When an Abu Dhabi royal took the sumptuous Flying Fox out of the charter market and into private ownership, a few things were expected. First, the $450 million vessel would almost certainly undergo a refit, and an extensive one at that. Second, she was bound to return in a brand-new avatar, one better suited to royal taste and perhaps more in line with an already multimillion-dollar fleet.
In the latest development surrounding Flying Fox, SuperYacht Times has revealed that the Lürssen giant has completed her refit and has also been renamed Hadar. The name carries weight; in Hebrew, Hadar is associated with splendor and glory, and it is also the traditional name for Beta Centauri, the second-brightest star in the constellation Centaurus. Flying Fox, or rather Hadar, is now undoubtedly set to shine brighter than ever on the deep blue sea, along with a new flag state, Cayman Islands. The thorough refit and fresh paint job that has replaced the yacht’s dove-gray hull with an all-white exterior. Perhaps the owner prefers his motoryacht to glisten like a pearl at sea rather than blend into the horizon like a shark.
The 446-footer, once among the most recognizable names in the charter world enjoyed by billionaires like Beyonce and Jay-Z, may now be kept firmly out of the charter market, especially given the privacy favored by Middle Eastern royals. The 9,022 GT vessel, with exterior design by Espen Øino and interiors by Mark Berryman, accommodates 22 guests and 55 crew.
But here, it is not only the size of the ship that is worth discussing, it is the scale of the refit itself. The luxuries and amenities of Flying Fox are no secret to yacht enthusiasts, which is exactly why it is so intriguing to imagine the new avatar Hadar now assumes as part of the fleet of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the 54-year-old Emirati royal who also owns the superyachts Blue and A+.
The scale of the shipyard
First things first, this is a Lürssen mammoth that could not have gone just anywhere for a makeover, which is why Lürssen’s Hamburg repair base (former Blohm + Voss facility) was the natural choice. The yard features a 351-meter by 59-meter dry dock and a 287-meter by 44-meter floating dock, meaning a 446-footer like Hadar can be handled with ease. In fact, Dock 10 is so enormous that it is practically a Hamburg landmark, visible from the Landungsbrücken and fish market area.
A paint job is no small job
Flying Fox’s exterior spans about 7,000 square meters, and a renewed paint job like this would have required at least two coats. At a standard coverage rate, two coats would require a staggering 2,300 liters (over 600 gallons) , but the real challenge lies in the work before the paint ever goes on. Fairing, sanding, and corrosion treatment matter just as much as the spray phase itself. The payoff, however, is not purely cosmetic. A smoother hull can also reduce hydrodynamic drag, improve efficiency, and lower fuel burn.
What went on inside?
The best guess is that, over the course of several months, the superyacht underwent far more than a cosmetic refresh. A vessel of this scale, occupying one of Europe’s largest graving docks, was likely subjected to a major overhaul. That could mean everything from deck work to engines, generators, AV and IT systems, and stabilizer upgrades.
Dry dock packages of this kind also typically include blasting and painting, along with work on thrusters, rudders, shafts, sea valves, switchboards, steelwork, and survey-related checks. It is safe to say that the mighty Hadar now emerges primed and polished in all her glory, transformed from one of the world’s most photographed floating palaces into a superyacht that now belongs to royal lineage.
The upheaval of change-
Changing the name of a vessel triggers an exhaustive list of transformations. Because nearly everything onboard, from the bulkheads and linens to the crew uniforms and technical equipment, bears the ship’s identity, the transition from Flying Fox to Hadar requires meticulous attention to detail. Beyond the physical, technicalities such as legal contracts must be updated to reflect this new chapter. However, that is the nature of the industry, every owner ushers in a new reign. In such an opulent universe, these extensive alterations are considered the most basic requirement for a vessel’s new lease on life.