yacht refinishing

LEADING THE WORLD IN YACHT REFINISHING

New image yacht refinishing.

Quality craftmanship for all your yacht refinishing needs.  

Contact us for a free estimate. 

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As an industry leader in the marine sector, World Yacht Refinishing is a modern yacht repair and refinishing company. World Yacht Refinishing has over 25 years of experience, specializing in yacht refinishing and repairs.

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954-587-2013

CUSTOM YACHT REFINISHING SINCE 1986

Fort lauderdale, fl.

Luu Marine & Associates, Inc. has been servicing the yachting industry and pleasure boating community since its inception over 30 years ago. We provide  customized yacht refinishing service that bring out the best in your yacht.

With decades of experience in the industry, we have built a reputation for honesty, quality, and dependability. We deliver on our promises, and we work hard to ensure our customers feel confident they are getting top-quality work.

CUSTOM YACHT REFINISHING

We are dedicated to providing high quality yacht refinishing service that cater to all your needs. Over the years, we have built a solid reputation for delivering exceptional results. Whether you need a new paint job or a touch-up, our team of experienced technicians has the expertise to handle all types of projects, from small to large-scale, providing unmatched quality and attention to detail.

Take a look at some of our projects below and see why we're the best choice for all of your painting needs.

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QUALITY FROM AN EXPERIENCED TEAM

YACHT PAINTING

Exterior painting, anti-foulant painting, and more

FABRICATIONS & FAIRING

Fiberglass work, welding, fairing, and more

DETAILING & POLISHING

Detailing and stainless steel polishing (anchors, railings, etc.)

We offer a range of services to keep your vessel looking its best. We specialize in paint applications of Awlgrip , Axalta / DuPont , and Alexseal products. And you can trust us to take care of a range of things from sandblasting to fairing, fabrications, blister repairs, detailing, and more, and get back on the water with a fresh new look. For your convenience, we have the ability to paint both in and out of the water.

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SPECIALISTS, IN & OUT OF THE WATER

"You all are to be commended for the fabulous customer experience you provided, in addition to the superb work product. In addition, you all were so extremely helpful guiding us to excellent vendors to assist us with the refit and giving us excellent and sage advice along the way."

"This is the second yacht you have done for us, and once again all of your staff was excellent. Your company is truly one of the best with respect to service, attention to detail and overall on time and on budget experiences."

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for the excellent paintwork you have provided over the last 2 years. Not only has the quality of your work been outstanding, but your follow-up and attention to detail have been equally impressive."

Robert E. Spatt, Crown Jewel

(96' M/Y)

Peter P. Vazquez, Island Time

David R. Cohen, Independence

TESTIMONIALS

MAIN OFFICE

2031 SW 20th St

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33315

Phone:  954-587-2013

Fax: 954-522-8879

Mon - Fri 8:00a – 5:00p

SAVANNAH OFFICE

301 N Lathrop Ave

Savannah, GA 31415​

Mon - Fri 8:00a – 4:30p

Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer and for a proposal

A member of our team will be available to help you.

Yacht Refinishing

Leaders in superyacht service and supply

C&N YACHT REFINISHING

Welcome to C&N Yacht Refinishing, the original staple of the yacht community, nestled in the heart of South Florida. With a legacy built on excellence and a passion for yachting, we have been proudly serving yacht owners with top-notch refinishing services for decades. As a leading company in the industry, our skilled team combines craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to ensure your yacht receives the utmost care and attention it deserves. From our stunning coastal location, we offer a comprehensive range of refinishing solutions, expertly tailored to suit the unique needs of your vessel. 

Cuong and Si Nguyen

The Founders of C&N

Cuong and Si Nguyen had been skillfully trained at Broward Marine for many years. After a plentiful amount of vessels they decied to create C&N Yacht refinishing. Now one of South Floridas and sorrounding Areas lead Yacht and Boat refinishing companies in 2023!

Yacht Professionals

Give your yacht a complete makeover with a combination of exterior and interior refinishing services, tailored to your preferences and requirements..

Protect your yacht from marine growth and maintain its performance with our high-quality anti-fouling bottom paint application

Give your yacht a complete makeover with a combination of exterior and interior refinishing services, tailored to your preferences and requirements

ENGINE COATING

Turbine coating, vessel coating, tier 1 materials.

C&N YACHT REFINISHING

Luxury yacht services.

Customized solutions tailored to your yacht's unique refinishing needs and preferences. Usage of high-quality materials and finishes, ensuring long-lasting beauty and protection for your yacht.

Certified Expert

Exceptional expertise and experience in the industry, backed by a skilled team of professionals.

24/7 Support

At our company, we take pride in offering 24/7 support to our customers, ensuring that whenever you have a question, concern, or need assistance.

C&N YACHT REFINISHERS

Hiring our yacht refinishing crew is a decision that guarantees unparalleled expertise, meticulous craftsmanship, and a personalized approach. with extensive industry experience, our seasoned experts deliver flawless results, using only premium materials and cutting-edge technology. we take the time to understand your yacht's unique requirements and create a customized plan, reflecting your vision and enhancing its overall appeal and value. our commitment to timely service ensures efficiency without compromising on quality, and our focus on customer satisfaction means you can trust us to deliver a beautifully refinished yacht that stands out on the water and exceeds your expectations..

Restorers Of Fine Woodwork

International yacht, fine wood refinishing & restoration.

Renova Refit is an international yacht refit company specializing in the art of fine wood finishing and restoration. Located in the yachting capital of the world, we are South Florida’s interior refit experts. For over 25 years, we have been handcrafting beautiful wood finishes and today we are just as passionate about our pursuit for perfection since the day we started.

Renova Refit sets the gold standard in high auality restorations & repairs

Excellence in hand craftsmanship & detail, exceptional workmanship, we restore your most precious investments.

Our client’s tell us that it’s our exceptional workmanship and attention to detail that really sets us apart. We enjoy hearing that, but for Renova, our ultimate goal is to continue to ensure the lasting value and beauty of our client’s most precious investments. This is what makes us smile!

Full Portfolio

Creating beauty that leasts a lifetime., news & events, news coming soon.

