigo is now for all practical purposes a new yacht that meets the highest standards in the industry. But for the recent unpleasantness in world markets she would be, and one day soon will be, worth far more than I paid for her plus all the capital improvements. That, at least, is the plan.