We’ve all seen fabulous restorations of classic wooden boats and full refits of 30-year-old GRP cruisers but what about more modern craft that are perfectly serviceable but have just got a bit tired and outdated? Does it now make sense to start spending serious money on restoring or even modernizing them, given the ever increasing price of brand new boats?
Chris Gates, the former CEO of Princess Yachts, certainly thinks so and has set up a company to do just that. Called SETAG Yachts (Gates spelled backwards), it aims to make refitting as slick, painless and professional as buying a brand new boat. By calling on his extensive list of contacts in the industry, many of whom have worked for one or more of the three big British yards, Gates has managed to bring the entire refit operation under one roof at a purpose-built facility in Plymouth. From bespoke design concepts for a full interior refit to replacing teak decks or even enhancing the specification with stabilisers or extended platforms, SETAG Yachts claims to deliver it all. The advantage for the customer is that you only need to have one point of contact, rather than dealing with multiple separate contractors and the whole job is completed in a much faster time frame by carefully vetted professionals. That is the claim at any rate, so how does the reality stack up?
The owner of the first boat to undergo the full SETAG Yachts treatment, a 2009 model year Fairline Squadron 58, preferred not to be featured in person but was quite happy for us to see his finished boat and let James Barke, from Boats.co.uk, speak on his behalf.
THE OWNER’S STORY
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2021 من Motor Boat & Yachting.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2021 من Motor Boat & Yachting.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
SUNSEEKER OCEAN 182
Sunseeker's tri-deck sibling to the Ocean 90 offers exceptional living space, particularly in the new enclosed upper deck. But how does a boat with such a broad footprint perform at sea? Hugo Andreae finds out
TIME FOR A KEYS CHANGE
Elliott Maurice pulls out all the stops with a Florida cruise his son will never forget
SNOW PRINCESS
Charter company Lumi Yachts is named after the Finnish word for snow, but a few days on board its brand new Princess Y80 is enough to melt anyone's heart
BOAT CUISINE
Phil Sampson visits an historic establishment on the banks of the Beaulieu River
AZIMUT 50 FLYBRIDGE
Azimut's 50 Flybridge is one of those boats that really ought to come with a health warning.
TO THE ROOT OF THE MATTER
Phil Sampson discovers that things are not always as they appear...
HOW TO NAVIGATE IN FOG
Being out in any form of restricted visibility, due to heavy rain, snow, mist or fog, is a major concern to all boat users because three things immediately come into play.
PARKER SORRENTO 100
Behind the wheel of one of this year's most outstanding new boats
BEYOND THE HORIZON
Jasper Smith, founder of Arksen and champion for a new brand of off-grid oceanic adventure, talks to Alex Smith
RIVA 82 DIVA
Riva's aptly named 82 Diva is sharply dressed and highly sought after but does it also deliver a suitably memorable performance?