Four metres of extra hull, a stern platform that folds down to the water on hydraulics, and a seventh crew member. The largest refit in Rara Avis's history, explained.
Rara Avis has been refined every winter since she was launched in 2018. The owner and captain have never treated her as a finished project, and each spring she has come back to Split a little better than she left the previous autumn.
The winter of 2026/27 is different. This time the hull itself is being extended, the whole stern is being redesigned, and the yacht that sails in May 2027 will be four metres longer than the one that ends the 2026 season. It is the largest refit in her history, and it has a name: Rara Avis 2.0.
Here is what changes, what the new stern is actually for, and what stays exactly as guests know it from the current yacht.
What Changes in the 2027 Refit
Five things change. The hull grows by four metres. The aft deck is lengthened and gains a separate sitting area. The stern is rebuilt around a 32 m² hydraulic platform with a new multifunctional gangway. A Speediance Gym Monster comes on board. And the crew grows to seven. The six guest cabins stay exactly as they are.
A 32 m² Stern Platform That Folds Down Hydraulically
The heart of the refit is the stern. In place of the current swim platform, Rara Avis 2.0 gets a 32 m² platform built in two sections. Each wing is raised and lowered by hydraulics, so the crew can open the whole terrace to sea level once the anchor is down and fold it back up before getting under way.
Thirty-two square metres at sea level is a lot of teak. It becomes a terrace on the water: sunbeds and a bar for the afternoon, a dining table at dusk, a staging area for the jet skis, SeaBobs and paddleboards, and the easiest way on and off the yacht for anyone who would rather step into the sea than climb down a ladder.
Because the platform is hydraulic rather than fixed, the yacht gives up nothing under sail. Folded up, the wings close the stern. Folded down, they add 32 m² of usable space at the waterline.
The Multifunctional Gangway
A gangway usually does one job: get people from the quay onto the yacht. The new one on Rara Avis 2.0 does three. Moored stern-to on a town quay, it is the walkway ashore. At anchor, it lowers straight into the sea and becomes a proper stairway with handrails that ends in the water rather than at the edge of the platform. And because it can be deployed from several directions, boarding from the tender or from a floating platform no longer means squeezing past a swim ladder.
For families with small children and for older guests, this is the change they will notice first. Getting in and out of the sea stops being an athletic event.
A Longer Aft Deck With Its Own Sitting Area
The four extra metres of hull go into the stern: a longer aft deck above, the hydraulic platform below.
The aft deck already seats all twelve guests for dinner. After the refit it keeps the dining table and gains a separate sitting area beside it, so a long breakfast at the table and a quiet hour on the sofa can happen at the same time. Two spaces, one deck, both facing the sea.
A Crew of Seven
Rara Avis currently sails with six crew: captain, chef, first mate, hostess, second mate and waiter. From 2027 a second hostess joins the team, taking the crew to seven for twelve guests.
The practical difference is coverage. With two hostesses, service on the sundeck and on the stern platform can run at the same time, cabins are turned around while breakfast is still being served, and nobody waits because the one person who could help is at the other end of a 37-metre yacht.
Strength Training at Anchor
New on board is a Speediance Gym Monster, a compact all-in-one smart strength-training station with digital resistance instead of weight plates. A full workout at anchor, in a footprint that fits on a yacht.
What Does Not Change
The guest accommodation is untouched. Rara Avis 2.0 still carries up to twelve guests in six air-conditioned en-suite cabins: two 18 m² VIP cabins with double beds, two 13 m² double cabins and two 13 m² twin cabins whose beds convert to doubles.
The sundeck keeps its Jacuzzi, open bar, projector and cinema screen. The toy garage keeps its two Sea-Doo jet skis (80 HP and 130 HP), two SEABOBs (F5 and F9), kayaks, water skis, wakeboard, paddleboards and snorkelling gear, plus the YACHTBEACH floating platforms. The tender is still the 8.50 m Grand 850 Golden Line with twin 200 HP Yamahas, rated for 14 people. The weekly charter rates and the 35% APA work the same way.
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2018
Launched
Rara Avis enters service from Split as a fully crewed private charter yacht.
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2019 to 2026
Refined every winter
Upgrades each off-season, most recently the 2026 refit.
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Winter 2026/27
The extension refit
Hull lengthened to 37 m, stern rebuilt with the hydraulic platform and gangway, aft deck extended.
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2027 season
Rara Avis 2.0
Back in Split for the May to October season with a crew of seven.
Questions about the 2027 refit
Book the First Season of Rara Avis 2.0
The 2027 season is the first with the new stern. If you would like to be aboard when the platform goes down for the first time, tell us your dates and how many you are. See the design renders in the gallery in the meantime.
Rara Avis 2.0 sails from May 2027.
Check 2027 availability