Spirit of Chartwell

The passenger ship Spirit of Chartwell, renovated completely in 2010 by Shipyard Gebr. Kooiman BV in Zwijndrecht, caught the attention of the entire world in 2012. The vessel was selected to serve as the main ship of the ‘Royal Barge’. The naval pageant to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II sailed on the Thames river and the Royal Family itself were seated on the Spirit of Chartwell.

The vessel was acquired a few years ago at auction, and the plan was to use it as a hotel boat, for sightseeing tours on the Thames. This required considerable renovation. The Spirit of Chartwell ended up at Shipyard Gebr. Kooiman B.V.

The activities included replacing the entire interior, including the wheel house and sleeping quarters. A new stairway was designed and installed. The carpentry department delivered genuine craftsmanship. The HVAC system on the vessel was also replaced, and the engines were overhauled. The entire vessel furthermore underwent thorough maintenance.

The Spirit of Chartwell was brought in via one of our slipways and positioned in the shipbuilding hall so that we could work in a conditioned environment. Due to the extremely short completion time, the work was prepared thoroughly by the Kooiman Engineering design agency. Almost all the other disciplines of the Kooiman Marine Group were called upon to perform the activities as efficiently as possible within the set period. Thus the carpentry work was carried out by our own carpenters, the electrical system was modified by Kooiman Ship Electric and the HVAC system installed by our own installers. For this project too, Kooiman Marine Group was able to offer a total solution.

SHIP TYPE:

Cruise boat

ACTIVITIES PERFORMED:

• Replacing the entire interior of lounge, wheel house and sleeping quarters
• Replacing the electrical system
• Replacing the stairway and light penetration
• Overhauling the engines
• Replacing the HVAC system
• Performing maintenance on the entire ship again