Engineering for the edge: Grandi Manufacturing’s refit work on Amundsen and Vinson of Antarctica
At Grandi Manufacturing, we don’t just build or repair – we engineer for extremes. That mindset is at the heart of our long-standing collaboration with Pelagic Expeditions, whose expedition yachts Amundsen and Vinson of Antarctica returned to Cape Town in 2024 for their annual refits.
These vessels aren’t your average yachts. They sail where few dare – to the far south, navigating the harshest conditions on Earth. Every weld, bracket, housing, and system component we craft must function faultlessly in isolation, far from spares and service yards. That’s why these refits are more than seasonal maintenance — they’re about readiness, resilience, and rigorous detail.
Built on trust, shaped by necessity
Our relationship with Pelagic Expeditions began nearly two decades ago, with the legendary Pelagic Australis. From that first lifting keel cradle cut from 8-inch steel I-beams to today’s aluminium and stainless reinforcements on the Pelagic 77 fleet, our partnership has been built on pragmatism, shared values, and a commitment to simply making things work.
As Amundsen and Vinson returned to Cape Town from the Falklands and Tristan da Cunha, our teams rolled straight into action — offloading gear, scoping projects, and sketching bespoke solutions directly on board before heading to the workshop to bring them to life.
Amundsen’s engine room: a refit forged in steel
One of the most demanding spaces on board, the Amundsen engine room received intense attention during this year’s service period. The work included:
- Realigning stern tubes
- Replacing shaft bearings and mounts
- Machining and fitting new stern gland interfaces
- Custom tool fabrication for tight-access work
- New brackets and supports for system upgrades
When parts couldn’t be sourced locally — like the Dutch-supplied stern tube liners for Vinson — our team machined them on-site to fit, ensuring no time was lost waiting on spares or risking installation vulnerabilities. Our philosophy is simple: once it leaves our workshop, it doesn’t come back.
From sketch to sea: bespoke metalwork, fast
Each year, the Pelagic crew arrive with a list of challenges: from custom antenna guards and kelp cutters to gimballed cookers and diver ladders. Nothing is off the shelf. Every shape has a strange angle. Every bracket a precise load path. We brainstorm, prototype, and build side-by-side with the crew — a process built on mutual trust and speed.
It’s an intense, collaborative rhythm: spot the issue, draw the part, cut, weld, test, refine. And behind it all is Marco Grandi, still just as hands-on as the day he grabbed a grinder to finish a steel cradle when the gas ran out — cutting through thick I-beams while sparks flew and timelines were saved.
The human element
There’s a reason the Pelagic team returns to Cape Town year after year. As Skip Novak himself wrote in his May 2025 update:
“Within two and a half months, our six crew members will be flat out with help from our technical partners — Marco from Grandi Manufacturing, Karl from 1st Mate Electronics, Chris Boock our rigger, and Ullman Sails. This is a team we’ve used for not years, but decades now. It’s all about the people.”
We’re proud to be part of that trusted team.
Whether it’s hauling out the boats at East Quay, working under tight deadlines in the yard, or solving problems that others wouldn’t dare attempt, our work on Amundsen and Vinson of Antarctica continues a legacy of excellence in expedition engineering.
Because when you’re heading for the Southern Ocean, good enough simply isn’t good enough.
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