Thank you for stopping by, I know this page may seem a bit empty however we will be filling this news center weekly. You will get the latest news & tips in woodwork and how to maintain your vessel. We appreciate your visit, check back next week for our first news entry.

EXPLORE OUR SERVICES

Yacht refinishing and refit, precision and perfection, always striving to deliver excellence, our process, how we work.

From the moment we receive a request from a client or partner through to the completion of the project we have precise and measurable guidelines that we work to. We work with our client through their initial brief, the planning and budget stages, to the actual delivery of the work, using our quality management markers and then the final review where we detail every stage and report back on the completion of the works. Transparency in our communication and regular reporting are vital to ensure client satisfaction and a harmonious partnership. We endeavour to make the process as smooth as your new paint finish.

FROM GALLERY

Megayacht__.

Testimonials

I recently had the pleasure of contracting Megayacht Refinishing to come aboard and fix another painting contractor’s failed paint project. From the first interaction with Megayacht Refinishing until the end of the project, the entire process was seamless and more importantly completed inside of the vessel’s time frame. It has become increasingly rare in this… read more… “★★★★★”

Excellent work done by Mega Yacht Refinishing. Will use them again in the… read more… “★★★★★”

We just had Mega Yacht Refinishings do a beautiful job repainting our 112 Ferretti in Fort Lauderdale. I have worked with Mega Yacht Refinishings in the past on a few other boats and always have been impressed with the quality, speed and professionalism of their work. Having the wrong paint company paint your boat can… read more… “★★★★★”

Thank you for the services done, the Boat is looking great. Mega Yachts has so far done an excellent job very professional and outstanding job… read more… “★★★★★”

I highly recommend MYR! Wallison and his team did an amazing job on our Wajer 55s. Everything was done in a timely and costly manner. The paint crew takes pride in every aspect of their work. Our boat looks like new!!! I look forward to working with them in the… read more… “★★★★★”

had the pleasure to have mega yacht refinishing working onboard the 80 outer reef located in palm beach. The crew took care of multiple touch ups onboard and two bigger projects. What I really liked about mega yacht refinishing is that they came onboard and without me asking they protected all the areas onboard with… read more… “★★★★★”

“Great Painting Company. One of the best is South Florida. Great… read more… “★★★★★”

The team at Mega Yacht Refinishing are second to non. You won’t find another team that takes more pride in their work. They stand behind the process and the quality of finish. They document the process fully and are happy to show off their work. They have painted two full boats for my program. I… read more… “★★★★★”

From Quotation to job completion, Wallison and his team were transparent in expectations in both fair pricing and the time to complete the project. We had a BIG job to complete in a small amount of time. His professional team came onboard in the droves and knocked the job out in exceptional time. We are… read more… “★★★★★”

Great job ! 5 stars from… read more… “★★★★★”

This paint crew is one of the best I have seen in my 30 year career. Have built 5 yachts and seen some good paint crews and these guys are second to no… read more… “★★★★★”

Great People, Great Service. Fantastic finished product. Everything perfect, from the Estimate to the… read more… “★★★★★”

I was very happy with Wallison Moura and his crew at Mega Yacht Refinishing and the work they did on motor yacht Blue Star. They were all very hard working and resourceful leaving a clean and tidy job site every day. I would not hesitate to recommend Wallison and his… read more… “★★★★★”

Hi Wallison – thanks again for your work and your team coming so quickly to our rescue! We will certainly want you involved in any future large projects!! JB Front Street… read more… “★★★★★”

Thanks very much for the work you completed onboard. Your team did a great job and we are very happy. I also really appreciate the reports… read more… “★★★★★”

With the full paint job of MY SOL, the yacht gained a new life. As a team and a company with a tremendous family style approach, they were extremely efficient , very professional and kept well within budget and schedule. They went well and beyond expectations, very happy with their service. Would call them… read more… “★★★★★”

Excellent job through a very difficult project! Well done and thank… read more… “★★★★★”

These guys are awesome!

We completely forewent the typical price/timeframe song and dance I?m used to. Anyone that works in the maritime industry can truly appreciate that. In addition, their quality was not to be compromised…no corners cut or steps left out. The owner is so happy with his new paint and we look forward to continuing to update… read more… “These guys are awesome!”

“Wallison is the best. Great job, fair price! Make your boat look… read more… “★★★★★”

“Mega Yacht Refinishing has painted two of my Vessels and both times they have done a great… read more… “★★★★★”

Hi Wallison

I wanted to personally thank you and your team at MYR for the final product. This project has thrown a lot of curve balls at the yacht but I feel the finish we have got was worth it. You have a good team and you manage them very well. They are friendly guys and work… read more… “Hi Wallison”

Hard working with excellent results

OUR appraisal about Mega Yacht Refinishing is great! We are very impressed with their work ethic, Wallison and his team are very hard working with excellent results, they also have a very competitive pricing, so far I’m very happy with the project did on my yacht, during the show a lot of customers are asking… read more… “Hard working with excellent results”

Bravo! You have an amazing team!

The paint issues, weather, heat and humidity, the virus, that was out of all our hands, but everyone has done an amazing job and worked so hard. I didn’t learn everone’s name, but everyone worked so hard, there was another guy sanding who went home, he was such a hard worker, respectful. Truly I want… read more… “Bravo! You have an amazing team!”

Amazing job

Mega Yacht did an amazing job on our vessel! i highly recommend them, paint looks… read more… “Amazing job”

Exceptional work

Mega Yacht refinishing provided my vessel with an exceptional finish. The Mega Yacht refinishing paint crew were the first men in the yard every morning and last to leave every night. The paint crew takes pride in every aspect of their work?from prep, prime and all the way to the final shoot paint spraying. Mega… read more… “Exceptional work”

Painting are amazing

MYR is great company, commitment all the time with the customers, the results for painting are amazing with the best quality and better timing. I can highly recommend this company for others projects, you can feel confident that the final result will be succesful and… read more… “Painting are amazing”

Sean K. (M/Y Frisky Lady)

Wallison and his team did a great job. Everything was done in a timely and costly manner and paint came out… read more… “Sean K. (M/Y Frisky Lady)”

Cracks repairs

As captain, I hired Mega yacht refinishing to repair many cracks around the boat. I’m very happy about the final results, good quality in materials, personnel committed with the job, and great price compared with other… read more… “Cracks repairs”

Great company

I highly recommend this company to anyone who is looking for quality! They did a great job for us! Our boat looks like new and the owner is very nice and easy to deal… read more… “Great company”

Why Choose US

Disciplined.

