Alameda’s Bay Ship & Yacht Wins Contract to Refit Superyacht Bay Ship & Yacht (BSY), located in Alameda, California, has been awarded the contract to lengthen the expedition yacht SuRi by adding a 36-foot mid-body hull and superstructure plug for a new overall length of 208 feet.
Additional enhancements will include a complete main engine and generator renewal package and a new underwater viewing room that will allow guests to view the ocean from the comfort of SuRi’s elegant interior. The SuRi is an American-built hull that was converted in Seattle in 2008 and is owned by a California yachtsman. BSY, in collaboration with naval architects Kirilloff and Associates of Green Cove Springs, Florida, and Jeffrey Botwin of Herringbone Design of Los Angeles, won the contract for this work by competing against shipyards in New Zealand and Australia. During the current economic downturn, American superyacht refit yards have suffered severely, with far fewer projects. Projects that did materialize have mostly gone to Europe.
BSY’s competitive spirit and its ability to perform this type of work with its skilled tradesmen and local vendor support helped win this contract. The SuRi refit will be accomplished using 99 percent American-made products and subcontractors, thus generating many jobs in the local economy, and is noted to be the largest yacht refit and modification project done in the United States in many years. All work will be overseen by the Fort Lauderdale and San Francisco offices of Bureau Veritas, the yacht’s classification society.
For the SuRi, a larger, longer and heavier boat will offer enhancements to the guest experience apart from the accommodations. New engines and generators will offer more horsepower, quieter running and less environmental impact. The vessel’s speed will increase because of the added horsepower and will be more fuel efficient. Because there is an increased amount of mass of the yacht in terms of ballast, the ride comfort will also improve.
In the passenger area, the sun deck will be extended aft by 24 feet to allow for the owner’s new al fresco dining area. More square footage brings larger sunning and “in shade” areas—all with the high level of finish currently present on SuRi.
The bridge and helo deck have received the full length of the mid body of 36 feet. All of the added length occurs aft of the existing lounge, and a spacious, glass-enclosed guest lounge has been added to the elegant main lounge. The new guest lounge can either be closed off in glass—fully climate-controlled and part of the existing expansive lounge—or, by closing the existing lounge aft doors, all of the glass panels can be opened to allow for the breeze to cool guests as they enjoy the luxury of the new lounge amenities.
Two additional, full beam guest cabins will be installed on the mezzanine level outfitted similarly to the existing cabins, which are also being expanded and reconfigured. These four guest cabins allow an unobstructed, private view from the yacht. The main deck also received the full added length of 36 feet in the hangar, allowing for the carriage of even more “toys” and tenders than SuRi’s current capacity. On the hold deck, there are two large rooms that offer guests a fully-equipped lounging and meeting area on the starboard side that can be used for exercise, yoga, or as a children’s playroom. On the port side of the new hold area is a spacious, relaxing and comfortable media room equipped with an up-to-date television and sound system. Also in this space are the “windows to the sea”—two large viewing windows open to the ocean bottom, lit by high-intensity lights that will illuminate the depths and attract sea life to the guests.
Bay Ship & Yacht is the only shipyard on San Francisco Bay capable of maintaining and repairing both steel and aluminum ferries and yachts, as well as tugs and other work boats and diversified military craft. The yard has a 3,000-ton floating dry-dock and a state-of-the-art Syncrolift for docking vessels up to 215 ft. and 1,200 tons and moving them by rail to a total of 16 dry-berth working stations.