The 65m classic motor yacht Shemara – which has been undergoing a complete rebuild and restoration by Shemara LLP since she was acquired in 2010 – was today successfully floated at Burgess Marine's Portchester facility at the head of Portsmouth Harbour, UK.
The yacht transited to Burgess Marine's 1000 tonne Rolls Royce syncrolift ship lift on Sunday 13 April from the building where most of the refit has taken place, located at the former Vosper-Thorneycroft yard which now is part of Trafalgar Wharf. Following her launch, she was taken under tow to Southampton for final fit-out, commissioning and sea trials. The tow was facilitated by Williams Shipping.
Burgess Marine – who provided specialist support and personnel for structural and fabrication works, mechanical works and pipefitting – is one of more than 200 local subcontractors to have supported Shemara Refit LLP. 'Burgess Marine has been an important partner in this project from the moment we took ownership of the vessel in Lowestoft in 2010,' commented Peter Morton, owner of Shemara Refit LLP.
Burgess Marine’s Managing Director, Nicholas Warren, says, 'The facility at Trafalgar Wharf is of obvious longer-term strategic significance to us - the increased draft now allows us to seek new customers and better support existing clients. BAE Systems, Serco, the MoD, Wightlink and the Gosport Ferry will benefit from our investment as too will numerous other local and national operators. Portchester, and the South Coast, needs more ship repair custom and I genuinely do hope that this major investment will help, as will the positive publicity surrounding today’s successful launch of superyacht Shemara and the continuing major refit works onboard the 57m Tacanuya.'
Stay tuned for a firsthand report of the launch of superyacht Shemara from Boat International magazine's editor Tim Thomas who was live on the scene.