Skip links

Ariete Primo: life begins at 40

A passionate boat owner, two years of work involving more than 100 people. The story of the re-birth of Ariete Primo.

Ariete Primo, is a tug boat built in 1967 by the English shipyard, Richard Dunston Ltd. For decades it serviced the ports of the world before entering into retirement. Franco Polti, an Italian businessman, first laid eyes on it in 2004, fell in love and set about undertaking some incredible restoration work at the Ortona Shipyard in Fiumicino that spanned two years.
The transformation was marked by an overriding commitment to balancing past and present, along with a complete overhaul of the interior. A great love of history and the boat itself were the distinguishing features of the structural renovation work carried out by Massimo Gregori Grgic and the Yankee Delta Studio team to render the 44-metre Ariete Primo (9.45 metres in width) both comfortable and welcoming. As such the binnacle, the anti-fire springal and the large lookout are all original. As is the “Panama Eye”, the distinctive oval opening from which the sailor looked out to better assist the captain in navigating the snares of the canal.

 

Leave a comment