We work hard to be the best at what we do.

We are always looking for improvements to our working practices.

Collaborative

We work with all of the major paint manufacturers and many shipyards.

+1-954-327-5859

Total Yacht Servicing

Choosing Your Yacht Servicing Partner Can Be Difficult. At Progressive Yacht, We Make It Easy.

Uncompromising professional service. We guarantee a delightful experience!

Understanding of and respect for the investment you have in your vessel.

Our own equipment and supplies.

Great value for your investment.

Responsible, certified, licensed, and insured staff.

Uncompromising professional service and guarantee that your experience will be delightful.

Responsible, licensed, and insured staff.

CLIENT REVIEW

Progressive and its team are very professional, honest, hard working, responsible and go above and beyond a customer’s expectations to get the job done right and in a timely fashion.

WHAT WE CAN DO FOR YOU

PAINTING CARPENTRY TEAK DECKING INSTALLATION ALUMINUM FIBERGLASS FABRICATION EXTENSION REPAIR

GEL COAT VARNISH INTERIOR DECORATING BUFFING & DETAILING COMPLETE REFIT INTERIOR/EXTERIOR

We Proudly Use

Ready to Get Started?

Call    +1.954.205.8467

Licensed and insured to work in all marinas 

B.M.I Interior Yacht Refinishing For all of your interior refinishing needs

​ Established in 2004, B.M.I Interior Yacht Refinishing has a 3,200 sq. ft. paint shop facility located in the "Yachting Capital of the World", Fort Lauderdale, Florida, just off of Marina Mile. From milky finishes, color matching, minor scratch repair to complete re-fits, B.M.I will provide you with excellent results and complete satisfaction. Click here to read some of our satisfied Captains testimonials .                                      Specializing in removable pieces e.g interior and exterior table tops, and cabinets.     

3321 South Andrews Ave.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316

954.205.8468

INTERIOR  

  Polyester  Urethane  Lacquers & Varnish  Damage Repairs  Touch Ups  Faux Finish

• Project Portfolio
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• Milky Interior Refinishing

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Web Design by Mac McWeeney Agency  

Giving new life to luxury on the high seas

Welcome to JB YACHT REFINISHING, where your yacht is not just painted but completely transformed . We stand apart with our meticulous attention to detail, using only the finest and most advanced materials in the nautical industry. At JB YACHT REFINSHING, we don’t just restore your vessel’s beauty, we elevate it to a new level of splendor and performance.

Our Best Features

Unsurpassed Quality

We utilize premium-grade paints and finishes, ensuring your yacht not only stands out but withstands the harsh marine conditions.

Details that make a difference

With detailed remodeling and refinishing techniques, every area of your yacht is optimized for your ultimate enjoyment, style, and functionality.

Personalized service

Understanding that every yacht is unique, we offer tailor-made solutions that reflect your vision and meet your most demanding desires in luxury sailing.

My name is Raysel, I have been working since 2010 with more than 13 years of experience

Whether you’re curious about features, a free trial, or even press, we’re here to answer any questions.

• Make An Appointment

30-plus Years of Marine Woodworking Experience

American Yacht Restoration (AYR) has developed an impressive array of services offered to meet the needs of the discerning client.

American Yacht Restoration

When utilizing American Yacht Restoration’s services it means you will have a strong team working with you that has the track record to complete a project on time and on budget. The owners, captains and crews alike know the advantages of using American Yacht Restoration to assist in the transformation of an idea into a high-quality finished project.

Yacht Furniture and Cabinetry

On Site Finishing and Touch-ups

Refits and Retrofits

Wooden Boat Repair and Restoration

Color Matching

Exterior Woodworking

Dashboard Modifications

Contact american yacht restoration.

5770 Columbia Circle, Mangonia Park, FL 33407 2225 Idlewild Road, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410 Phone: 561-882-0444 | Fax: 561-882-0443

Our Services

We offer a full range of yacht repair and refit services. Allowing our customers to a hassle-free yachting experience.

Yacht Painting

Yachts represent the personality of their owner, and keeping the paint on your vessel looking its best is a real challenge for many. Either your vessel requires a simple paint touch up, hull body painting, full yacht painting services, air brushing or yacht restoration, Chi Yacht Refinishing is the right yacht painting company for the job.

Yacht Polishing

Chi Yacht Refinishing is a complete yacht detailing and polishing company in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, providing the best quality yacht detailing, yacht polishing, boat cleaning, gel-coat restoration, surface waxing, and teak deck services in South Florida.

Yacht Refinishing

Chi Yacht Refinishing prides itself with the high expertise workmanship in every project. Whatever style, fashion, lighting, layout design, or appearance you dream of, we can make it happen. The quality of the preparation work determines the quality of the finished product, which is why our skilled craftsmen only work with the best tools and finest materials available. We exclusively use Awlgrip and 3M Products to prep every yacht.

OUR LOCATION

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Yacht refinishing AND PAINTING SERVICES

Welcome to Bluesea Marine Yacht Refinishing, your premier destination for comprehensive yacht refinishing and painting services. We are dedicated to rejuvenating and enhancing beauty of your prized vessel, delivering impeccable results that surpass your expectations

Proffesional Detailing

Corrosion prevention and control

Full paint job

professional detailing

CORROSION PREVENTION AND CONTROL

full paint job

Bluesea Marine is dedicated to delivering exceptional craftsmanship, professionalism, and customer satisfaction. We take pride in our ability to breathe new life into yachts, creating stunning transformation that enhance their value and appeal.

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What superyacht owners have learned from refit projects

Related articles, superyacht directory.

Thinking about undertaking your first refit? The owners of G2 and Vibrance , who recently completed their first major refurbishments, share their wisdom on how best to refit a superyacht on budget and without compromise.

