Better Than New - Feadship W Unveiled After Pedigree Refit

Take this as the verdict: the W, after its pedigree refit, is better than most new builds. The newly completed work preserves the classic silhouette while lifting comfort, efficiency, and reliability to a higher level.

From dutch yards, the feadships team operate across four bases to manage the refit with precision. The team explains how propulsion, deck systems, and interiors were updated without compromising the base design lines.

People stepping aboard find a calmer, more refined interior that remains true to the classic DNA, actually improving acoustic and vibration performance. The four key zones – helm, main salon, guest suites, and crew quarters – were refitted with newly upgraded gear, and the work also touched touchpoints for everyday operation.

In the technical core, the base electrical system received an upgrade with a newly engineered grid and higher-efficiency generators, enabling longer voyages and into smoother operation in ports. The refit also enhanced hull automation and propulsion responsiveness for easier maneuvering in ports. Feadships oversight stayed rigorous, with testing on the water to confirm the gains.

If you are considering a similar path, focus on four practical checks: verify the scope of work, confirm engine and generator upgrades, review noise and vibration metrics, and ensure service support in the base regions. The W demonstrates that a well-structured refit can match or exceed a newly launched vessel in comfort and operability, and the people involved were delighted with the result.

Covid-secure; From four to six staterooms; Technical upgrades; Built this way

From four to six staterooms, the refit creates flexible guest accommodation without sacrificing privacy or light. Move two cabins from the forward midship block into a redesigned section aft, preserving the owner’s suite at the rear and keeping the service areas discreet. The dutch team behind the effort kept the classic Feadship silhouette while adding contemporary refinements; those changes are fully integrated into the hull by the yards, and the result feels like a home at sea. The owner is delighted with how the layout adapts to four or six guests while preserving quiet spaces for owners and crew alike. This approach also preserves the feel of a family home at sea.

Covid-secure principles start with separated zones and touchless operations. Each stateroom gains its own HVAC zone with independent intake and exhaust, HEPA filtration, and antimicrobial surfaces in high-contact areas. Crew passage stays out of guest spaces, with dedicated access and staggered routines for meals and social spaces. On Friday the programme reached a milestone, and by July certification checks confirmed air-change rates exceeded six air changes per hour in every cabin. This is part of a broader commitment to health and guest experience. The plan also puts people first by minimizing shared surfaces and streamlining service.

Technical upgrades focus on reliability and ease of operation. A freshly designed electrical backbone supports LED lighting, modern navigation displays, and full-system monitoring. The newly installed control system lets the owner, captain, and crew operate from a central tablet, reducing on-deck touchpoints. The refit included strengthened insulation, soundproofing, and silver-finish hardware that reduces heat load and adds a contemporary gleam.

Built this way, the project balances pedigree with practicality. The team delivered enormous work in the yards and in newly created testing spaces, with rigorous checks before sea trials. The owner was delighted with the outcome; the yards were selected for their workmanship, and the approach also keeps the project on track to deliver four or six guests with equal comfort. The four-to-six reconfiguration, and the refitted hull, show that a classic dutch vessel can stay at the top of the line while expanding guest options for those who travel.

Covid-Secure Refit Protocols: Health procedures, testing cadence, and shipyard flow

Adopt a five-step Covid-secure refit protocol that keeps the operation on track while protecting people and enabling the yard to operate without unnecessary delays.

1. Pre-entry health screening and baseline testing

   Before any work begins, verify negative test status within 72 hours and confirm vaccination or immunity evidence where available. Maintain a log that tracks which crew members are cleared to enter the dutch yards on a given friday and which modules are slated for testing on july deliveries. Work is organized into four-person pods to reduce movement through confined spaces, making the process predictable for owners and crews.

2. On-site health procedures and PPE

   Implement daily temperature checks, symptom questionnaires, and contact tracing readiness at all access points. Provide masks, gloves, and hand-sanitizing stations; designate isolation corners for potential cases and document any shifts they cause in the plan. Use silver-ion disinfectants on high-touch surfaces and ensure ventilation is optimized in workshops where newly refitted modules move through the base.

3. Ventilation, cleaning, and air-flow management

   Upgrade ventilation with HEPA filtration, monitor CO2 levels in enclosed spaces, and increase fresh-air exchange between work zones. Schedule mid-shift and end-of-day cleaning cycles and assign dedicated cleaners to each zone so that those areas stay uncontaminated as the refit proceeds. Cleaning logs should be reviewed daily by the yard manager.

4. Shipyard flow and containment of crews

   Map entry points, separate corridors, and defined walk routes to minimize cross-traffic. Maintain fixed four-person crews per work zone to preserve continuity and reduce exposure risk. Stagger lunch breaks, with outdoor seating in a designated area, to prevent crowding and keep the base operations on track.

5. Testing cadence, documentation, and owner communications

   Establish a cadence that aligns with operations: baseline PCR before entry, rapid tests on site as needed, and every friday a follow-up antigen test for those present. Record results in a secure system and share a concise weekly update with the owner so they stay informed about progress and risk controls. The plan explains how risk controls translate to a smoother, authentic refit that preserves the authenticity of feadships while integrating contemporary systems. This approach also satisfies many owners who value transparency and the enormous effort invested by dutch yards that built feadships for decades. The home crew is delighted, and the owner team can track milestones into july as four-part work streams advance the project.

Layout Optimization: Detailed plan for converting four to six guest staterooms

Recommendation: refit two crew spaces to create two extra guest staterooms, increasing total guest accommodations from four to six while keeping the existing four staterooms fully functional, which yields an enormous boost for the owner and guests.

Which zones to convert? Target the aft crew mess and the adjacent corridor, preserving service routes and minimizing impact on engine room access and watertight boundaries.

