Savarona and The Swans
by Published on 6th May 2016 05:04 AM
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One of the highlights of cruising the Bosporus during our recent visit to Istanbul was coming across the luxury yacht Savarona. What a gem of maritime splendor! All of 446 feet in length, she's done in classical style capped by twin yellow stacks – just like a little liner.
Originally built in 1931 in Germany for an American heiress, she then cost the equivalent of a staggering $57,000,000 in Depression era dollars. But by 1938, the sumptuous craft was bought by the Turkish Government as the national gift to their beloved leader Ataturk. It actually had little use. Then for years after Ataturk's death, the glorious vessel fell into gradual decay and even had fire damages.
The Savarona was resurrected in 1989 when it was sold to a Turkish billionaire and restored for very select, luxury services. We used to see her at Cannes in the south of France during summertime cruise stops there in the 1990s. Wealthy locals often chartered her for up to fifty of their nearest & dearest for lavish four-hour luncheon or dinner cruises. Regally, the Savarona would sit at anchor off Cannes and guests would be tendered out to her in small craft done in glistening brass and highly polished woods. Myself, I had the chance to visit the Savarona at Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) in 1993. Her billionaire owner was then involved in restoring another, but far bigger ship, the SS United States, and because of my books on that great American superliner I was invited onboard for a tour. Inside, she was glorious – all grand and gilded style, nothing tacky or over the top, and with furnishings and objects including antiques and artworks from the finest sources in London and Paris. Accommodation onboard the Savarona featured a swimming pool, a complete Turkish bath, a 282-foot 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.
Evidently, the Savarona is now back with Turkish Government hands and has just been extensively (and expensively) refitted and upgraded. These days, she is used for official functions, but also is available for the occasional private charter. A very special ship! In Istanbul during our visit, the Savarona looked glorious, classical and absolutely immaculate.
The Swans
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They are the last of a generation of two dozen or so ferries, built in Italy in the Fifties & Sixties, and soldiering on in Istanbul harbor. They are beloved and known as the "Swans".
Last edited by Doc Vernon; 6th May 2016 at 05:39 AM.
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