ENIGMA TSR143.pdf - atlantic refit center

SuperyachtTheISSUE 143May 2013T R U T H • O P I N I O N K N O W L E D G E • I D E A S A N D E X P E R T i n d u s t r y A N A L Y S I SReportconversionsThe transformation of Enigma XK froma military vessel into a superyacht, andthe issues involved in such conversions.Page 29the russian revolutionAn investigation into the growingRussian share of the market, and whatthese new owners really want.Page 57the millennium cupA photo essay on this year’s instalmentof the Kiwi regatta, which took placeoff Auckland, the city of sails.Page 66captains focusCaptains’ concerns relating to securityand safety; plus we look at the lateststabilisation products.Page 87

The EnigmaExposedConverting a working vessel into a luxury yacht is notunlike transforming a heavy goods vehicle into a mobilehome. So it is entirely appropriate that the owner of71m Enigma XK, formerly M/V Norna of the ScottishFisheries Protection Agency (SFPA), started out in businessconverting ex-military trucks into commercial vehiclesfor export to developing countries. Our European editorJustin Ratcliffe reports from the Atlantic Refit Center inLa Rochelle on this challenging conversion project.THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 29

conversion report | Enigma XK“He liked the idea ofrecycling a perfectlyfunctional and well-builtmilitary vessel...When hecame across Norna, heknew he’d found whathe was looking for.”below: the original main enginegauges have been retained.right: Norna in the dry dock as thecocoon was constructed over her.Given his mechanical knowledgeand hands-on experience,when the owner began looking foran explorer-style vessel also suitablefor charter he never seriouslyconsidered anything but a conversion.It took him several years, but in thesummer of 2011 he tracked down thedecommissioned M/V Norna throughthe Eagle Shipping brokerage inCuxhaven, Germany, and promptlyclosed the deal. “He liked the idea ofrecycling a perfectly functional andwell-built military vessel,” confirmscaptain and owner’s representativeIltud Orio, who joined the projectshortly after the sale. “When he cameacross Norna, he knew he’d found whathe was looking for.”Norna had the traditional funnelsand rugged lines the owner found soappealing in working vessels. At 1,385gtthere was also sufficient interior volumefor comfort, combined with extensiveexterior deck space for explorer-styletenders and toys. But as he was lookingto circumnavigate the globe with his‘new’ yacht, visiting both Poles andpossibly exploring the Amazon basinalong the way, robustness and selfsufficiencywere the key considerations.Heavy-duty construction was a givenfor a vessel designed to operate atspeeds of up to 18 knots for threeweeks at a time and withstandeverything the North Sea could throwat her. Norna’s steel hull was built tobasic Ice Class, with 450mm framingin the first two-thirds of the ship and610mm for the rest.In addition, although she waslaunched by Richards Shipbuilders inLowestoft in 1988, her technical specsincluded variable pitch propellers,Becker rudders and steering, BrownBrothers (Rolls-Royce) passive/activestabiliser flaps, 600kW shaft generators(actually gear alternators runningoff the main engine gear boxes viadrive coupling reductors, one forthe propeller shaft and one for thealternator), a 370kW bow thruster andeven roll-damping tanks.All these features happily coincidedwith the owner’s plans for long-rangecruising to remote locations. TheBecker rudders, for instance, have anarticulated flap on their outer edgethat deflects automatically in the samedirection as the rudder. This increasesthe helm angle, and the rudder-to-flapratio can be as high as 2:1 for improvedmanoeuvrability. The power set-upprovided redundancy and meantthe vessel could draw on four energysources: main engines, shaft generators,standard gensets and a dedicatedbattery bank (delivered complete withspare lead plates and acid solution).The roll damping is effectively a lowmaintenancegyro stabiliser and worksby transferring water from two tankseither side of the vessel to counteractrolling. This simple yet effective systemdates back to 1862 when WilliamFroude discovered it could reducerolling motions if the frequency andphase of the oscillating water arecorrectly tuned to the wave periods.“The biggest obstacleon a conversion projectlike this is that the olderthe ship, the more theregulations have changed.This is even morepronounced on a militaryvessel like Norna as whenshe was built they werethinking more about thesafety of the ship than thepeople on board.”However, that’s where thecommonality between a militaryvessel and an explorer superyachtcomes to an abrupt end. The financialsuccess of the Norna project dependedon retaining as much of the majormachinery as possible while workingwith the existing spaces and structuresto introduce the many comfortsand conveniences expected aboarda modern yacht; in other words,everything not required aboard afishery protection vessel.The first task facing StéphaneMarcelli, co-founder of the AtlanticRefit Center (ARC), after Nornaarrived in La Rochelle in 2011 was toassist the owner in finding a suitablecrew for the yacht-to-be. His first pointof