Getting Under Way Technical news for captains and crews
Jan. 2005 Pages 15-22
PULL-OUT
Princess Mariana finishes repairs, work By James Barrett and Ian Watson Savannah, Ga.-based Global Ship Systems has recently completed engineering work and painting of the M/Y Princess Mariana. Based at the old Intermarine facility on the Savannah River, the yard was able to accommodate the 256 foot (78m) yacht. Built by Royal Denship and delivered in 2003, Princess Mariana required warranty work as well as mechanical and paint repairs. Global owns the former Palmer Johnson yard and has deep-water access, making it the choice for this
vessel of 2,479 gross tons with a draft of 14 feet-9 inches (4.5m). A team from the yard, including CEO Rob Creech and refit consultant Leslie Lallande, visited the yacht in Barcelona this summer. Barry McCutcheon, the yard’s project coordinator, was onboard Princess Mariana for her trans-Atlantic journey from Spain, enabling him to develop a working relationship with the crew and the vessel before the refit was to begin Oct. 1. On arrival in Savannah, Princess Mariana was dry-docked in the 535foot (163m) graving dock facility. One important problem that required investigation and resolution
was machinery throughout the boat suffering from insufficient raw water flow. The problem was indicated by air entering the raw water pumps causing them to surge. It was isolated to the two sea chests; one on each side of the vessel amidships by the stabilizers. The Global team worked on a new concept for the sea chests and submitted it to the yacht along with the new design from Royal Denship. It was decided that the design by the builder would be used, however the Global design would remain a consideration if the results of the current configuration did not meet
See PRINCESS, page 17
M/Y Princess Mariana is due back to Global in April. PHOTO COURTESY OF GLOBAL
Captain-turned-builder refits a bit of Old Florida’s past By Julie Blankenship
The boatyard just off of I-95 and Broward Boulevard in Ft. Lauderdale houses a little piece of old Florida. Stepping through the gates of Willy Classic Boats, the noise of traffic subsides until there is just the whirring sound of a sander or the hiss of compressed air through a hose. The familiar boatyard smells of glass and resin permeate the humid afternoon. On trailers sit six classic flats boats, ranging in size from 15 feet to 20 feet, all in various stages of construction. The poling platforms astride the large outboards combined with the skiff ’s graceful lines give these boats a look reminiscent of another time. Willy Roberts would have appreciated this.
Roberts a ‘master craftsman’ Chris Wettberg, owner of Willy Classic Boats, is enthusiastic when he speaks of the namesake of the company. “Willy Roberts was an absolute
Willy Classic Boats owner Chris Wettberg PHOTO/DIANE BRADFORD
master craftsman with a tremendous following,” Wettberg said, describing the buyers as old-school anglers from the Keys who use the boats for serious backcountry fishing. Wettberg, a captain and avid sportsfisherman himself, bought the boatyard five years ago and continues in Roberts’ tradition of custom building boats to fit the needs of clients. “Each one is different, but always keeping with the tradition Willy started back over 40 years ago,” Wettberg said. Roberts was Detailed in teak trim and painted in the retro colors of pale yellow, blue and green, Willy’s from a long line of boats are gentle reminders of another era. PHOTO/DIANE BRADFORD craftsman and boat builders. Born in history.” of the flats boat remains the same, Key West in 1914, his relatives come From that personal refit in 1990, Wettberg and his crew of six use more from the Albury family from Spanish Wettberg kept in touch with Roberts’ updated materials and techniques. Wells in the Bahamas. family and learned that after he died in Using carbon fiber and Kevlar Wettberg, on the other hand, taught 1993, his business sort of died with him. and a “vacubag” process to bond the himself to build boats. laminates together under pressure so “I just sort of jumped right into this Production hiatus that there are no air voids, creates a whole boat building thing,” Wettberg stronger, lighter product. said. “It really started when I was Though his granddaughter had kept “This technique was originally used running a 54-foot Rybovich down on the molds, production had stopped. by the military during the 1940s on Big Pine Key. It would take a few more years for airplane canopies,” Wettberg said. “I saw this 1968 Willy Roberts Wettberg to raise the money, but in With a high-profile client list, wooden skiff and it was for sale, so I 1999, he bought the business, the Wettberg builds about 25 to 30 boats a bought it, gutted it, rebuilt it and sold molds, the name, everything. year. it. I had done the research on Willy In 2000, he re-started production of “I’ve been approached with Roberts and fell in love with the whole Roberts’ classic line. Though the look See WILLY, page 20 idea of resurrecting the old man’s