John Freeman News

The proper lining of ballast tanks is essential and critical to ship safety. Not too many decades ago, ships traveling the North Atlantic routes were experiencing terrible losses from outright sinking in the turbulent seas. It was eventually discovered that the primary culprit was hull failure from ballast tanks rupturing from the inside out due to simple, plain old-fashioned rusting and galvanic corrosion. The U.S. Navy led the way and came up with a recommended formula, or recipe, for a ballast tank coating that paint manufactures could copy in bidding for Navy business.

Knight & Carver YachtCenter’s Cliff Mayo (left), is shown aboard Helios with the megayacht’s chief engineer Per-Eric Kallstrom (center) and HF Interior managing director Curt Biller. By the time Helios completes her six-month refit January 31, the 194 ft. Oceanco will be ready for her close-up. For now, the yacht’s once-classic European styling has been stripped away, to be replaced with a far more glamorous, sexy look. “It’s going to be a floating beach house, totally chic, edgy and contemporary,” said Captain Tommy Gurr. “The owners wanted something more fitting to their lifestyle. Launched in 2001, Helios now calls the Pacific its cruising base, one reason Gurr opted for a lengthy refit at San Diego’s Knight & Carver YachtCenter.