contact was chief engineer SteveLoyer, who went to sea aged 17 as acommercial fisherman, a professionthat took him as far afield asSpitsbergen in the north and FrenchNorth Sea NornaNorna was one of two sister ships that became available for conversion after beingdecommissioned and replaced by the larger Jura class of offshore patrol vessels from2006. Designed for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) as a result of theRoyal Navy’s experiences during the Cod War with Iceland in the 1970s, the first tocome on the market was M/V Sulisker and Brooke Marine in Lowestoft (after a 14-yearabsence from yacht building) began her conversion for a private client into a SOLAScertifiedsuperyacht. The project foundered in 2010 and the current status of the vesselis unknown.When Norna came on to the market in 2010 the first client to show interest wasthe Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS), a non-profit marine wildlife protectionorganisation that has a skull above a crossed trident and shepherd’s staff as its logo.Established in 1977, the SSCS operate several vessels around the world, including 59mSSS Steve Irwin, another SFPA patrol boat built in 1975.By curious coincidence, chief engineer Steve Loyer recalls being intercepted by Nornaon a routine inspection when the patrol vessel was still in active service. “We werefishing between Spitsbergen and Scotland in a six- to seven-metre swell when I sawan echo on the radar and Norna came out of the fog doing 18 knots,” he recounts.“When I next saw her in the dry dock in La Rochelle, I knew the owner had found avery seaworthy hull.”Captain David Beveridge, now retired, was in command of Norna from 2000-2005.“Norna was a magnificent sea ship for several reasons”, he recounts. “The hull designwas the result of a long process of refinement that had started years before with theold Island Class, which had been based on deep sea trawlers, but the Sulisker Classwas closer to a wartime corvette in size and construction. Norna was the third andlast of that class and her whole structure, with active fins, stability tanks and Beckerrudders, produced a very kindly ship for working in the North Sea and the Atlantic.”Heavy weather is the norm off the north-west coast of Scotland and Captain Beveridgedescribes living and working in such conditions as almost a state of mind: “In order tomake life bearable you needed a well-found ship like Norna under your feet.”After spending 41 years at sea, Captain Beveridge has written a collection of memoirsentitled Water Under the Keel (paperback ISBN: 9781780355672), which includes asection about his time aboard Norna.30 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 31

conversion report | Enigma XKAntarctica in the south. Loyer hadbeen part of the relief crew engagedto bring back Le Ponant after thethree-masted cruise ship was seized bySomali pirates in 2008. It was duringthis voyage that he met Orio. Orio hadnavigated the globe as a staff captainon boutique cruise ships and was anideal choice for commanding a yachtconceived for charter cruising off thebeaten track. The rest of the crew,which will eventually be 21-strong, wasrecruited from his seagoing friendsand colleagues, including a securityprofessional, a motorbike stuntmanand a surf life-saving champion.ARC’s next challenge was to tailora team around the conversionproject in hand. He turned to fellowFrenchman Philippe Briand, nowbased in London but originally fromLa Rochelle, for the exterior design,while Veerle Battiau (Mrs Briand,affectionately know as ‘Cookie’) ofthe Vitruvius motoryacht divisiontook over the interior design. Theremainder of the project team wasdrawn locally from the region’sworkforce of skilled shipbuilders.With build crew, designers, engineers,suppliers, outfitters and othertradesmen in place, a weather-proofdome – delightfully called a chrysalidein French – was erected over Nornain the dry dock and they got down todirtying their hands.“The biggest obstacle on a conversionproject like this is that the older theship, the more the regulations havechanged,” Captain Orio points out.“This is even more pronounced ona military vessel like Norna as whenshe was built they were thinking moreabout the safety of the ship than thepeople on board.” A case in point wasthe lack of an emergency generator.This was not an issue in her formerrole given the multiple redundancyof the ship’s systems, but it is requiredfor LY2 equivalence under her Frenchflag registry (the 90kW emergencygenset is now housed in its own soundproofedcasing behind the captain’scabin on the bridge deck).need for AC in the sub-Arctic conditionsof the North Sea. This meant that theageing Gardner main generators hadto be replaced with more modernand powerful 600kW MTUs, which inturn required cutting a soft patch intothe side of the hull. In keeping withthe yacht’s heavy-duty specifications,the HVAC system was supplied bya commercial contractor moreaccustomed to fitting out cold storagesystems for tuna purse seiners thanproviding chilled air for superyachts.Another issue was the absence ofa sprinkler system, which had tobe installed, and the old-style firedetectors, which had to be replaced.The original fire-detection system hadup to five sensors connected in loops,so each detector had to be visuallychecked to find out where the fire was– not a problem when the only peopleon board are professional seamen,“The owner bought thevessel for her seaworthyhull and because he likedthe ship’s look.”Iltud Orio, captain & owner’srepresentativeenigma xk’s general arrangementTalking of electricity generation andconsumption, as a patrol vessel Nornahad few of the hotel power demandsof a superyacht and, in particular, no32 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 33