The sailing yacht refit: G2

The couple that would create the sailing yacht G2 had a specific dream: to sail around the world on a modern fast carbon cruiser with a lifting keel. There were plenty of aluminium yachts on the brokerage market in their size range, but very few existed in carbon. So why buy and refit rather than build new?

“I was hoping I could do it a lot more quickly,” says the owner. That didn’t go exactly to plan though. “Big projects generally cost more and take longer than you think. It certainly applies to this sector – it applies even more than I had expected.”

The couple’s search for their first large yacht ended when they spotted Cinderella IV , a 39-metre carbon sloop built by Vitters in 2009 that had been languishing on the market for the better part of three years. It was an attractive buy and a high-quality yacht, and they quickly got to work reimagining it as their dream boat. They retained its original naval architect, Bill Tripp , whose mandate included scrapping the aft deckhouse in favour of an open flush deck. To realise their ideal minimalist interior – pretty much the opposite of dark, traditional Cinderella IV – they commissioned Nauta Design , who would work on the transformation at Pendennis in Falmouth.

What they all achieved is astonishing. G2 emerged from the yard 18 months later virtually unrecognisable. The new aesthetic, inside and out, is clean and contemporary without being cold or stark. It’s bright and soothing, with a cool colour scheme, bigger portholes and large expanses of glass added to the coachroof. Rearranging the layout forward also gave the couple a more comfortable master suite.

To get there required removing the original interior. “To that extent it was like a new build. I actually stood in the empty hull after they had taken out what was there and started again,” says the owner, who acknowledges that the stylistic aesthetic likely matters more to him than the average sailor.

“Light and space is really important to me,” he says. “That was the theme we were trying to achieve and you can’t really visualise it before you’ve done it. I think it not only met expectations, but it’s even nicer than I imagined it would be.”

The process did cost them one Med season longer than expected, and a lot more money than initial calculations suggested. Part of the extra time and expense came down to an increase in the scope of the work. The glass panels in the coachroof were a significant add-on, as was painting the superstructure. The initial survey also had missed some big-ticket items. In addition, the owner, who describes himself as “naïve” going into the project, quickly learned that refitting comes with challenges. “You have some highly skilled craftsmen doing some great work,” he says, but to achieve the result “you need a lot of them doing the right thing to the right quality and on time”.

The secret to refit success in the owner’s opinion? It’s all about teamwork. “The team that you assemble is really, really important,” he says. “It’s not sufficient to have the right naval architect or the right interior architect, or obviously the right yard. It is really the combination of those people and the extent that they have previously worked together that’s extremely valuable. In my case they hadn’t.

“Take your time, get good references and meet people,” he advises. “Don’t be shy to meet a few candidates for every position you want to fill. That really pays off afterwards, rather than rushing into it and maybe taking unnecessary risks or cutting corners.”

He also learned that having a captain from the planning stage would have been hugely beneficial. When Cinderella IV ’s captain left the boat, he warned the owner that it was a mistake not to have a captain on straight away for the refit. The owner thought the comment was self-serving – as the captain would have liked to have stayed on longer – but in retrospect he realised it was just good advice. “It is extremely useful to have a captain that not only has this kind of refit experience but also seems like he is like-minded in terms of quality control and taking ownership of the boat. I was extremely lucky to have that, but it was quite late.”

In the end, the couple got what they wanted: “a boat that we have created, so I’m really happy with the experience. And I would do it all again – a refit versus a new build,” says the owner.

After warm-up seasons in the Caribbean and the Med, G2 headed back to the islands to prepare to sail further afield. She flew her spinnaker for the first time in the Superyacht Challenge Antigua in March 2020 just before the lockdown started. G2 sat out the summer in Antigua, and as we spoke to the owner in late July, he was preparing to fly down to sail her from St Lucia to the Galápagos. After that it would be on to New Zealand or what the owner calls “a very nice Plan B”, Costa Rica. “I’m very excited to explore the world – starting this weekend.”

The motor yacht refit: Vibrance

The most arresting element in the refit that turned Volpini into Vibrance was the result of a happy accident. As the naval architect at Murray & Associates , Patrick Dupuis, was discussing the work to be done, a 3D image of the yacht spun on Dupuis’ screen, and for some reason it showed it as grey instead of its actual white. Dupuis began to apologise for the glitch when the new owner, Duane Robert (Bob) Donaldson, broke in, “Wait a minute, I love that.” He laughs, “I fell in love with the computer image while he was apologising.”

Thanks to that fortuitous glimpse of grey, the 49.3-metre Amels became one of the first superyachts to be painted in Awlgrip’s new High Definition Technology polyurethane clearcoat on top of its Silver Grey Metal flake, transforming a plain white boat into a shimmering head-turner that lives up to her name Vibrance . Donaldson calls the pricey paint job a roll of the dice, but it was a gamble he was willing to take. “I’m a New York construction interior contractor; I’m used to making these risk and reward decisions. If it didn’t come out this great I would have redone it, but it came out unbelievable,” he says, crediting the paint contractor, C&N Yacht Refinishing.

Vibrance ’s refit was a three-part process that began at IMS Shipyard in Toulon, France – where much of the major mechanical overhauls took place, including replacing the main engines – and ended at Fort Pierce Yacht & Ship in Florida, two yards Donaldson recommends. In between was a brief stint at a shipyard that he was not happy with: “We had a verbal deal, but as soon as they had my boat out of the water, everything changed,” he says. So he cut the scope of work down to the minimum and on his captain’s recommendation moved the yacht to Fort Pierce.

Once relocated, they did a huge amount of work in just five months. The interior and decks were redesigned by Kerry Allabastro of Allabastro Designs in Stuart, Florida. Every room received a makeover, with new upholstery, flooring, lighting and custom-designed pieces. The aesthetic had been similarly traditional on Volpini , but it looked tired. Allabastro updated it in a luxuriantly elegant transitional style, mixing modern elements into the traditional milieu. While the alder wood joinery was retained, dark burl wall panels were removed.

In place of those panels in the main foyer, for example, is a mural backing the stairwell, its colourful landscape replete with meaning to the owners. The refit also added an al fresco gym on the bridge deck port side where a tender had been stowed, and revamped the sundeck, a spot the couple particularly enjoy for cocktails.

