The team at Rivergate Marina and Shipyard has said bon voyage to the captain and crew of MY Kokomo II, as the historical vessel sets sail for the first time in seven months.
After an extensive refit period at Rivergate’s shipyard, MY Kokomo II returns to the water a little bigger and a whole lot brighter, with a completed transom extension, full exterior repaint, a modernised lazarette area, engine room refurbishment, upgraded timber work and much more.
The idea of a transom extension had been on the table for years, but the wheels for this plan weren’t set in motion until 2019 when Rivergate’s General Manager approached Captain Luke Caldwell during a routine yard period.
“Andrew from Rivergate said ‘Luke, we should really make this happen’ because we both agreed it would be something the owner would enjoy and it would be great for the boat,” Luke said.
“It’s a great opportunity to use these refits to revamp other works because you’re out of the water for an extended period of time,” he said.
“With normal yard periods, you’re usually in and out in around three to four weeks. With this project originally planned for five to six months, there were other things like generators, steering pumps, electrical panel system including a new switchboard, PLC system and radar that needed updating, as well as an exterior paint job.
“During the refit, the engine room was basically gutted out except for the main engines, stripped back, re-wired, re-plumbed and then full electrical works completed at the same time.
“The transom extension required access to the lazarette area, so that got stripped out and refurbished as well, making it more modern.”
Rivergate Project Manager Marty Johnson said the collaboration between the 20 plus different trades working on this unique refit had been seamless.
“Rivergate is a one-stop shop,” Marty said. “We can accommodate deep-water berthing of very large vessels, and also undertake their repair, refit and maintenance with our very large contractor base who work tirelessly alongside the Rivergate team to ensure timelines and budgets are met.”
“Everyone has come together really well for this project and it’s been an absolute pleasure to work alongside all of those trades, including the crew and the captain to get the vessel to where it is today.”
A vintage Australian icon
One of the most critical parts of the refit was to modernise the vessel while keeping its original beauty.
“The owner always says she’s got beautiful lines and a traditional style, and adding the transom adds a lot of practicality, function and use without changing the overall lines of the boat,” Luke said.
MY Kokomo II was built in Brisbane in the 1980s, with many Rivergate employees and contractors having connections to its origin story.
Jake Whittle, Production Foreman at Aus Ships, said his team was proud to have been engaged to design and build the four-metre extension on the stern of such an iconic vessel.
“MY Kokomo II has a lot of heritage,” he said.
“The refit has been unique in the sense that it is a classic motor yacht. It’s been a pretty fantastic experience for myself and our team to be working on a vessel that was built in the 80s by some of our employee’s relatives or people they’ve known.”
A close, collaborative relationship
During his 11-year tenure as Captain of MY Kokomo II, Luke says he and his team have built a collaborative relationship with Rivergate based on trust and quality craftmanship.
“Right from the start, our yard work at Rivergate has always been smooth. We’ve always had the help and advice we’ve needed, and on the occasion, we’ve had to come in with urgent or emergency works, it’s been one of those things where we’ve called on the people we know and trust to get the work done quickly and to the highest quality,” Luke said.
Rated as one of the top three superyacht shipyards in the world for refit and maintenance, it’s not just the expertise and meticulousness of Rivergate’s tradespeople that ranks highly with owners but also the level of customer service from our project managers that’s unmatched. To learn more about Rivergate’s project management and superyacht capabilities, click here.
