Feadship has restored the 25.80-metre motoryacht Feadship Sultana, hull #598, ex Din-Dina, to its former glory. The vessel was found in poor condition in France, but did manage to sail to Holland on its own keel and original engines. https://www.swzonline.nl/weblog/3[This video] shows the vessel arriving in IJmuiden before its refit.
The major rebuild project was carried out by the the company’s refit department in close cooperation with the owner’s team.
Historical Pedigree
Launched as Din-Dina in 1969, the yacht was found abandoned in a French yard in 2007 by Dutch sailor Kees van den Hoek. Despite being in a poor condition with an almost empty hull, this yachtsman fell in love with its classic lines. Challenged by its neglected state and recognising Din-Dina’s historical pedigree, Kees decided to acquire the hull and give this Feadship a new life. With the support of a businessman who was interested in owning the yacht, the hull was made sufficiently seaworthy to return it to Holland on its own keel, propelled by the original Gardner engines.
Master/Apprentice Teams
Planned to be named Sultana after the refit, the hull was initially brought to the northern Dutch port of Enkhuizen to be painted and prepared for outfitting. An agreement was then reached for Feadship to finish the rebuild at the Feadship yard in Makkum. While the yard’s refit department primarily works on much larger projects, this was a good opportunity to reconvene the master/apprentice teams created for the refit of the 22.50-metre Riva classic Feadship Serena, which was concluded in 2011. The Sultana was finished within a budget that was appropriate for a yacht of this age and inherent value.
One of Feadship’s senior in-house historians Huib de Vries was invited by the owner to lead the christening ceremony. Another couple of months were then required to fine-tune and test the new engine room and bridge equipment. Sultana is now on its way to a new life in the Mediterranean where it will offer charter services.
SWZ Special on Superyachts
SWZ Maritime’s July-August issue, to appear later this month, features a special on the technical aspects of superyachts. Don’t miss it and https://www.swzonline.nl/page/21[subscribe] today.
