Whangārei Marine Industry refits $60m luxury superyacht Senses

A redevelopment of Whangārei’s boat building infrastructure has seen the region’s maritime industry score New Zealand’s most expensive – and most impressive – refit this year.

About 200 people worked on the refit of Senses, a 59.2 meter luxury superyacht with five tenders, a helipad, five jet skis, a spa pool and a gym.

The famous superyacht was previously owned by billionaire Google co-founder Larry Page, who bought her from the late Kiwi businessman Sir Douglas Myers in 2011, when she was listed for 35 million euros (60 million New Zealand dollars).

Senses was also owned by Kiwi businessman and inventor Alan Gibbs.

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Page sold the superyacht last year for an undisclosed sum, with the boat’s crew being tight-lipped about all the details of the new owners, who value their privacy.

Mark Wightman, managing director of Integrated Marine Group which managed the refit, said the boat was well known internationally.

“It’s a place of recreation…It’s a retreat where owners can spend private time with their families, doing exciting things in exciting places.”

While New Zealand’s international borders are currently closed due to Covid-19, Senses arrived in October 2020 under rules allowing boats to carry out major refits.

She set sail for Central America on November 8, deflagged from George Town in the Cayman Islands.

Wightman did not say how much the refit cost but said it was in the millions and was by far the biggest yacht refit in New Zealand this year .

That Whangārei scored such a refit is quite a reward for the growing maritime industry in Northland, he said.

Wightman, who is usually based in Auckland, attributed the coup to a redevelopment of the shipbuilding center in Whangārei, Port Nikau, including floating concrete pontoons to allow easy access on and off boats.

But he added that the high quality work in Whangārei and the ease of doing the work also encouraged work to be brought north.

“It has created opportunities for some of the best artisans to showcase their products. The caliber of work that comes out of Whangārei is really good.

The refit included a new galley – so the chefs on board could cook efficiently – new paint and varnish inside and out, two new crew cabins, as well as maintenance of the utility room. machinery and air conditioning.

Some of the luxury upgrades included a new spa pool, new steam shower for the gym and glass panels to provide shelter on the main deck.

Senses takes up to 14 crew and can accommodate 12 guests, and is chartered at $325,000 per week, plus expenses.

The superyacht includes a 6-tonne crane to allow watercraft to embark and disembark from the boat, as well as a launching mechanism for the largest tender, an 18m fiberglass PowerCat.

In addition to five tenders of different sizes and five jet skis, Senses has a dinghy, kayaks, surfboards, stand-up paddleboards and plenty of snorkeling equipment, including a specialized compressor for diving deep.

Alongside Senses, Whangārei boatbuilders have also been involved in the refit and warranty work on the Sea Eagle II, the world’s largest aluminum private yacht.

The 81m three-masted superyacht was built using engineering techniques typically reserved for European Space Agency space missions.

Now that both projects are complete, the industry will experience a small pause until the government opens the borders again, Wightman said.