The 45-metre Royal Hakvoort motor yacht Awatea has arrived at Balk Shipyard for an extended refit period, covering both "technical and aesthetic enhancements". Works will include a complete repaint of her hull and superstructure, alongside the installation of new alarm and monitoring (AM) and power control and monitoring systems (PCMS).
Delivered by Royal Hakvoort in 2008, Awatea was the very first Hakvoort designed by Cor D. Rover and, at the time, the fourth largest yacht ever built by the Dutch yard. She also carried "cutting-edge integrated technology", including first-of-their-kind, web-based systems from VBH, alongside "spirited" interiors from Dutch designer Felix Buytendijk, described as "sailing yacht meets New England charm".
"The post-millennium period of Dutch yacht design saw an influx of experimental design and a new wave of innovation," explained Evan Kortmann of Balk Shipyard. "This now semi-classical styling has a majestic charm, and as a shipyard that has been at the heart of Dutch yachting since 1798, there is no greater place for Awatea to be preserved, enhanced and recrafted. We have been here throughout every wave of Dutch yacht design and understand deeply how to maintain yet modernise each era's great spirit."
According to BOATPro, Balk Shipyard has one superyacht project currently under construction: the 43.2-metre Yemaya, which celebrated her hull launch last year. The builder also hit the headlines this year, with the news it had been acquired by a Dutch entrepreneur.
Read More/Balk Shipyard returns to Dutch ownership