Best place to refit a CT 56

[undercutter]

So after 8 months with the boat on the market we have decided to keep her and complete a refit and I am hoping to obtain some advice on where to do the work. The boat was built in 1999 and was the last one built by the Ta Chou ship yard in Taiwan, (hull #13) designed by Perry. The yard did make a knock off call the Skorpio 71 to avoid paying Perry his royalties I guess but I do not know how many they built.

The boat has undergone extensive upgrades over the past ten years that we have owned her however it is time to renew the standing rigging and redo the bright work above decks including the gunnel rails. This is a result of the construction technique that allowed water penetration at the seating of the teakwork. We also would like to replace all 20 of the portlights with SS although I am not so sure we will be able to obtain replacements for the big lights in the Transom. Obviously the missus will want a new galley as well as the interior revarnished. Other than that, the boat is in excellent shape and has stood us well after doing an extensive refit when we bought the boat in 2009.

As we are currently in Australia we are considering heading to Thailand or possibly even taking the boat back to Taiwan to the original builders. I am a bit apprehensive about going back to the Ta Chou yard as I hear that things may not be going so well for them over there.

We obviously need a yard that has good access to teak and the know how to work it. The last refit was done in Brunei but that yard went bankrupt building a teak hulled ketch to the owners design. He had purchased a forest lot to obtain the material for his new boat and provided the teak from that lot for the last refit when the decks and forward cabin were redesigned removing both the port and starboard berths and installing a work room and ensuite head for the forward guest cabin.

We will be leaving Sydney in July for the passage back north through PNG and Indonesia ahead of the NW monsoon in December as we do not want to beat into the winds heading north. We may in fact spend the NW monsoon in Raja Ampat to enjoy the diving and possibly cruising Sulawesi in the summer of 2019 before taking her wherever we decide to go for the refit.

All options are open however I think a yard in Asia is required to match the craftsmanship of the original build. Thanks for the help and I am looking forward to your suggestions.

[undercutter]

No help from the forum?

[DSDman]

I would guess the lack of suggestions here is in part because most probably would defer to your experience already and based on your post you probably have more experience than anyone else I’ve seen post here on CT-56 boats.
I’ve only seen two of them myself. The last was Ancestral pursuit which was/is in Annapolis MD. For sale. It had undergone an update but I’m not sure where they had the work done. That boat had no teak decks and looked very nice.

[Terra Nova]

Originally Posted by undercutter

...I think a yard in Asia is required to match the craftsmanship of the original build...

It is specifically the lack of craftsmanship in the original build that is the reason you are refitting again. Australia and New Zealand have excellent boat builders capable of much finer work than the original. I can't say for the availability of teak. But you should certainly be able to re-rig, there, to a much higher spec.