Converted navy frigate 141Swift first wetting

[watchkeeper]

The company set up in 2008 to convert the de commissioned Swift frigates 141 & 135 to yachts this month launched the 141,2 yrs later than first announced.
Photos supplied by a colleague.

[gonzo]

Nice job

[BPL]

What was the budget approx.?

[swabbie]

Originally Posted by BPL

What was the budget approx.?

Original budget was USD120m for the 144m Swift and USD100m for the 135m Swift.

I believe the $120m was blown out big time by design changes, production problems and subcontractor failures.

One of the advantages of ruling an oil rich as an absolute ruler, you can spend all the public income you want without having to justify it.

[BPL]

Thanks Swabbie. Our AF1 plane cost 500m. You can't put a price on a yacht

[kach22i]

Originally Posted by watchkeeper

The company set up in 2008 to convert the de commissioned Swift frigates 141 & 135 to yachts this month launched the 141,2 yrs later than first announced.
Photos supplied by a colleague.

I think they did a pretty good job.

Do you have any "before pictures"?

[mydauphin]

I am in love... Look at those shafts...

[rxcomposite]

Nice to know they have finally finished it. Saw it in Abu Dhabi while the hull is being gutted out.

[hoytedow]

Originally Posted by rxcomposite

Nice to know they have finally finished it. Saw it in Abu Dhabi while the hull is being gutted out.

Do you have any pictures of it being gutted?

[rxcomposite]

I don't have any pictures Hoyt. Security was tight even as it was being worked on in the open area.

I know though that the hull is steel and the superstructure is composite which came in sections from the U.S.

The aft deck was lengthened to accomodate the amenities. Great work of the Naval Architech/Designer to transform the decommissioned frigate into a great looking yacht.

[Lister]

The noise of this aft overhang hitting the small waves when at anchor must be very annoying.
It looks like the modern version of the Christina, but with several designers from the stem to the stern. A touch of Lazzara for the pilot house, a Ford Mondeo on top of it, a Wally for the aft deck.

[kach22i]

I found some construction progress photos here:
http://www.compositesworld.com/artic...xury-gigayacht

Originally a Royal Netherlands Navy S-class steel frigate (similar to but smaller than a destroyer), it was sold (circa. 1997-1998) to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and eventually became the subject of a luxury yacht conversion pilot project to showcase the emirate of Abu Dhabi’s development of a world-class yacht construction and service facility, now known as Abu Dhabi Mar. At 141m/463 ft in length, with an expected cruise speed of 25 knots, the Swift 141 should be one of the world’s fastest gigayachts, thanks to its long, narrow frigate hull and a massive refit, including what is believed to be the largest yacht superstructure ever built with composites.

What it looked like prior to the conversion.
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums...a-luxury-yacht



http://megayachtconcepts.weebly.com/abu-dhabi-mar.html

“Joel Bretecher and myself have been working on developing a style with maximum purity, with an obvious heritage from automotive design, based on Joel’s former experience at Pininfarina”, says Stirling International Design (SDI)’s naval architect, Thibaut Tincelin. Naval designer, Joel Bretecher, has first hand experience in the automotive industry, taking part in the design of several Ferrari cars.

[cthippo]

So did they keep anything besides the hull? Was any money really saved?

[BPL]

"Her modern diesel power and variable-pitch propellers assure a top speed
of 26 knots, cruising speed of 20 knots."
Yas ranks sixth in overall length among the world’s private yachts."
http://www.abudhabimar.com/home/news.html

[mydauphin]

If they kept military hull and running gear, and removed the upper structure and replaced with lighter composites, she may be a little faster.