conversion report | Enigma XKbut not ideal for a yacht full of charterguests. Similarly, the watertightcompartments were manuallyoperated with no monitoring systemon the bridge. On Enigma XK they arestill manual (as opposed to remotelyoperated), but Lloyd’s agreed to anexemption as long as a bridge alarmsystem was installed indicating when awatertight door is left open for morethan 30 seconds.Most of the navigation equipment onthe bridge was perfectly serviceableand left untouched, although theold console and décor have beenripped out and refreshed. The bridgewindows are also original, along withtheir attractive brass frames. There areno wing stations as such; instead thehelmsman simply rests his arm on thewindowsill navy style to look fore andaft the length of the hull.“The owner bought the vessel for herseaworthy hull and because he likedthe ship’s look,” explains CaptainOrio. “This presented other technicaldifficulties in that he wanted to keepas much of the original superstructureas possible, especially the funnels.”With regard to the funnels, PhilippeBriand came up with an ingenioussolution. In profile they appearAtlantic Refit CenterSet up by Stéphane Marcelli and Chris Atkinson in 2007, the Atlantic Refit Center (ARC) in La Rochelle was chosen by the owner for theconversion of Norna after he read about their previous refit projects on the company’s website, including 71m Skat. As he bought Nornafrom a broker in Germany, the owner was under some pressure to go to a north European shipyard, but a brief visit to La Rochelle convincedhim that ARC had the flexibility and know-how to provide the team of consultants and shipbuilders required to complete the conversion at areasonable cost. Nonetheless, the project has been ARC’s most complex and challenging commission to date.“It’s been a big learning curve,” confirms Atkinson, “much more complex than a new build, because you’re never sure what you’regetting into. The extent of the modifications required is only revealed as the work progresses, so the change orders come thick and fast,which at some shipyards could kill a project like this.”Marcelli accompanied the owner aboard the vessel when she was transferred from Cruxhaven to La Rochelle and was instrumental increating a crew for the new yacht that could also follow the conversion process. “To further reduce costs and to keep themselves busy,the crew asked us if they could help out with some of the work, which we agreed to,” he comments. “Again, because we have a smallinfrastructure we can be more flexible in our project management and tailor the workforce around the owner’s needs.”La Rochelle has a naval heritage dating back to the 17th century and beyond. During the Second World War it was a vital submarine basefor the German Navy and the reinforced concrete U-Boat pens are still standing. Then, as now, La Rochelle was the only deep-water harbouron the French Atlantic coast that provided 24-hour access regardless of weather and tide. With the decline in shipbuilding, the port authorityis turning its attention to the refit industry and ARC is looking to benefit from this new focus. La Rochelle is the most convenient port of callfor yachts returning to Europe from the Caribbean and with its two dry docks of 176m and 107m (the only restriction is the maximum 22mwidth), it is one of very few facilities between Pendennis in the UK and La Ciotat on the French Riviera that can take megayachts of 100m ormore.“We think the refit and conversion market is going to grow and we’re ideally placed to attract some of that business, especially forthe bigger yachts,” says Atkinson. With this in mind, plans are afoot to erect a permanent, extendable cover over the larger of the twodry docks. “There is a will now from the port authority to push the refit sector, not just financially but also in terms of developing a viablestrategy,” Atkinson continues. “The Norna conversion, which we’re hoping will be at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, is proof of what we’recapable of and I think the owner will take delivery of an excellent product.”34 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143

