MV Savarona

The MV "Savarona" (also sometimes M/Y, for motor yacht) is a luxury yacht. She was the largest in the world when launched in 1931, and remains with a length of 124 m (408 ft) one of the world’s longest. She is owned by the government of Turkey and leased by Turkish businessman Kahraman Sadıkoğlu.

History

Named for an African swan living in the Indian Ocean, the ship was designed by Gibbs & Cox in 1931 for American heiress Emily Roebling Cadwallader, granddaughter of John A. Roebling, engineer of the Brooklyn Bridge. The ship was built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany. She cost about $4 million ($53 million in 2006 dollars). ^{[http://minneapolisfed.org/Research/data/us/calc/]}

In 1938, the Turkish government bought the yacht for ailing leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who spent only six weeks aboard before dying a few months later.

Throughout World War II, the ship lay idle in Kanlıca Bay on the Bosporus. In 1951, she was converted to the training ship "Güneş Dil" (English: "Sun Language"). In October 1979, the ship was gutted by fire at the Turkish Naval Academy off Heybeliada Island in the Sea of Marmara. She lay virtually abandoned for ten years.

In 1989, she was chartered for 49 years by Turkish businessman Kahraman Sadıkoğlu. Over three years, his firm completely refurbished her for about $25 million, removing the original steam turbine engines and installing modern diesel engines. The ship was rebuilt at Tuzla Shipyards in Tuzla, a suburb of Istanbul. Now the ship serves to famous and important guests and helps to keep the memory of Atatürk alive.

Features

"Savarona" features a swimming pool, a turkish bath, a 282-foot (86 m) gold-trimmed grand staircase that survived from her original construction, a movie theater, and a library suite dedicated to Atatürk, which is furnished with many of his personal artifacts.

Charter

The yacht is available for charter for $200,000 to $400,000 per week, which includes the crew but not provisions.

pecifications

*Length: 408 ft. (124 m) waterline – 446 ft. (136 m) stern to bowsprit
*Beam: 53 ft. (16 m)
*Draft: 20 ft. (6.1 m)
*Tonnage: GT|4,646
*Engines: 2 × 3,600 HP (2.7 MW) diesel
*Cruising speed: 15.5 knots cruising, 18 knots maximum
*Crew: 44
*Staterooms: 17 double

External links

:Note: Some of the below sites are commercial yacht-charter sites; however, they provide pictures and the history of the yacht.
* [http://www.savaronavoyage.com/ "Savarona" official website] (Adobe Flash required)
* [http://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/details/287/ Savarona on SYT] Complete specifications, refit and sales information and photos of Savarona
* [http://www.maritimematters.com/savarona.html Maritime Matters: Ocean liner history and cruise ship news] – Picture
* [http://worldwideluxuryyacht.com/?view=item&id=85 Windward Islands: World wide luxury yachts] –Story, pictures
* [http://www.yachting-greece.com/Motor_Yachts/Mediterranean/savarona.htm Yachting Greece] – Story, pictures
* [http://yachts.monacoeye.com/yachtsbysize/pages/savarona01.html Monaco Yachts] – Four fine pictures
* [http://www.allaboutturkey.com/savarona.htm All About Turkey] – History
* [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1413714463] - Novel set in Istanbul; climactic scene takes place aboard the Savarona