The latest updates in 2009 include 10 solar panels and 2 super quiet wind generators making this vessel greener and more energy independant than ever.

Finding the INDEPENDENCE was the result of a marathon worldwide search.  It was also the beginning of a major project as she was in complete disarray.  Even-though she had already circumnavigated the globe and had been used for ocean research, our redesign of her eliminated major sea hazards (normal glass windows, normal wooden exterior doors, non waterproof hatches) and gave her several advantages overall. She is no longer a fair-weather traveler but is now a truly seaworthy and comfortable ocean  cruiser with the ability to remain at sea for extended periods of time. 

Project INDEPENDENCE began with top-priority Technical repairs as she had been sitting stagnant  in Key Biscayne for 10 years.

• The Cat D353 was first completely rebuilt including the gear-box.
• The "abandoned" fuel tanks were all welded new & leaky deck steel replaced. 
• The old wooden mast was exchanged for a modern aluminum one with all new rigging.
• The light wooden doors were changed back to steel water tight doors as per original design but reinforced with stainless plating.
• The large, sliding glass panoramic windows & pilot house windows were all changed to 1 1/4" Lexan.
• New & enlarged battery banks using 8D Gel cells, inverter & 1 new 20kw generator installed additional to the existing one.
• Changing gunwhales, railing, cleats, window frames, added superstructure all in stainless steel.

In principal, when one buys a yacht even for personal use, the option to have paying guests is wise and a potential back up to offset maintenance costs. Independence originally had 3 heads in one line for 5 cabins with 8 berths. We broke down beds and walls according to the following guidelines to create 4 bathrooms for 4 guest-rooms, (later adding a 5th suite on top deck) with separate crew quarters and bathroom, an additional berth for captain in the pilot house and a general head aft of the saloon.

• separate guest and crew quarters (Originally Captain's cabin was between guest's)
• en-suite shower and heads for all "state-rooms"
• enlarged stateroom beds to standard double, queen or king sizes
• installation of hi-fi systems and individually controllable AC units in staterooms

Every stateroom was designed with a unique theme rather than standardizing them all the same but this was a personal choice owing to the unusual nature of the yacht to begin with. From purchase negotiations to departure, phase 1 was accomplished within 3 months. The first real sea trial took us to the Caribbean where we continued our project with pulling the shafts and painting the hull.  The list below is an overview of before and after changes that have taken place at different stages between major voyages across the Atlantic and Pacific.

L1/4" glass windows