conversion report | Enigma XKAnother challenge wasdealing with thepronounced camberand longitudinal sheerof the main deck. This isso evident that the headof a tall man standing inthe bow is at bridge decklevel and you can feel theincline increase as you walkforward from amidships.rendering of enigma XK showingthe new superstructure styling byPhilippe Briand.untouched, but when viewed from anangle two ‘wings’ appear that providean open-air yet shaded lounge area onthe upper deck. These funnels wereonce full of air compressors, generatorand engine exhaust/air intakes, butby redesigning the engine roomventilation and routing the generatorexhaust below the waterline thevolume occupied by this bulky (andnoisy) apparatus has been reduced byabout two-thirds – space that has beentaken over by the lounge area.Briand’s sensitive exterior restyling hasmeant much of the ship’s workadaygood looks have been retained. Themajor addition has been a sky loungeon the upper deck with its bar anddining facilities, conversation corner,and panoramic views through theenormous panes of flush glass. Thiscan serve as a guest lounge or for theowner’s private use as it is linked tothe forward master suite with its viewsover the bow and overhead skylightsof dimmable LCD glass. The weightof all the extra steel and glass (inaddition to the helideck awaiting fullcertification for the owner’s light, twinenginehelicopter) required structuralreinforcements to the two decks below,while for classification purposes thelounge is considered outside deck areawith an internal watertight door in casethe windows are breached.The main aft deck is dedicated totenders and toys. These include a9m limo tender and 7m RIB, bothcustom built in aluminium, plus two4x4 vehicles. The SUVs are WranglerJeeps, customised by the owner’s eldestson who has followed the conversionclosely (the Lamborghini LM002, aHummer powered by LamborghiniCountach engines and dubbed the‘Rambo Lambo’ was also considered).Getting them on and off the yachtrequires manoeuvring the tenders bycrane either into the water or on to thehelideck above and driving the carsout on to the aft deck for unloadingshoreside, also by crane (with its 9.5mlifting arm and four-ton capacity,the same crane can even offload thehelicopter if required). For storage, thecars are guided along an adjustable railsystem devised by Captain Orio afterhe saw a similar method employedby traffic wardens when they wereremoving his illegally parked car! If thevehicles fail to start, they can be towedout using the existing capstan on theaft deck.36 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143

conversion report | Enigma XKTo circumvent the need for gasdetectors and other costly systems, thefuel for the tenders and toys is stored infour 200-litre pods, two on either sideof the main deck astern, which can bejettisoned like life rafts into the sea incase of emergency. Unusually, the ownerchose Bolidt’s Future Teak resin deckingover natural teak throughout the yachtafter seeing the same product on Garçon,the 67m Amels Sea Axe, at the 2012Monaco Yacht Show. The syntheticmaterial is lighter, less costly and easierto maintain than real wood and alsoserves to minimise sound and vibration.areas, such as canteen-style, stackableplate warmers in the crew dinette andhot-air hand dryers in communal areasto reduce laundry loads.top: master suite (left) & control room (right).middle: the upper deck helipad.above: the large windows of the upper deck sky lounge.One issue with converting workingvessels is that they lack the foldingtransom door and swim platformcommon to superyachts. Retro-fittingsuch features is usually impractical andalways expensive. Although EnigmaXK is fitted with two hydraulic sidepassarelles for access to sea level, theyare not ideal for transferring guestsbetween the yacht and her tendersin anything other than ideal seaconditions. So Captain Orio sourced alocal company to supply two floating‘mattresses’, the largest of which isaround 35sqm, that can be inflatedwhile suspended from the sides of thehull and then lowered into the water toserve as a mooring platform. Originallydesigned for fire departments for usein flood situations, the low-pressurestructures become rigid once inflated.They even include inflatable benchesso guests have somewhere to sit down,swim ladders and docking stations forthe wave runners.During her working life, Norna’sinterior volume was almost entirelydedicated to technical areas andaccommodation for the crew. Theofficers might have had their own messand bar, complete with fireplace, butrest and relaxation were somethingdone ashore, not afloat. For practicaland cost reasons, there were limits tohow much the lower and engine roomdecks could be altered, although atthe time of our visit a few bulkheadspainted in red primer indicated somemodifications to the GA. In fact, thecrew areas have actually been enlargedto take into account MLC 2006regulations. Captain Orio has furtherintroduced several features to improveefficiency and workflow in the crewAnother challenge was dealing with thepronounced camber and longitudinalsheer of the main deck. This is soevident that the head of a tall manstanding in the bow is at bridge decklevel and you can feel the inclineincrease as you walk forward fromamidships. It was not just a question ofensuring the guest beds were perfectlylevel (in the owner’s suite the sleepingarea is on a raised platform for thisreason), but also for less visible yetessential details such as providingsufficient gradient for condensationevacuation. Ceiling heights have beenfurther reduced by the need to routeAC piping and extra cabling throughthe deck head (nearly 150km of newelectrical wiring has been