A major 16-month conversion project is approaching completion at the Amico&Co shipyard in Genoa, Italy. The motoryacht, formerly known as Delma, has been extended from 85m to 91.5m and is about to enter the commissioning and certification phase after completely rebuilding and/or refitting all areas of the vessel.
It is the largest and most extensive refit project undertaken by Amico&Co to date and one of the largest projects of its kind ever attempted, requiring a dedicated team of 9 in-house project managers and technical superintendents working in close collaboration with the owner’s representative team, headed up by WimKoersvelt. The hugely complex conversion, involving an average of 200 personnel on the project at any one time, has been carried out in the shipyard’s 102m covered dry-dock inaugurated in 2014.
Built to passenger vessel standards and Lloyds Register classification, the megayachtis scheduled to be completed in record time. With her new Marshall Islands flag, the yacht will be able to carry 36 guests, together with 36 crew members plus additional staff.
Lengthening
Although the actual hull lengthening has taken ex-Delma from 85.3m (280 ft) to an LOA of 91.5m (300ft), due to the hydrodynamic and shape requirements of connecting the new aft block to the existing structure the hullhad to be cut back by up to 16 metres from the existing stern platform – a vast undertaking that required all theshipyard’s technical expertise.
Engineering
The project further involved replacing the main engines with twin 4300kW MTU 20V4000M93L power units, requiring a complete foundation rebuild, and installing three new MTU 12V200M41A diesel generators of 526 kW each. The exhaust systems, gearboxes, shaft lines and propellers have all been replaced, and the rudder stocks and steering system redesigned to match the new contractual speed requested by the client. The power management and alarm monitoring systems throughout the vessel were also upgraded.
Interiors and special design features
New features have been incorporated into both the interior and exterior design to provide outstanding comfort and amenities. These include a huge whirlpool with integrated sunpad for lounging on the sundeck, new spa and relaxation zones, and a new floodable tender garage on the lower aft deck that can be converted into a heated seawater swimming pool. State-of-the-art audio, video and monitoring systems have been installed throughout and 80 per cent of the interiors have been refurbished.
“We have been investing in our facilities and human resources with precisely this kind of large-scale engineering project in mind,” says CEO Alberto Amico. “It is thanks to these investments and the teamwork of our in-house departments with all their technical experience and know-how that we have been able to perform such a challenging refit.”
