Classic Feadship superyacht arrives in the Netherlands for refit

Feadship’s classic motor yacht, Lionwind arrived yesterday in Ijmuiden in the Netherlands following her recent sale, in order to undergo a major refit and restoration project.

Arriving aboard BigLift’s shipping vessel, Traveller, Lionwind was successfully lowered onto Dutch waters again for the first time since her launch in 1983.

Designed by the late, great yacht designer, Jon Bannenberg, M/Y Lionwind was first launched as Azteca at Feadship’s Koninklijke De Vries facility alongside her sistership, Paraiso, which was built by Royal van Lent in the same year. Mexican media tycoon Emilio Azcárraga commissioned both yachts.

Peter Staalsmid of SevenStar Yacht Transport, members of the Spliethoff Group alongside BigLift, said, “The lifting of such a delicate icon is an art by itself and involves quite some technical preparation.

“A lifting plan, stow plan and cradle plan is made prior to the lifting operation. While the yacht is lifted and is slowly moved towards the side of the carrier, ballast water is being pumped from one side of the vessel to the other side of the vessel in order to keep balance.”

According to SevenStar, after being freed from the BigLift yacht transporter, Lionwind was successfully towed by two tug boats to a shipyard in Makkum where work will get underway.