generous laundry room. “We got a much better
layout, more practical, not to mention a much better
look from the outside,” says Balk.
Mooiweer then turned his attention to the engine
room, where his technicians spent a long time. “All
systems were more or less in place, but none were
finished,” he says. “The components used were not
bad ones – all American standards. [They were] the
right engines, pumps and generators.”
The twin 449hp Caterpillar C18 engines were
fully serviced, while the shafts and the props were
removed and returned to the manufacturer for an
overhaul. Mooiweer adds: “Everything except for
the engines was taken of board, so we could do the
bilge painting, sandblasting and rewelding of the
tanks. It’s almost like going into a refit, but a rebuild
at the same time.”
This process proved absolutely crucial to the
project. As Wattam puts it: “They fixed it by pulling
everything out – just as well, because the systems
were missing lots of bits that you wouldn’t have
discovered otherwise.”
With twin Kohler 40kVA generators and a host of
features, including water treatment, a built-in used
oil reservoir and four ABT TRAC stabilisers, the
boat is now ready for anything. Skipper and crew of
two had a chance to put the whole system to the test
almost immediately. “Coming out of the English
Channel in five metre swells and 40 knot winds, we
turned left so we had it on the beam. I expected the
worst, but she was stable,” says Wattam.
Despite her workboat looks,Sandalphonofers
plenty of outside space. Below the 50 square metre
sundeck, shaded by a permanent bimini, there is a
more private middle deck, then the main deck aft
with a wide sofa and marble-topped table. The day
is a procession from bottom to top: breakfast at the
table close to the galley and evenings enjoying the
breeze from up top. And if you cleared the two
tenders – a big six metre RIB and slightly smaller jet
tender – from the forward deck, you’d suddenly have
room for a party of dozens. “The owner is thinking
about what he can do with this space, but hasn’t
reached any decision yet,” says Wattam.
The yacht has a practical, no-nonsense interior.
She is simply carpeted in the saloon and cabins,
with built-in sofas upholstered in brightly striped
Brazilian fabric. The walls and doors are in lightIT’S PERHAPS APPROPRIATE
THAT THE OWNER HAS NAMED
HIS EXPLORER YACHT AFTER AN
ARCHANGEL; THERE IS SOMETHING
OF THE MIRACULOUS IN THE
WAY THAT THIS PROJECT WAS
RESURRECTED FROM THE
RUST AND DUST OF FAILUREThe owner of Balk Shipyard convinced the yacht’s owner to move the boat from Brazil to
Holland, where a succession of teams were invited to quote for the job of finishing her
PHOTOGRAPHY: BALK SHIPYARD; COURTESY OF OWNER192