“This was my first refit. I was just doing it the way my wife, Christie, and I want it to be done, but it came out so well that the yard nominated it for the 2019 International Superyacht Society award for Best Refit,” Donaldson says. That’s not to say it was easy. The timetable included a hard deadline to make the yacht’s coming-out party in New York before leaving for the Mediterranean days later. The pressure was intense, and many said it couldn’t be done.

“I just went there myself and got it done, because this is what I do,” says Donaldson, who was on site for the project’s final month. “I build high-rises in New York City, so I deal with the smartest and toughest builders in the world.” As a result, he’s developed a laser focus to address issues pertaining to quality, schedule and cost. “At one point I had 85 people working. What [the previous yard] told me it would take, I did in less than half the time.”

The schedule does affect the cost, he explains. He’s a self-described “budget guy”, but in this case, he says to forget the budget – in fact, plan for it to double. “Get great naval architects, the best you can get, and great interior designers,” he advises. “Then understand your timing, the duration of the job. As my current captain tells me, ‘Give me more time and I can make it on budget. But if you’re going to push me for time, it’s going to cost more.’”

Donaldson’s other advice for owners is make sure you have an experienced  surveyor at purchase – he praises Simon Burt, director of Winterbothams in Portsmouth, for doing a good job for him. “An experienced project manager who understands your needs is also paramount,” he adds.

Looking back, Donaldson has no regrets other than not researching yards more thoroughly, and he feels a refit offered good value over a new build. Born in 2004 from a Dutch pedigreed yard, Vibrance was a solid build of steel and aluminium; now with its fresh interior, layouts tweaks, all-new systems and engines and, of course, that extraordinary paint job, she rivals any new launch. “What I am most proud of is my wife’s interior work with the interior decorator,” Donaldson says. “She has never done anything like that before. She just hit it out of the park.”

That imperative party that marked the refit’s end was meant to be the one chance in years the owner’s family, friends and associates would have to see the yacht before she disappeared over the horizon, but the pandemic put a wrench in those plans and Vibrance was recalled to New York. There is a silver lining though; now he and his wife get to share her with family and friends closer to home. They recently spent six weeks on board in Key West. “We sat in a Covid-free cocoon and it was just brilliant,” Donaldson says. “We’re enjoying it the way a boat of this magnitude should be enjoyed.”

This feature is taken from the November 2020 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Vladimir Putin’s Superyacht Graceful Has A New Name: “Killer Whale”

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Vladimir Putin's yacht Kosatka, formerly named Graceful, off the coast of Estonia on September 25.

The Russian president’s superyacht was spotted off the coast of Estonia, escorted by a Russian Coast Guard vessel.

Vladimir Putin’s second-largest superyacht is on the move. More than seven months after hastily departing Germany for the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, the Russian president’s $119 million, 267-foot Graceful was spotted off the coast of Estonia—with a new name.

Photos seen by Forbes that were taken on September 25 by Carl Groll, a contributing photographer for TheYachtPhoto.com, reveal that Graceful has a new name: Kosatka , Russian for “killer whale.” Forbes, which was tipped off by TheYachtPhoto.com’s managing director and longtime yacht watcher Peter Seyfferth, compared photos of Graceful available on yacht industry websites with the photo of Kosatka that appear to confirm the match.

The yacht was traveling northbound in the Baltic sea to the west of the Estonian island of Saaremaa; the pictures show it being escorted by an armed Russian Coast Guard vessel, possibly en route to St. Petersburg. It’s unclear when Graceful changed its name to Kosatka or when it departed Kaliningrad, a Russian territory sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland: the yacht’s transponder has been turned off since at least August 30, according to ship tracking service MarineTraffic, when it was still in Kaliningrad. A spokesperson for the Russian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kosatka —then named Graceful —departed the German port of Hamburg on February 7, seventeen days before Russian troops invaded Ukraine. It left for Russia after a five-month refit at the shipyards of Blohm+Voss, the company that built the yacht in 2014. The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Graceful —along with three other yachts linked to Putin—on June 2.

Kosatka moored at the port of Sochi, Russia in July 2015, when it was still named Graceful and before its refit in 2022.

Registered in Russia, Kosatka features an indoor swimming pool that turns into a theater and a dance floor, a helipad and suites for up to 12 guests. The ship also boasts pool towel storage cabinets that double as vodka bars and an owner's suite with a wine cave that can store up to 400 bottles; the yacht was delivered to "her closely-collaborating owner" in 2014, according to Lürssen, which owns Blohm+Voss.

According to a BBC News investigation published in March, the yacht is currently owned by Moscow-based JSC Argument, which the U.S. Treasury sanctioned along with its sole shareholder, Andrei Gasilov, on June 2. The BBC investigation found that JSC Argument had in the past agreed to a loan from one of the management companies involved in the construction of "Putin's Palace,” an opulent, 190,000-square-foot estate near the resort town of Gelendzhik on the Black Sea coast. JSC Argument did not respond to phone calls for comment from the BBC.

According to yacht valuation experts VesselsValue and reporting from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Graceful was previously owned by British Virgin Islands-based Olneil Assets Corp. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned a company in the Cayman Islands with a similar name—O’Neill Assets Corporation—on June 2, for "having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, Vladimir Putin."

Besides Kosatka , Putin has been linked to at least five more yachts: the $507 million, 459-foot Scheherazade , which is technically owned by oil & gas billionaire Eduard Khudainatov but is believed to be held on behalf of Putin ; the $22 million, 187-foot Olympia ; the $18 million, 177-foot Chayka , which means “seagull” in Russian; the $17 million, 151-foot Shellest; and the 105-foot Nega. Olympia and Kosatka , then named Graceful , were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 2 as “blocked property in which President Vladimir Putin has an interest” while Shellest and Nega were targeted as “two additional yachts linked to Putin.” Altogether, Putin’s fleet of yachts is worth at least $680 million, according to VesselsValue.

