Behind the construction of every great yacht there is a story and in the building of Meira, it is one of great perseverance.
Back in 2003, when construction first began, 50 metres, was still considered to be a very large yacht and huge when it came to motor sailers.
Designed and styled by Evan K Marshall, the overall concept for a striking schooner was started by Sultan Marine who, at that time, owned the build facility in Bodrum. After that owner faltered, both the yard and the project was acquired by Neta Marine sometime after work had stopped. Building work began again on the Project in July 2015, but only after the hull was sandblasted and surveyed by both Class and Flag. Now well over a decade later, and renamed Meira, she is in class with RINA and flies the flag of Malta.
The yacht’s exterior styling blends the grace of a classic sailing yacht with the presence, and authority of a motor yacht. Because of her hull shape, which is loosely based on classic Mediterranean lines and features a massive counter stern, she contains an interior layout comparable to a motor yacht of considerably greater length.
This is where she departs from her better known international motor sailing counterparts, in that she will offer a spacious and indoor/ outdoor dining area in the aft section, a main salon and dining room with floor to ceiling windows to give panoramic views of the sea, a full beam upper deck sky lounge and bar for those more intimate private times. The main deck owner’s suite offers over 35 square metres of space and features a separate office, his and hers bathrooms and walk-in wardrobes.
On the lower deck, the voluminous hull allows for three king-size VIP and two twin guest cabins, all in all giving her a total guest capacity of twelve. The style of her interior, like her exterior, fuses traditional style with the contemporary, using cherry, poplar burl and onyx with marble mosaics, modern fittings, accessories and home grown Turkish materials. The hull features port and starboard hydraulic fold down sea platforms and the special keel design and ballasting is designed to provide significantly superior stability both under sail and at anchor, a benefit additionally enhanced by her broad beam.
Photographs of lifeboats dating from the turn of the 20th Century are the centrepiece of a new RNLI exhibition that
The vehicle carrier Makassar Highway, 17,735gt, of the Japanese company K Line, ran aground off the Swedish coast on the
The trailing suction hopper dredger UKD Orca, 3,087gt, of UK Dredging, of Cardiff, arrived at Ipswich in August for its
The next generation of port technologies that will help to keep the British industry trading are being jointly developed by
One of the largest barges ever handled at Lowestoft was safely moved out of the port early in July on
The first offshore cleaning system was to be installed last month in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch located halfway between
At the end of July, the new container/roll on-roll off cargo ship El Coqui, 36,796gt, of the Crowley Maritime Corp,
This month, a new floating clean-up system to tackle what is known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch was due
On Oct 1, the Panama Canal Authority will lift its daylight and encounter bans on LNG vessels to offer more
China is the world’s leading international shipping nation, according to a new report presented at a Hamburg trade fair on
The proposed joint demonstration project by four Japanese organisations relating to the safety of vessels’ auto berthing and un-berthing has
A new record for crossing the Northern Sea Route was set up in July by the icebreaking LNG carrier Christophe
The South Korean company Shinil Group said it has found the wreck of a Russian cruiser that was sunk 113
British News The assault ship HMS Albion, at time of writing, had just completed a five day visit to Tokyo
British News The latest survey vessel to join the Royal Navy was commissioned into service at her homeport of Devonport
British News The first four of Britain’s next generation F-35 Lightning supersonic fighter jets touched down in the United Kingdom
Russian News
Russia’s only aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, will be refitted to prolong the warship’s operational life.
British News Ahead of the American led missile strikes against suspected chemical weapon manufacturing plants in Syria in early April,
A country well used to tragedy, saw another, on Lake Victoria in September.
In response to growing market demand, Stena Line has upped freight capacity on the popular Belfast – Liverpool route.
Brittany Ferries has celebrated the second milestone in the build of its next ship Honfleur with the keeling laying - the
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley has announced that the Incat 91 wave piercing catamaran Incat 046, otherwise known
On the north east coast of England, it was Sunderland’s proud claim that more ships had been built here than
At the end of May, a Tall Ships fleet met at Liverpool.
The organisers of the charter barges working from Ipswich are worried by plans to build a road bridge across the
Two German schooners based at Hamburg are regularly making voyages under sail with general cargoes across the Atlantic.
Thanks to Orkney Image Library for this view of the RFA Pearleaf.
A recent addition to my book collection is Sea Change, a commentary on the battle for the Falkland Islands and
I was interested to learn that Marine engineering specialist SeaKing has recently completed extensive upgrade work on three shortsea ferries
In my ‘Message From the Bridge’ in August’s edition of Sea Breezes, I mentioned the burgeoning cruise market in the
In my Message From The Bridge in the August edition of Sea Breezes I highlighted the Firth of Forth.
In the past I have been fortunate in that I have been on a cruise to a number of the
An exciting opportunity for an owner looking to build one of the finest explorer yacht projects available has presented itself.
A keel-laying ceremony was held on June 20 2017 for Hanseatic Nature, the first of two expedition cruise ships being
Loved and hated in equal measure by those who exhibit at the Cannes Yachting Festival, as it is correctly known,
