Thanks to her transformative refit with the help of her crew, Jester fits perfectly into her new role as support for Infinite Jest.
The year is 2024. In a bustling superyacht marina, a former Russian spy ship turned explorer yacht basks between two superyachts. Sounds like the start of a Cold War thriller? Nope, it’s the real-life story of Jester, a vessel that’s defied expectations at every turn.
Launched in 1972 by Finnish yard Oy Laivateollisuus as Valerian Albanov, the boat began her days as an ice-classed hydrographic survey vessel — read: a Cold War espionage tool for tracking NATO ships and submarines in the icy North Sea. When the Soviet Union fell in 1991, she emerged from behind the Iron Curtain, was sold off and morphed into a globe-trotting private explorer yacht. Several refits and three owners later, and she’s gone from being a grizzled spy to a sleek but tough world traveler.
Her latest chapter began in 2021, when she was snapped up by new owners building the 246-foot Infinite Jest for an Antarctic expedition. “We didn’t want just a shadow yacht,” the owner says. “We wanted something with guest accommodations and the character of a true yacht. Jester fit the bill perfectly.”
Character she had in spades, but the veteran explorer needed a significant refit to meet the high standards of the Infinite Fleet’s ambitious program. With time ticking, the owners quickly assembled their project team. Captain Guenole Tamaillon joined just two weeks before the sale closed, collaborating with the owners to select the right yard by early March 2021. Their choice? Pendennis, known for their stellar track record on major refits and large-scale projects. Their deadline? Christmas in Antarctica, 2023. No pressure then.
The refit became a collaborative masterpiece, especially for Jester’s crew. Chief stew Katie Lock, with a degree in interior design and previous refit experience, dove into creating functional, relaxed crew areas. “A homey, comfortable space for the crew was a top priority,” she says.
Katie reimagined the crew mess into a functional hub with a dedicated kitchen zone, implemented space-efficient Pullman beds for extra crew, and large food stores. A medical room was added for remote cruising, and every cabin was redesigned to include equal-sized beds, showers and storage. “We used cut-out furniture shapes on a GA to ensure all cabins worked ergonomically,” Katie says.
Galley design was equally hands-on, with chefs shaping it to perfection. As new crew joined, their ideas were welcomed,reflecting the owner’s desire to create a workplace the team genuinely enjoyed.
One year into the project, Guenole was joined by his rotational partner, Captain Lee Douglas, and together with input from the officers they helped redesign the bridge.
“We focused on functionality and reliability,” Guenole says. “With regard to the layout, we had the luxury of space. The bridge is a working zone but was also designed as an area where our guests can come and spend time — we built a large table and sofa which we use for our meetings, but it’s also used by our guests who come and discuss plans for the day or simply to enjoy the scenery as we pass through.”
Of course, making a former workhorse more luxurious wasn’t without its challenges. Low ceilings and curved floors required creative solutions, such as wall-mounted air conditioning. The captain’s cabin became an upper-deck bar, and outside, a multipurpose games deck emerged. “Whether we use it for basketball, fitness classes or as an outdoor cinema, it’s such a versatile space,” the owner says.
The vessel even has an “explorer room” close to the bridge for planning adventures, which doubles as a dining salon. There’s a world map covering one wall with magnetic glass that opens up to reveal a TV screen. And there’s the monkey island. Not exactly commonplace on a superyacht, this is an extra deck at the highest point of the vessel where guests (and crew) can enjoy the views while basking on custom sunpads around the funnel (which also serve as extra storage space for crew).
A standout feature of the vessel is the fact she still has her original 2,000-horsepower Deutz engine from 1972. Running a vessel with one engine comes with inherent challenges, but they have several measures in place to manage any risks, as Guenole explains.
“In addition to all the preventative maintenance, we carry extensive spares,” he says. “All engine-driven pumps have auxiliary stand-alone redundancy in case of failure. The engine can be run on different modes, allowing isolations. Also, Infinite Jest and Jester aim to cruise together, so that we can assist each other in case of any issues.”
With a core team of 15 crew and 150 tradespeople clocking 10,000 hours weekly, Pendennis delivered Jester in 23 months. “Jester is one of the biggest projects in our history,” says Pendennis managing director Toby Allies. And it was a triumph: Jester joined Infinite Jest for a summer in the Med before heading to Antarctica on schedule.
The hands-on crew involvement left a lasting impact. “Delivering Jester after two years in the yard is my greatest career achievement,” Katie says. “What we envisioned has come to fruition.”
Guenole echoes her pride. “It was a unique opportunity for the crew, as operators, to be able to give input into the design of their spaces. Every crew member who was part of the refit has at least one of their ideas implemented on board. The outcome of this is a boat that really works well for our operation; everything has been thought through by the crew for efficiency and comfort.”
The attention the owners and designers were able to give to the crew spaces are a clear indication of how important the team are to them. “Infinite Fleet’s progressive approach to crew welfare in yachting can only lead to crew thinking proactively and not reactively,” Lee says.
Jester’s remarkable story is one of reinvention — from Cold War intelligence gatherer to sophisticated explorer yacht — proving that true legends are built to last and ready for the next chapter.