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Sea Change
Michael Verdon
07/01/2005
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Not many yachtsmen can look at a rust-stained, 170-foot offshore supply vessel and see a luxury yacht. But in 2001, one fervent sport fisherman realized
that he could create the ultimate exploration boat by refitting a commercial
vessel with an oceangoing hull to the tune of several million dollars. “After
years of fishing, I decided the only way to reach the more exotic, far-away
places was to build a special boat,” says the angler, a Central American
businessman. “And the best way to do that was by converting this supply ship and
taking my personal fishing boat along with it.”
 | | THE 184-foot Pangaea is just shy of an icebreaker-class rating. Expedition
vessels are a growing niche in the yacht market. |
Latitude is now on the brokerage market for $15.5 million. It represents one
of the new breed of former commercial vessels that have been turned into luxury
expedition yachts. Mothballed Coast Guard cutters, Russian icebreakers, North
Sea tugs and offshore supply vessels have all become the yachting equivalents of
extreme off-road vehicles, capable of journeying for tens of thousands of miles
in the most horrendous conditions, while owners enjoy their luxurious
amenities.
Latitude, for example, can cruise for 40 days without refueling
its mammoth 64,000-gallon diesel tanks. It also holds 37,000 gallons of water,
and several months’ worth of supplies. The owner and 15-member crew have spent
weeks fishing in the remote waters of the Amazon, Mexico and the Caribbean. They
plan to visit Alaska next summer. The owner chose the boat from among other
commercial vessels because the long and open deck seemed tailor-made to
transport his 43-foot sport-fishing boat (named Longitude), a 25-foot catamaran,
two tenders and a flotilla of water toys.
The utilitarian exterior, however,
belies the elegant interior of the yacht, which was completely gutted and
reconstructed during a year-long refit in Brazil. Latitude features flawless
joinery, teak flooring and art nouveau furniture. “It has all the amenities of
any superyacht,” the owner says. “That includes a pool, helipad and my own
private galley, where I like to cook for guests.”
 |  |  | | MIDDLE: BEFORE photo. Bottom: Giant started life as a Russian icebreaker and salvage vessel, but was
transformed to offer the ambiance of a luxury ocean liner. |
The even larger Giant, a
converted 245-foot Russian icebreaker and salvage vessel, is a true global
explorer, with a nonstop range of more than 12,000 miles and deck space for two
40-foot sport-fishing boats, other craft and a helicopter pad. Owner Rene Herzog
says that he wanted a yacht that could take him anywhere, but with the ambiance
of a 1930s ocean liner. The interior is comprised of rich, dark wood, with a
more formal nautical feel than Latitude, but one no less opulent. The master
stateroom, named the Hermitage Suite, has a bar and fireplace, with adjoining
quarters for a secretary or bodyguard. The sundeck lounge looks like a private
gentlemen’s club, with mahogany paneling, a fireplace, Oriental rugs and wicker
sofas. Giant holds a crew of up to 30.
Herzog explains that Giant was a true
labor of love, a project that took him six years to conceive, and another three
to bring to life. The conversion process started in Mexico with a complete
reworking of the interior and superstructure; the fabrics and other finishing
work were completed in Italy. “Nobody builds vessels to this strength anymore,”
he says. “It has an ice-class hull, which is the highest category. A (new) yacht
of this size would cost well over $100 million. We were able to buy and refit
her for less than a third of that price.” Herzog plans to cruise Giant next
summer, either along the Northwest Passage to Alaska or down to Antarctica.
Maritime Makeovers
“There are a growing number of people intrigued by the
idea of taking a commercial vessel and cruising anywhere in the world on it,”
says Curtis Stokes, a yacht broker at the Sacks Group in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
“They tend to be a bit younger than many traditional yachtsmen and want the
expedition experience without having to rough it.”
Stokes has seen an
explosion of interest in Louisiana offshore supply vessels that have been
retired from the oil industry. “Resurrecting a Wreck”. “I’ve been
getting a dozen inquiries a day about these boats,” says Stokes, who recently
sold a 194-footer to a Venezuelan businessman. “People are coming to me with a
lot of creative ideas on how to use them.”
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