Except for Scheherazade , which was frozen by Italian authorities in the port of Marina di Carrara on May 6 and recently re-registered to Malaysia, and Olympia , which is registered in the Cayman Islands, the other yachts are all registered in Russia. All of the other yachts, except for Scheherazade , also appear to be in Russia now: Olympia was last tracked in Lake Ladoga, near St. Petersburg, on July 31, 2021; Chayka was last tracked in the Black Sea port of Sochi on March 29, 2021; Shellest was last tracked off the coast of Gelendzhik on September 13; and Nega was last tracked in Lake Ladoga on August 14.

The links between the six yachts and the leader of the Kremlin are complex. According to the U.S. Justice Department, Eduard Khudainatov— a former CEO of Russia’s state-owned oil company Rosneft and a longtime associate of Igor Sechin, Rosneft’s current boss and Putin’s right-hand man —acted as a “clean, unsanctioned straw owner” for Scheherazade , owning it through Marshall Islands-based Bielor Assets Ltd. A spokesperson for Khudainatov did not respond to a request for comment regarding Scheherazade when Forbes reached out in June.

Olympia is owned by Cayman Islands-based Ironstone Marine Investments, which was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on June 2. According to the U.S. Treasury, Shellest and Nega are owned by the Russia-based Non-Profit Partnership Revival of Maritime Traditions and its subsidiary LLC Gelios; both entities were sanctioned on June 2. Putin’s ties to Chayka are clearer: the yacht is owned directly by the Russian government, according to VesselsValue.

An investigation by OCCRP published in June shed light on the murky relationship between Putin and his yachts. The firms that own Shellest and Nega are tied to "LLCInvest," a network of interconnected companies and nonprofits that holds a collective $4.5 billion in assets, including Putin's palatial complex on the Black Sea. The group is also linked to another yacht, the $9 million, 121-foot Aldoga , owned by a firm held by Svetlana Krivonogikh, rumored to be the mother of one of Putin's daughters.

The investigation also revealed how Putin appears to use the yachts: Shellest makes frequent trips between Gelendzhik—the site of “Putin’s Palace”—and Sochi, while Nega travels between several homes owned by LLCInvest companies, including a villa known as the “Fisherman’s Hut” on Lake Ladoga and Villa Sellgren, a mansion on the shores of the Gulf of Finland. OCCRP reached out to more than 100 LLC Invest email addresses and made phone calls to five representatives of LLC Invest companies for comment; none of the emails received replies to the questions and four of the people called did not respond, while a fifth claimed he did not know who owned the companies.

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Discover the best Baltic sailing routes: from Scandinavia to hidden eastern gems

• February 1, 2023

From popular Scandinavian waters, to off-the-beaten-track eastern gems, Wietze van der Laan and Janneke Kuysters share six great Baltic sailing routes

The Baltic is one of the best cruising grounds in Europe, with a myriad of options to choose from. But how can you make the most of sailing the Baltic – and, for non-Schengen passport holders, what can be done in 90 days?

Between late June and mid August the Scandinavian summer can be seriously warm with temperatures around 25°C-30°C. There’ll be the occasional rainy or (very) windy day, but in general the forecast is very accurate. Sweden, Norway and Finland broadcast good forecasts for the whole Baltic, and we also found the ECMWF model (through the Windy app) very accurate.

Stable weather

Prevailing winds are from the west or south-west, fuelled by a train of lows coming from the Atlantic. However, in summer a stable high pressure area forms over Scandinavia, bringing beautiful weather and moderate to light easterly winds. Make sure you have enough fuel or a large light-weather sail for these conditions.

Distances between destinations are never very far. For cruisers who don’t fancy sailing through the night, there are 20-22 hours of daylight in midsummer, giving you a wider choice of destinations to sail to. The lack of tide adds to this flexibility.

Midsummer is celebrated everywhere with food, drink, festivities and a well-decorated maypole. In the shoulder seasons it is a bit chillier, especially in the evenings. Before midsummer and after 1 August restaurants, tourist offices and attractions decrease their opening hours. The upside is that it gets quieter and easier to find a space in the popular harbours and anchorages.

Northern Baltic shores are strewn with rocks, the southern shores are sandy and shallow. Everything is well surveyed and navigation is simple if your charts are up to date and you use common sense and caution.

There’s an abundance of cruising guides detailing every anchorage and bay with the rocks marked on aerial photos – they’re worth every penny. Markers and buoys are plentiful, sometimes to an almost confusing degree.

The authors’ yacht in a peaceful spot on a jetty near Lake Vänern, Sweden – beavers swam by Anna Caroline. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Mooring options when sailing the Baltic

There are lots of marinas and public jetties, and average berthing fees are around €30 for a 44ft yacht. Most have an intricate system for mooring. Parallel to the jetty there is a line of mooring balls. You pick up one of these, secure a line and then motor towards the jetty to attach two lines. There are no cleats on the jetty, but rings.

Most Scandinavian boats have fancy ladders ready at the bow to make this manoeuvre easier. Yachts with centre cockpits or wide sterns tend to motor with the stern to the jetty. In Denmark, mooring is done between poles.

But the best thing is just to anchor in one of the thousands of bays in the archipelagos. Free anchoring can be limited due to the size of the bay, so a stern anchor comes in handy. Drop it over the stern when approaching a good-sized rock. Slowly advance to the rock and tie the boat to a tree, to a ring in the rock or to another rock.

Done with caution, this is an excellent way to spend a lovely summer evening.

Janneke and Wietze on their way to Marstrand in between the narrow channels. Photo: Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Swedish West Coast

Technically, the Swedish west coast – and the country road to the east – is not the Baltic, but Skagerrak and Kattegat (Kattegat is a Dutch expression for ‘narrow entrance’). The west coast of Sweden is a great landing place after a North Sea crossing .

The island of Orust has many well known boatyards on it, and towns like Fjällbacka, Marstrand and Gothenburg are all worth a visit. Marstrand is the epicentre of regattas on the west coast, and foreign competitors will find a warm welcome.

From Gothenburg, there are two options: one is to continue south and wind your way in between the thousands of islands and rocks. Here there are many picturesque small towns to visit, but also contemporary Malmö with a marina right in the centre of town (Denmark is only a stone’s throw away, though we’ll get to that later). The other option is to take the Göta channel straight through Sweden.

