La Sultana
Yacht: A Unique, Extraordinary, and Remarkable History
The
adventure began in 1962, on the Black Sea shores, in the largest shipyard,
Varna in Bulgaria. Built for the Russian fleet, Aji-Petri is the fifth of a
serie of 12 ships. The “Sister Ships” are intended for transporting freight and
passengers between the ports of Odessa, Yalta, Sebastopol, Istanbul, between
the Azov and Crimea Seas.
Aji-Petri
carried on board 102 passengers in cabins, 110 on the deck and 46 crew members. Her small draught of 3 m and sleek hull design made her an ideal method of transportation at
the time. It might always have been so…
In
1970, amidst global political tension, the “Sister Ships” became very
particular vessels. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union gradually removed its
passenger fleet from the Black Sea in order to use it for strategic
purposes for various ministries[1].
Aji-Petri
was sent to the North Atlantic to be used as a radio relay for the International
Telecommunication Union, and unofficially, to eavesdrop for the benefit of her country. During the Soviet space exploration age, the “Sister Ships’”
involvement was such that a series of stamps was printed to glorify them. They
became part of the heroic saga of an entire nation.
When the Soviet Union
fell, Aji-Petri was transferred to a Bulgarian shipping company and resumed her initial duties between Yalta and Istanbul.
Refit for
Re-Creation
(1962 - Refit 2015)
M/Y La Sultana, 65,40 meters, will be re-launched in July 2015 after a seven-year total reconversion and a
metamorphosis requiring over one million two hundred thousand hours of labour.
In 2007, La Sultana Group, attracted by her elegant silhouette, design,
strength and exceptional history, acquired the yacht La Sultana, thus renamed, and started a new project: to rebuild her into a ship that embodies the ideal of travel in an exceptional décor.
The stake for this reconversion was to
preserve the authenticity and elegance of her glorious past, reconfigure the
interior and exterior spaces, while integrating the most modern and advanced
technology. La Sultana Yacht took the time needed and
had an unlimited budget at her disposal.
This ambitious restoration was led by a team of naval
construction and navigation professionals under the leadership of the French
naval architecture company Orion Naval
Engineering and the supervision of the RINA classification office and the flag
authorities. A project that was both thorough and colossal.
Main Technical Upgrades
- The aluminum superstructure was
rebuilt according to its original shape and entirely re-riveted, giving it the
firmly classic silhouette of a “Gentleman Yacht”. After doing ultrasonic thickness measurements of the entire hull and structure under the supervision of RINA, close to 25% of shell plates and 80%
of deck plates have been replaced, as well as a number of frames and beams.
- For a perfect blend of tradition and modernity, the
masts were returned to their original location and all the decks were redone in
ipe wood.
- The bow was raised to form a shielded area, thus
creating an upper space with a helicopter hoisting aera, and a leisure space with sea water jacuzzi and loungers.
- A side hydraulic door was installed on the starboard side of the ship near the bow, adding a swimming platform and a direct access to the sea – a technical feat sure to please nautical sports
enthusiasts.
- To improve stability, La Sultana was also fitted with an improved underwater profile with a streamlined massive keel weighing 90 tons.
- With her classic line and unique vintage style, La Sultana also belongs to
the category of modern yachts, thanks to her brand new main engine and the refit of modern navigational equipment. A new diesel Mitsubishi engine and reducing
gear was installed to keep the same rotation speed of the shaft line and
preserve the original propeller. Cruise speed is approximately 11 knots, with a maximum
of about 13 knots.
- The engine room was fitted with four generators providing between 90 kW and 180 kW each used depending on the needs. In
addition to those, an extra emergency generator was fitted.
[1] Source: Norman Polmar, The Naval Institute Guide to the Soviet Navy, US Naval Institute Press, 1991.