Technical base and structural plan: use a modular wall approach to carve two new en-suite cabins of about 11–13 m2 each, with ceiling height preserved and independent HVAC for quiet operation, while implementing necessary structural reinforcement to maintain rigidity and safety.

Interior concept and authenticity: Feadships-style veneers, silver hardware, and acoustically optimized panels flow into the two new cabins so guests experience a seamless look with the existing four staterooms; newly installed joinery and finishes match the established standard.

Systems and operation: reroute electrical distribution to feed the two new en-suites, extend water supply lines, add a dedicated greywater line, and implement separate climate control for each cabin so guests can operate their environment independently without impacting nearby rooms.

Weight and balance: anticipate added mass of four to six tonnes; adjust ballast and trim strategies to preserve center of gravity within safe margins, with a staged plan to minimize transient effects during commissioning.

Timeline and friday milestones: execute in four phases–survey and design, partition removal, fit-out, commissioning–with a Friday review to ensure owners and the dutch team stay aligned and on track for the refit.

Team roles and collaboration: the team includes a naval architect, an interior designer, a marine engineer, and a yard foreman; they work with owners and their representatives, were newly briefed, and delighted with the proposed layout and integration approach.

Propulsion and Power Upgrades: Engine performance, gensets, electrical distribution, and shore power

Upgrade the gensets to four compact, emissions-compliant units and rewire the electrical distribution for a robust, fully interconnected backbone; shore power is expanded to 200A at 400V three-phase, with silver-plated bus bars and advanced protection schemes to guard against surges.

Owners and the team were delighted on friday in the yards as the four-part refit into a newly upgraded propulsion and power base progressed. The chief engineer explains that the four gensets feed a balanced load, delivering faster throttle response and reduced idle fuel burn, while keeping Feadships' reliability. This approach also respects the owner's desire for authenticity and a contemporary, yet timeless, profile. In july, tests confirmed the shore-power tie-in meets 200A at 400V with seamless cross-connection to the house system.

That effort also reflects the authenticity Feadships is known for, with in-house technical work at the dutch yards, many components made to the same base design and tested before delivery.

The result is a fully integrated propulsion and power package that owners, people, and the team in the yards actually value: better performance, reliability, and authenticity without compromising Feadships’ timeless, home-port practicality.

Systems and Navigation Upgrades: Radar, sensors, automation, and cyber safeguards

Install a newly integrated bridge system that fuses radar, AIS, GNSS, and an inertial reference into one intuitive display. They operate with the crew at the helm, while the home base for owners' operations stays focused on safety and efficiency. This part of the refit was made to preserve authenticity, with dutch craftsmanship evident in the ergonomics, and those on the console note the silver accents and the way the controls actually feel natural. Owners and crew were delighted, and the captain explains how four redundancies keep the core data flowing and work remains seamless for the owner. This setup was designed for many feadships and aligns with the july schedule to fully integrate navigation.

Radar and sensors come as a contemporary package: dual X-band radars with overlapping 360-degree coverage, mast-mounted optical/IR cameras, and a laser range finder. The data streams feed a robust automation layer that handles route planning, collision avoidance, and engine-room coordination. The newly refitted electronics provide a technical backbone that meets contemporary expectations and supports four independent data paths, ensuring no single fault disrupts operation.

Cyber safeguards rely on a layered approach: segment the bridge and engineering networks, enforce strict access controls, and keep software current. The control network sits on a hardened subnet, with changes requiring multi-factor authentication and explicit approvals. Patch cycles, vulnerability scans, and anomaly detection keep the system resilient; the july rollout added encrypted logging and secure remote access for authorized service staff. This plan also protects the authenticity of feadships' operations, helps owners and people feel confident, and keeps the vessel ready to operate in demanding conditions, whether at sea or in port.

Guest Experience and Crew Configuration: Suite access, service paths, and provisioning for six suites

Open a dedicated midship spine for six suites with a private guest elevator and a separate crew lift to ensure uninterrupted service. Establish two parallel flows: a guest path from the foyer to each suite and a provisioning path from the galley into the same zone, so the team can operate without crossing guest spaces. This layout actually supports an enormous improvement in guest flow and makes those onboard feel truly attended.

Suite access and privacy: Each door uses a coded card and a private call station for the crew. A centralized status board shows those suites that are occupied, enabling the team to coordinate turn-downs, housekeeping, and provisioning for many people without disturbance.

Provisioning for six suites: Central dry stores feed six cabins in a four-shift cycle; daily deliveries include fresh fruit, dairy, wine, and silver serviceware, all staged to six suites in one run. The newly refitted galley integrates a dedicated provisioning line that bypasses public areas and reduces cross-traffic. The supply method explains how to keep every suite ready regardless of occupancy.

Crew configuration: A six-person guest-services team handles welcome, order-taking, and routine servicing, supported by two technical specialists who monitor HVAC, watermakers, and refrigeration. This work keeps the base operations aligned with the owners' standards, while the owner can request bespoke touches for each suite.

feadships heritage and authenticity: The dutch owners wanted a contemporary yet timeless feel; the refit preserves the classic silhouette while updating finishes, lighting, and timber to reflect authenticity and the owners' vision. Materials like bleached walnut and silver serviceware align with the four corners of the yacht's interiors, which deliver a better-than-before atmosphere. The owner will see this reflected in the cabins at sea.

Operational readiness and timeline: The six-suite layout supports a calm guest experience, with a 90-minute cycle for guest services and provisioning windows that align with the ship's base routines. By July, the crew will be fully prepared to welcome guests, and the home yards will reflect the ship's new cadence, as the team and owners were delighted with the result.