You start in Gothenburg on the Trollhättan canal which is 40 miles long. In six large locks, you go up to 42m above sea level and exit the Trolhättan channel in the Vänern lake. You could spend weeks here exploring this very large lake (55 miles by 45 miles), anchoring in little bays and exploring the beautiful castles and little towns on the shore.

Navigating the Göta Canal’s large locks at Trollhättan. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

In Sjötorp, the fun really starts: you enter the first of 58 historic locks and climb to 92m above sea level. In Motala on lake Vättern there is a museum about the canal. The figures are mindblowing: it took 22 years to build, is 95 miles long and it took 58,000 conscripted soldiers to dig it with spades.

The reason behind this mammoth project, which started in 1810, was to cut down the travelling time between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Over land, it took up to two weeks. By boat through the channel, it could be done in less than a week. Traditional passenger boats still ply the channel, but the majority of the users are recreational craft.

From Sjötorp to Söderköping you travel in between locks on a small canal, fringed by fields of yellow flowers, farms painted the typical Scandinavian red, cattle and lots of cyclists. Life is easy and time goes slowly.

Traditionally, at every lock there is a lock keeper’s house in a distinct light yellow colour, and some of these cute dwellings are now ice cream shops, coffee bars and restaurants. Particularly near locks that are a little more complicated, holiday crowds often gather to watch the activity on the yachts; the Göta channel is nicknamed ‘the Divorce Ditch’, because for a short-handed crew it requires a bit of agility to tackle the locks.

When the last lock closes behind you in Mem, a whole new cruising ground opens.

Swedish Archipelago fishing village at Ostergotland. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Stockholm archipelago

The Stockholm archipelago is a favourite among all Swedish sailors, thanks to its thousands of islands and anchorages. The weather here is usually calm, which, combined with the small tidal range and hardly any current, makes for an excellent cruising ground.

Many foreign yacht owners store their boats on the Swedish east coast in winter to get the most out of the summer season.

There are endless cruising options up and down the coast. You can take it easy on short day trips, anchoring or mooring to a rock, visiting small towns to provision and walking the hundreds of kilometres of footpaths that run along the shore. You can also opt to do a circular route: north along the coast, then inland to Södertälje. From there you pass through a lock and enter Lake Mälar.

Stockholm is built on a series of islands. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Mälar is a large lake but a relatively unknown cruising ground with lots of lovely anchorages underneath the ancient castles and homesteads that line the shores. The water is clear and it’s a joy to have a swim on a hot day. You could easily spend two weeks here.

From Lake Mälar you sail to Stockholm, the bustling capital of Sweden. The city is built on islands, hence the nickname ‘Venice of the North’. There is lots of traffic: ferries large and small, cargo ships, pleasure craft. Even food deliveries are done by boat.

The old city centre, or Gamle Stan, is a pleasure to stroll through, while the Vasa museum is mindblowing. The King’s ship Vasa was launched in 1628 but sank within three miles in the harbour of Stockholm. For over 300 years it lay in the mud, only to be lifted to the surface in 1961, perfectly preserved.

From Stockholm you can go back to the south of the archipelago, or why not go north? You can sail straight up into the Gulf of Bothnia where only a few foreign boats sail each year. To the east there is another major cruising ground, while the island Arholma has two perfect anchorages to stop and consider both options.

Old pilot station at Kobba Klintar in the Åland archipelago. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Åland and Finnish archipelago

The Åland archipelago is an autonomous region within Finland with its own legislation, and Swedish is the first language spoken there. The Ålanders are very well connected to both mainlands: ferries go back and forth between the capital Mariehamn and both Stockholm and Helsinki. The archipelago’s pink rocks give the landscape a special charm, especially at sunset and sunrise – though you’d need to be up all night to see that in high summer, as there are only two hours of darkness. Ålanders also love good food.

Mariehamn has good facilities for visiting yachts: two large marinas, of which the ÅSS harbour is most suited for international visitors. You’re in Finland, so the sauna is included in your marina fee (and is a great place to hear the latest information on the best anchorages and other cruising gossip).

One of the joys of the Åland archipelago is that you can sail right around the main islands, either on a northerly or southerly circuit. The loop will bring you back to Mariehamn in 7-10 days of pleasant day sails. If you choose to go east, some of the more remote islands are worth a stop. Finnish Utö is one, the southernmost island of the archipelago and dominated by a large lighthouse. Only a handful of people live on the island and visitors are very welcome.

Once again, it’s hard to choose your next destination. The prevailing westerly winds will blow you nicely to the east, but you need to keep an eye on the lows that pass this area regularly and cause a stiff northerly breeze. Choose anchorages with that in mind.

Typical mooring arrangement in Scandinavia: a stern anchor and bow to the rocks. Note the small bow ladders. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

The Finnish archipelago spans the whole south-west coast of Finland. You can meander through the islands and head northeast to Turku, a large town with all the facilities you need. Or sail a more south-easterly course and wind your way to Helsinki. Among lovely examples of islands are Bodö and Örö. Both were of military importance at one point in history and have been largely uninhabited, so nature has been able to flourish.

Two couples now lease the islands and are developing them in a very sustainable way, making them a true delight to visit with endless walks on well-marked paths, and the chance to enjoy sundowners on a wooden deck overlooking the small jetties lined with yachts, and excellent food in the small restaurants.

Well-known Finnish cruiser, Auli Irjala, says: “My partner and I have sailed around the world and have seen many beautiful places. Despite that, the Finnish archipelago is still very high on our list of favourite places. You can spend long summer days pottering around the islands for weeks on end. Sitting on a rock that still has the warmth of the sun in it and just soaking up the view, while your boat is moored alongside that same rock in calm water.”

The pink rocks of Åland seem to glow at sunrise and sunset. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

If you aim to do a Baltic circuit, you’ll at some point sail to Helsinki. The historic resort of Hanko on the south side of the city is a must-see. Hanko is a yachting hub, and an overnighter will get you from Hanko to Helsinki. By going slower you can take several ‘inside tracks’ that’ll see you meandering between beautiful wooded islands and rugged rocky shores.