installed,including 2km of optical fibres) andby the fact that the entire interioris now floating on rubber bushes toreduce noise and vibration (consultantsScanVibra were brought in to advise onsound control). In the end, headroomvaries from a reasonable 2.10m to asomewhat cramped 1.80m. This is oneof the more noticeable compromisesthat come with the conversion territory.As Enigma XK will be exploringremote and often protected areas, theblack- and grey-water treatment alsorequired attention. The existing sewagetreatment plant was well maintainedand has been left in situ, but theretention tanks were deemed too smallfor charter operations. The problemhas been overcome by converting twoforward seawater ballast tanks for extraretention capacity, thus increasingthe yacht’s autonomy to three weeksor more without needing to offloadtreated effluent.The engines had beenmaintained with militaryprecision and will onlyrequire a routine serviceand a new coat of paint.The vessel came with anextensive inventory of spareparts and unlike modernelectronic units, the originalengines will keep onchugging even in the caseof an electrical blackout.38 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143 39

conversion report | Enigma XKenigma XK‘s INAUGURAL JOURNEY, planned for September 2013. she will be available for charter during stages of the circumnavigation.The beating heart of any ship is theengine room and the main engines inparticular. These are the most costlyitems to replace during conversions asit usually involves updating associatedhardware, such as shaft lines andpropellers. Norna is powered bytwin turbocharged Ruston engines(2,238kW each), of which only halfa dozen or so are still in operation.The British brand dates back to theindustrial revolution when it was bestknown for its locomotive engines,but it successfully moved into marineapplications in the 1980s (the failingcompany was taken over by ManB&W in 2000 and is now defunct).The engines had been maintainedwith military precision and will onlyrequire a routine service and a newcoat of paint. The vessel came with anextensive inventory of spare parts andunlike modern electronic units, theoriginal engines will keep on chuggingeven in the case of an electricalblackout. Nonetheless, Enigma XK’screw includes no fewer than fourengineers or mechanics to maintainher systems when the yacht is far fromshore-based assistance.In terms of interior design, a fullreport will be published in a futureedition of SuperyachtDesign, but theowner has chosen a tasteful blend ofhigh-gloss afrormosia, a West Africanhardwood, for the panelling, light oakfor the flooring, white ceilings andpolished stainless-steel accents. Theinterior furniture and outfitting are byBrillouet, a local firm of joiners thatworked on the series of aluminiumcommuters designed by Joubert/Niveltand built at the nearby OCEA shipyard.Captain Orio has drawn on hisexperience in the cruise ship industryand installed low-level lightingwherever possible, which serves as bothambient and emergency illumination.Even the light switches are gently litso guests aren’t reduced to gropingaround in the dark. In keeping with theyacht’s commercial-grade functionality,the captain has also chosen to excludelighting and blind operations fromthe automation technology availableto guests on hand-held tablets, whichwill only control the AV and internetfunctions. The water and shockproofexterior audio speakers are supplied byTechnomad, reputedly “the toughestloudspeakers in the world”.In pride of place high up on thebow stem is a round moulding in thesteelwork where there was once theSFPA crest. This will be replaced withEnigma XK’s own logo (see previouspage) depicting two leaping killerwhales, one of which is a rare all-whiteorca – a fitting motif for a yacht thatis likely to see much in the way ofmarine mammals during her proposedcircumnavigation. Section plans ofthe Amels Sea Axe on the wall of thecaptain’s office might indicate wherethe owner’s future interests lie, but inthe meantime he has acquired anothermilitary vessel that is undergoingconversion in La Rochelle: an allaluminium,30m interceptor built inJapan in 1990 and capable of30 knots.Walking beneath the hull (semi-fairedand painted by Acamarine headed upby Chris Atkinson, co-director of theAtlantic Refit Center with StéphaneMarcelli) reveals its unusual shape andsubtle tumblehome. As the tips of theprops probably emerge from the waterwhen the hull is rolling, steel roll barsat water level provided protection whenthe tenders used to be launched fromdavits. At 72m overall with a maximum11.6m beam, the 1:6 ratio is much likea sailing boat hull, but her deep stemwith a draught of 4.5m and taperinghindquarters means she behaves muchlike an axe bow. As the bow rises ona wave the shallow stern comes intocontact with the water, providing extrabuoyancy that pushes the bow backinto the wave. In Captain Orio’s words,“Instead of riding the wave, the bowcrushes it.” Enigma XK is clearly anexplorer yacht that won’t let a bit ofbad weather get in her way. gImages: Justin Ratcliffe and Iltud OrioTo comment on this article, emailissue143@superyachtreport.com withsubject: The Enigma Exposed40 THE SUPERYACHT REPORT | ISSUE 143