A true comeback story on the water. After a full-scale refit by Zeelander, the iconic Z44 — once owned by supermodel Adriana Lima — emerges bolder, sleeker and more glamorous than ever, ready to turn heads all over again.
Many elements of the 13.52m (44ft) yacht required no work at all. Such was the degree of craftsmanship employed during the build phase that the cherry wood interior was still in perfect condition. A quick clean to remove grease and dust from the surface returned it to its former glory. The same is true of the pommele table in the cockpit and much of the internal upholstery, whose original quality still shone through.
But the famous Zeelander lustre of the boat’s exquisitely curved topsides had begun to fade after years in the relentless Florida sunshine, so intervention was needed. Lifted out at the Zeelander shipyard in Groot Ammers, the Netherlands, the Z44 was moved to the state-of-the-art spray booth for a major facelift using Awlgrip.
The hull was sanded right back to the original fairing compound, sparingly applied though it always is. After the fairing had been repaired, Hullguard was applied and then sanded back. At this point, the hull was checked again to ensure that any imperfections or blemishes had been removed. A layer of Awlgrip 545 primer followed, then three layers of Awlgrip FE in Rolls Royce titanium – the boat’s original livery. Three layers of clear coat came last for an immaculate, durable finish. Only in this meticulous fashion can the voluptuous beauty of the Zeelander hull be fully restored.
With only 500 hours on the clock, the twin Volvo Penta IPS 600 drives were not in need of deep servicing. But Zeelander decided to go beyond the norm by having both the drives and the engines completely rebuilt, to give an as-new factory warranty. The job sheet was comprehensive and involved removing the pods completely. It was time consuming and costly, but the end result is a propulsion system that sounds, feels and performs like new.
The final elements of the make-over involved mostly cosmetic work. The upholstery inside and out was redone in diamond-stitched Silvertex fabric, this time preferring ice white instead of the original taupe. The decking was deep cleaned and recaulked, and careful cleaning elsewhere has given the whole boat that ‘just finished’ look again. She is now available for a new owner, with immediate delivery.
“Although we often talk about the extraordinary detailing on new Zeelander yachts, it’s less commonly known that we pour the same degree of attention and craftsmanship into our existing fleet as well,” said Zeelander business development manager Floris Koopmans. “The refit of our Z44 from 2012 is a testament to both the longevity of our timeless designs and the skill of our team when it comes to revitalising a much-loved yacht. We are delighted that the boat is once again catwalk ready!”
The Zeelander Z44 model has been discontinued by the shipyard. The current Zeelander Yachts range includes four models (Zeelander 5, 6, 7, and 8) ranging from 15 to 24 metres (48ft to 79ft).
