Converting a commercial vessel into a global expedition yacht is a major investment and a fairly complex, but logical, process. Having been involved in new construction and the refitting of large yachts, Paul Madden has knowledge and experience, as well as excellent relationships with top shipyards, designers and naval architects in the United States and Europe.

Paul Madden will act as your "Owner's Rep" and broker in the acquisition of the OSV platform to be converted.
 
His network includes highly-skilled naval architects, naval engineering firms and other experts who understand all aspects of vessel construction and refitting. Early in a project, if you have not already selected a designer, Paul Madden will introduce you to one or more Designers and Naval Architects. Once you decide on a designer, he or she will help define your vessel mission and specifications, along with the style and requirements of the interior and your toys, aircraft and other mission necessities.  

We then pursue a dual track - reviewing and selecting the most appropriate OSV vessel based upon your preliminary specs; while at the same time refining the design and specs for the conversion.  The OSV will be extensively surveyed, sea trialled and purchased while shipyards are bidding on the conversion job. At this point, a dedicated project manager will be appointed to 'live' with this project through delivery. Very often, you will bring along your captain, or hire a new captain who will also become part of the project management team.

*Note- at this juncture, you will be 1-2 years ahead of a normal new build process in terms of time, and also will have saved a substantial amount of money and hassles.

You will likely want to be involved in the selection of key sub-contractors, such as the interior fabricator.

Your team will manage each construction phase, monitor contractors' technical and financial performance, arrange all surveys, manage classification, flag and technical regulatory paperwork and finally, launch and deliver the yacht to you, as specified.

The goal is to deliver to you the yacht you envisioned (and hopefully more), and allow you to be as involved as you would like to be, while enabling you full control of every detail. In the end, the process should be enjoyable and relatively stress free.