The 55′ Jarrett Bay Builders Choice was in our yard last month for a complete mezzanine retrofit and other upgrades prior to tournament season. Mezzanine cockpit refits are becoming a popular project on sportfish boats that were built with a conventional standing-room-only cockpit layout.
The basic process is to remove or cut-down old cabinetry and ice boxes for the addition of a mezzanine level and seating. This upgrade often provides just as much (or more) space for coolers or freezers below the sofas and steps, and in this case, even allowed for a larger engine room entrance – all without requiring any changes to the salon door placement. During this refit, the service department performed a number of improvements including:
- Full Alexseal paint job from the waterline up
- Refinish of the fighting chair and helm pod
- Installation of LED lighting in the flybridge, cockpit overhead, under the cockpit coaming and underwater at the stern
- Mezzanine Addition
- Eskimo Ice crushed ice system with ice dump below mezzanine step on the port side
- Built in freezer compartment and custom tackle center on starboard side
- Cooler and dry storage below mezzanine step on starboard side
- 4 built-in cup holders
- Engine room access enlarged
- Teak decking with bull nose
- Custom upholstery for mezzanine and fly bridge seating
- Upholstery work by Crystal Coast Interiors
