Rebuilding Constance: The Ingenuity of British Refit

Before relaunching superyacht Aquila to the water in her renewed glory, Pendennis Shipyard completed an extensive 18-month refit of the 46.33m motor yacht Constance. The yacht was originally built by Feadship as Paminusch in 1986, and arrived initially in Falmouth as Jana, delivered by cargo ship in December 2014. We take a look at what makes this a symbol of British refit ingenuity.

At the time of her arrival Constance still retained many of her original 30-year old systems and engine-room equipment, and a surveyor’s report made the boat uninsurable.

The remit for the refit was to ensure the structural integrity of the yacht complied to offshore cruising requirements, to modernise systems and equipment not only improve efficiency but also to comply to emission

regulations, and to refresh the interiors to the style of the new Owners. This project was undertaken completely in-house by the specialist trades at Pendennis, with Yacht Management provided by Master Yachts.

During her time at Pendennis all bridge and engine room equipment and systems were replaced, whilst insulation was improved throughout and tanking systems refabricated as necessary.

Refurbishment of the Owner and Guest areas was carried out by Pendennis’ interior design team, with existing woodwork removed, restored and meticulously reinstated by Pendennis’ Joinery team.

Bringing the yacht up to current regulatory requirements including the latest MCA Large Yacht code "unrestricted Service" was of key concern, particularly as Constance was previously limited to short range use only. Special attention was paid to damage stability; this required the addition of further watertight compartment subdivisions to meet the most up to date regulations.

The crew area, galley, and laundry had a more extensive overhaul as the whole area was rebuilt and new galley and service equipment integrated, complemented by bespoke-made built-in furniture, resulting in a completely modernized crew area.

Externally two new deck cranes were installed and new teak decking laid across all areas. A full topsides, bulwarks and superstructure repaint by the specialist paint team completed the refresh of the boat.

In June 2016 Constance was relaunched for recommissioning and sea trial period before her departure from Falmouth.

The Owners generously hosted a party in the yard to celebrate the refit with the Pendennis team and their families, capturing the refit experience as a whole: “As our first motor yacht, when we took over the boat and understood the implications of the survey results, the refit initially seemed a very daunting project to undertake."

"However, the team at Pendennis has worked incredibly hard to restore Constance, and they have been supportive and professional throughout. We are delighted with the result and now we are very much looking forward to enjoying time onboard.”