Red Sky's new dawn: Restoring a stunning Swan
by Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding 1 Nov 2019 05:17 PDT
Red Sky © Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding
As hull No. 1, Red Sky was the Swan 100's dawn. Back in 2003, when this cardinal-red hull was launched, it was designer German Frers' and Finnish master builder Nautor AB's singular goal to set the bar for creature comforts and speed in a semi-production boat of that era. She spent the next 15 years doing precisely that, including a Transatlantic crossing, cruising in New England, the Chesapeake, and the Caribbean.
By 2018, Red Sky was losing a bit of her crimson luster. It was time, says Chris Clarke, one of Red Sky's past skippers, to upgrade her major systems and ready the boat for sale. Red Sky needed a new engine, generator, and deck, as well as upgrades to her standing rigging, propeller, and other systems. Clarke and Red Sky's owner headed back to Lyman-Morse, the authorized Swan service center that had performed several other refit projects on the yacht over the years, for this project.
The result is a yacht that boasts updated systems, finishes, and deck, but that maintains the stunning appeal that has set her apart for the past 16 years. "People call her the red sled," says Ryan Hanger, the vessel's present skipper, who's working with the yacht's broker, Annie Lannigan, to keep Red Sky fully staged for the sales process. "She's gorgeous. She has beautiful lines. She sticks out in the mooring field. Everybody wants to go for a ride on her."
View a photo essay, including before and after images, of Red Sky's refit here.