Astilleros de Mallorca - Joomla 1.5.15

Click Here to View More Photographs of "Passion"

The project of re-building had been initially conceived as a joint venture between the owner, who contributed with his ideas through the designer Felix Buytendijk, the assistance of Captain W. Randall Petersen, the Chief Engineer Phil Ratcliffe, Diana Yacht Design for the Structural design and Peter Valentijn for the installation design, using Astilleros de Mallorca for the Project Management and the execution of the work. Since PASSION was to be rebuilt in accordance with SOLAS and BV regulations, the structural steel work was done as soon as the vessel had been stripped of her interiors and equipment. Such work included the fitting of new watertight bulkheads in the fore crew area and aft guest areas: the latter having a new watertight hinged door and the former a hydraulic watertight WINEL sliding door. In order to conform to the regulations, all deck penetrations between the main and lower decks were made watertight and a new steel deck was fitted to replace the original open frame one that had been covered with plywood and cement, on the inner aft main deck. Both crew and guest areas were fitted with new steel staircases, and a new watertight emergency generator compartment, fitted with access from the main deck, was built in the lazaret.

With regard to the engine room, it was decided to gut it completely, replacing the main engines, generators and piping, together with all ancillary equipment. Also, the entire electrical installation was renewed and altered from 60Hz to 50Hz. The highest standard was respected for the new piping, using Cunifer for the salt-water installations and stainless steel for the rest. Respecting SOLAS regulations, the new fire plan layout required several new A60 areas and, in accordance with Class requirements, automatic fire doors were fitted; the galley was entirely enclosed by a steel casing and A60 bulkheads were added to the bridge and the radio room.

The owners had specifically requested that noise and vibration should be reduced, so special insulation was fitted with the intention of reducing engine noise to a minimum whilst still complying with all the SOLAS and BV specifications. All accommodation areas, the galley, technical areas and the engine room were fitted with HI-FOG® fire fighting equipment supplied by MARIOFF.
Novenco, who had installed the original air conditioning equipment, fitted a new system. Imtech Marine Offshore carried out the complete electrical installation and together with Radio Holland and E3 Systems of Palma the navigation equipment.

E3 Systems carried out the complete installation of the communications and entertainment systems. At her first haul-out in early 2002, a hole was cut in the side of the vessel and new Caterpillar main engines and generators were installed; the Reintjes®‚ gearboxes had been previously overhauled at the factory in Germany. Once structural hull repairs and modifications were completed, we started on the modifications to the superstructure and sun deck. The owner had asked for the tender crane on the sun deck to be removed and for a new sliding gantry crane to be fitted aft on the bridge deck. So as to gain the full beam width of the hull for the new gantry, the original heli-deck needed to be widened, thus increasing the area on the sun deck above, which allowed for the installation of an extra-large whirlpool, a shower cabin and an adjacent dining area. Regarding the interiors, these had been made to order by de Ruiter Interiors and they started fitting them in July 2002.
Sea trials took place successfully in the Bay of Palma at the end of May 2003.

Picture courtesy of Studio Deer Paris.