Serengeti Refit

When I bought the Serengeti she had been on the hard in a marina in Essex. The two guys selling her had brought her across the Atlantic from Ft Lauderdale and had planned to operate her as a charter boat in the Med and Caribbean. Having carried out a number of upgrades ,they either had a change of heart or realised how much more work needed doing to her. I had her surveyed and bought her. I knew she had to be upgraded but liked her layout and history.

She was moved to Hamble Yacht Services near Southampton. My first skipper oversaw a $200,000 refit.My focus was on safety and comfort. I planned to charter the boat as well as use her for my own pleasure.The boat was about to leave after six months work when the skipper ran her into the dock. The resulting repair saw the end of the skipper and a large bill from HYS. My friend Graham Dimmer stepped in and oversaw the repair and broadened the scope of the refit. During the final preparations for his departure a boat was moored alongside Serengeti. There was an impact....The investigation into that damage led to the discovery of extensive rot in the timbers below the chainplates. Out she came again and $300,000 later she left for the Caribbean.

Serengeti is ready to go and has just completed a four month cruise of the Windward Islands

Here are the highlights of the two year refit;

• Side Power Bow Thruster with Remote Control
• Sea Recovery - Ultra Whisper Water Maker - 18 gal/hr
• New safety equipment - 2 X Viking Rescyou 6 Man Liferafts, 12 Lifejackets, Satfind II 406 EPIRB, Lifesling overboard rescue system.
• Icom IC-M 700 UK SSB Radio
• Sailor SC4150 Iridium Satellite Phone
• Aft Deck Fridge
• Ice Maker
• Aft Deck Seating/dinning/berth unit built and installed
• Deck hatches re-chromed and re-glassed
• Galley equipment overhauled
• Technicold Air conditioning system overhaul
• Anchor winch rebuilt, chain regalvanised
• New bilge pumps
• New set of sails ($40,000)
• New self tailing winches
• New Caribe 12’, Dinghy with Johnson 15 hp outboard
• New stern windows
• New nav/ radar Raymarine C120
• Engine and Genset overhaul
• Fuelscan Fuel flow meter
• New Racor fuel filtration system
• New Batteries and Mastervolt Inverters - 12/80-2, 12/2000, 12/4000
• Fully equipped workshop- tools for every eventuality