Every month, superyacht owners share where they are and where they’re heading. This time, Sandy Kurtzig explains why she and her husband stepped up to the 47-metre Kajak, the realities of a full-scale rebuild and their plans for a slow circumnavigation.
Sandy Kurtzig
Yacht: Kajak
Length: 47m
Year: 2002
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
What made you and your husband, Geoff, decide to buy a bigger yacht?
We reached a point where we wanted to go farther with fewer compromises. Our previous yacht, a 40-metre Horizon called Kajak, was wonderful, but our ambitions have shifted to true long-range exploration. We wanted a vessel that could safely and comfortably take us across oceans on her own bottom.
What led you to purchase this yacht?
This Kajak (ex-Focus) immediately felt like the right boat for that next chapter. She has an aluminium hull, a range of roughly 5,000 nautical miles at 13 knots and can push past 20 when needed. Just as important, she is designed for real living at sea. One of the things that makes her extraordinary is her owner’s deck.
It’s shared only with the bridge and includes about 140 square metres of private space with an owner’s lounge, office, a private terrace and a master suite with 270-degree, floor-to-ceiling windows.
There’s also a lift and a partially enclosed heated and air-conditioned sundeck. Interestingly, the boat was designed to be wheelchair accessible. We don’t need this capability now, but we are all getting older!
What changes are you making?
We decided early on to do a major refit – not a cosmetic refresh but a multimillion-dollar transformation, focusing on systems, reliability and creating spaces that support long-term life aboard. Navigation, communications and technical systems are all being upgraded, and the interior is being completely reimagined.
How has the yard period been?
Challenging – and rewarding. Like all major refits, everything takes longer than you want it to, but we’re fortunate to be working with exceptional talent: the original builder, Roberto Lottini of Genesis Yachts; Patrick Knowles, a world-class interior designer; and Robert Friezo of Verity, who is giving her the latest tech infused with AI.
Geoff and I are very hands-on with the refit management. I’m a builder’s daughter and have managed large residential construction projects, and Geoff has owned 15 boats, so we’re not naive about the process. It’s demanding but also incredibly satisfying to shape a yacht so precisely for how we plan to use her.
What are your plans post-refit?
We’re planning a multi-year circumnavigation – unrushed and flexible. The idea is to follow the seasons and let curiosity guide the route. Our initial cruising will take us through the Azores up to the Norwegian fjords. We’re looking forward to the perspective that only slow, deliberate travel can give you. Kajak is our passport to the world.
First published in the April 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.