Entering Helsinki is an experience in itself: the many rocks and islands that surround the city require careful navigation, especially because large cargo ships and ferries head into Helsinki at full speed.

The large fortress island of Suomenlinna is an impressive sight; it also has a small marina. In the vibrant city of Helsinki itself there are also lots of options to moor, and the Nyländska Jaktklubben yacht club on the island Valkosaari is well worth a visit. You can spend days exploring Helsinki, but just across the Gulf of Finland is a relatively unknown cruising area which begs to be explored…

Domed cathedral and Daugava river bridge are landmarks in Riga, Latvia’s capital. Photo: Bruev/Getty

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania

Up until 1991 Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were occupied by Russia. The ‘singing revolution’ was impressive: without a shot being fired, the three countries gained their independence. During Soviet times citizens were forbidden to have boats and it was not allowed to live near the coast. Many guard towers and navy harbours made sure that nobody would escape to Finland or Sweden.

Fast forward 30 years, and when you cross from Helsinki, you’ll see many new yachts proudly flying the Estonian flag. There is a luxury marina right in the middle of the capital, Tallinn, from where you can walk into the historic old town. Facilities for yachts have been developed at a breathtaking speed – Estonians love to be out on the water.

To cruise Estonia, one option is to follow the coast of the mainland all the way to the ‘summer capital’ Pärnu. Along the coast, there are interesting places to visit. Haapsalu is one: a fortress towers over the small town. Spas are all along this coast, as the mud in this part of the Baltic is said to be healing for body and mind.

Coastal view at Haapsalu, Estonia. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

You can sail back to Tallinn via the Estonian islands: Kihnu with its ancient matriarchal culture, Muhu, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa with their historic castles and mystical forests. Facilities for yachts are all new, usually small harbours, often near ferry landings. They all have floating jetties, shower blocks and friendly harbour masters.

Further south is the Gulf of Riga: a vast body of water where the prevailing winds are from the south-west in summer. Most cruisers opt not to sail to the capital, Riga, from Estonia because it’s a 70-mile upwind slog, though we were lucky and had westerly winds.

The inner city is about seven miles up the Daugava river, with several marinas on the coast and up-river (the one nearest the city centre is basic but within walking distance of the key sights). Sailing to Riga is well worth the effort to wander around the cobbled streets of the historic city centre.

On the west coast of Latvia there are a few harbours with facilities for yachts. You could sail to Lithuania on day trips, but a keen eye on the weather is necessary. With the prevailing south-westerly winds, this coast is a lee shore and the shallow foreshore can create steep waves which may lock you into a harbour for longer than you’d like. Ventspils is the most popular harbour and an attractive holiday town.

The harbour at Klaipeda in Lithuania. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Further south is the Lithuanian harbour of Klaipeda, which gives access to the Kurisches Haff, a freshwater lagoon. A long, narrow sand spit of very high sand dunes runs from Klaipeda all the way to Kaliningrad (a Russian exclave). From Klaipeda, there’s a marked channel on the east side of the spit. Well sheltered from the prevailing winds it’s a truly ‘off the beaten track’ destination. From Klaipeda to Gdansk in Poland can be sailed in an overnighter, taking special care to avoid Kaliningrad’s 12-mile exclusion zone (now enforced by the Russian navy).

Poland and northern Germany

The jewel in the crown of sailing in Poland is Gdansk. You can sail there from the north of Germany, or cross to Gdansk from Latvia or Lithuania. Either way, with the prevailing south-westerly winds, it takes an effort to get there and back.

But it is worth it. Right in the city centre of Gdansk is an excellent marina. Gdansk is intriguing, because of its complex history. There are excellent museums and city walks that unravel the mystery for the curious visitor.

Aerial view of the old town of Gdansk in Poland. Photo: Fotoman/Kharkov/Getty

Sailing is also a popular activity in Poland, so it is relatively easy to find parts or get repairs done. Cruising the Martwa Wisla river you’ll pass shipyards on a massive scale, one of the mainstays of the Gdansk economy.

Going west from Gdansk you can make day sails to small harbours along the holiday towns that dot the coast of Poland, keeping a keen eye out for low pressure systems that bring temporary strong northerly winds. If you’re lucky, a high pressure area will establish itself and bring light easterlies. In summer the active sailing community in Poland creates a fun atmosphere, and foreign yachts are given a warm welcome.

From the Polish north shores you sail west to Vorpommern, a coastal region with interesting topography due to its high sand dunes and large, narrow spits that enclose vast bodies of water – especially fun to explore with a shallow draught yacht.

At the border of Poland and Germany, you can tuck ‘inside’ the spits, between the islands of Wolin and Usedom. The natural channels and shallow enclosed ‘Haffs’ make for excellent and very sheltered cruising areas with many quaint little towns to visit.

In case of strong south-westerly winds, this can be a good area to keep sailing while still making your way west. The Boddengewässer lagoons lead all the way south of Rügen to Heiligenhafen, on the west side of the island of Fehman.

If you fancy an easier tack offshore with a deeper draught boat, you could sail from Gdansk to Bornholm or Christiansö in Denmark’s Ertholmene mini-archipelago.

Nyhavn in Copenhagen, nicknamed Little Amsterdam. Photo: Wietze Van Der Laan

Denmark – and back

Getting to and from the Baltic depends on weather windows, and timing. There are three good options to choose. The first is to sail around the north of Denmark and via Skagerrak and Kattegat to the Baltic. The second option is to take the Lymfjord between Thyboron in the west and Hals in the east of Denmark.

The Lymfjord is a sheltered inland waterway with some little towns underway where you can moor and rest for the night. The third option is the Nord-Ostsee-Kanal, nicknamed the Kiel Canal, which cuts through Germany’s Schleswig-Holstein region and connects to the North Sea. All three have their pros and cons, depending on the weather and the amount of motoring you’re prepared to do.

Inevitably, getting in or out of the Baltic means spending time in Denmark. Denmark, with its many islands large and small, is a cruising destination in itself and it would be a shame to rush through. There is something for everybody: secluded anchorages, impressive natural phenomena like the limestone cliffs of Mons Klimt, and the contemporary city of Copenhagen. The tidal range is slightly larger in Denmark, especially in the north.

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