United States

Lawley

The 34.15-metre classic American schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1916" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakara34.15m (112'0&quot;)Lawley1913">Sakara</a> has arrived at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4749" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Seven Stars Marina & Shipyard (Company)">Seven Stars Marina &amp; Shipyard</a> ahead of what is due to be a major restoration and salvation project. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/49217" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Storm destroys yachts on Italy’s Ligurian coast (2018-10-31 13:45:00 +0100)">Severely damaged in the highly destructive storm that ripped across the Ligurian coast in October 2018</a>, the 1913 built schooner was pulled from her moorings and ran aground in Rapallo, near Genoa. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270608/image/large-ab0a834a853ae1a2e4d6c649059053c9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270608"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270623/image/large-36b75b4cca97302458f15db664e53cee.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270623">While many of the yachts were even more severely damaged in the 2018 storm, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1916" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakara34.15m (112'0&quot;)Lawley1913">Sakara</a> has been out of service since the event, but will now undergo a full restoration to return her to her former glory. Photographs from her arrival demonstrate the state of disrepair that she has been in since the storm.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270616/image/large-042fdc0eb00d8dd8f80090c3ed4f7371.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270616"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270614/image/large-875acb10efe0b9327e0022d50b722f02.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270614">Designed by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2939" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="John Beavor-Webb (Company)">John Beavor-Webb</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1916" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakara34.15m (112'0&quot;)Lawley1913">Sakara</a> belongs to the pre-war lineage of American schooners and her builders <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lawley (Company)">Lawley &amp; Sons</a> were famed in the United States for the construction of America's Cup victors Puritan and Mayflower. The two schooners had been respective winners of the Cup in 1885 and 1886 and earned the yard international acclaim for the constriction of light and fast racing yachts. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270611/image/large-2a13de3de1fd81554a47ce39309bd0ea.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270611">Originally launched as a gaff-rigged schooner, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1916" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sakara34.15m (112'0&quot;)Lawley1913">Sakara</a> underwent a number of refits during her century on the water and was at one point modified to a Bermudan rig with modern masts. The yacht, which is built from steel, was originally built for Maximilian Agassiz of Cambridge Massachusetts. Early paintings show the yacht to have had a black hull, rather than the white that she has worn since at least the 1980s. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/270624/image/large-2f2cd07770bd97599c9006d2c89a63ae.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270624"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4749" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Seven Stars Marina & Shipyard (Company)">Seven Stars</a> is due to begin works on the yacht in the coming months. &nbsp;<img src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/270700/image/large-9695e7ac42f13762ad7ecbe80c7d7636.jpg?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&amp;X-Amz-Credential=AKIA52TLVJASOPFTPHWY%2F20230517%2Feu-west-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&amp;X-Amz-Date=20230517T090006Z&amp;X-Amz-Expires=900&amp;X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&amp;X-Amz-Signature=cc91e5d5b47cb84a6b1973f0be326e5c2be2a2975b0f07bd7950bb39bd2878ce" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/270700">

Classic schooner Sakara to undergo restoration

The 34m classic American schooner Sakara has arrived at Seven Stars ahead of a major restoration following storm damage in 2018.

Classic 34m schooner Sakara arrives at Seven Stars ahead of major restoration

SuperYacht Times’ in-house yacht historian Malcolm Wood looks at the story of a 1930 US-built classic that was once a well-known charter yacht.&nbsp;Shogun was one of a number of large American-built motor yachts of 100 feet (30.48-metres) and the last to enter service in 1930 following the US stock market crash of 1929. This particular yacht was built by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lawley (Company)">George Lawley &amp; Sons</a> of Neponset MA to a design by Tams Inc. for the New York-based owner A.C. Murphy.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/118586/image/large-e9e84b8a1ad9bf9f1b99be72c239a998.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/118586">Her overall length was 133.0 feet (40.54-metres) with a beam of 22.0 feet (6.71-metres) and a draught of 8.5 metres (2.59-metres). Her hull was constructed from 12mm steel rivetted on steel frames with a steel and mahogany superstructure and teak-laid decks.Shogun was originally powered by twin six-cylinder Winton diesels developing 750 hp each. In 1969 these were replaced by twin V-16 cylinder <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1474" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="General Motors (Company)">General Motors</a> diesels that provided the yacht with a top speed of 15.5 knots and a cruising speed of 14 knots. Her range was 2,600 nautical miles at cruising speed.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/118587/image/large-266fcd04bbb53bf1b8274fbcd5d9e9b5.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/118587">Accommodation was provided for 11 guests in four double staterooms and one triple, each with its own private bathroom. Crew accommodation forward was for nine with a captain’s double cabin located aft of the bridge.Shogun spent her early years on the Great Lakes and was rumoured to be owned by Henry Ford in the early 1930s, but it is more likely that he leased or chartered Shogun rather than owning her. Shogun was sold in 1934 to Mrs Joseph F. Moran of Florida and renamed Naroma.The yacht would then change hands again a couple of times prior to World War II. Mrs Moran sold Naroma in 1935 to Alfred Cohen of New York who registered the yacht as Centaur owned by Centaur Inc.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/118585/image/large-93dc2e3cd6cf773bb10ca4cdf6b91797.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/118585">Cohen, however, only kept her for just over a year prior to selling the vessel to A.O.R. Baldridge, who was also from New York. Baldridge was an established owner of large yachts and he renamed the yacht Cleopatra.The next event in the yacht’s life came when the Canadian Government commissioned her as HMCS Moose in 1940 and she was put to use as an armed yacht run by the Canadian Navy.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/118584/image/large-290ee0d1d83cecc07f1188429e6f41ec.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/118584">Decommissioned in 1945 following the cessation of hostilities, the yacht was sold in 1946 to Marine Industries Ltd. of Sorel PQ, Canada (owner Joseph Simard) and renamed Fraternitie. A period of stability followed before she was sold to an American buyer (W.E. Pennick) in 1956.&nbsp;Now under the name of Ottelia, the vessel would be sold to a further two Americans under the same name before being acquired by Samuel Johannanoff who renamed her Eretria. Jean-Paul Papanicolaou was also believed to have owned the yacht in the early 1970s and the American Bennett S. LeBow owned her as Candida prior to having his new yacht delivered from the UK.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/96431/image/large-b131156fb15107fd5118ebf5a9516d24.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/96431">In her later years as a successful charter yacht, she operated in the Mediterranean and was known as Candida A. Around 15 years ago, she was sold to a South African casino operator and sailed to Durban to undergo a restoration and rebuild (the yacht had previously undergone major refits in 1968 and 1974).Although a substantial amount of work had been undertaken on the superstructure up to last year, it was reported in 2019 by SuperYacht Times that <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4990" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Uthingo40.54m (133'0&quot;)Lawley1930">Uthingo</a> had sunk at her mooring with the cause yet to be reported. Sadly, another yacht with an interesting history appears to be no more.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/the-superyacht-times-subscription" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title=""><img src="/uploads/store/photo/55401/image/large-6524e9c9dfc37e22bf131ecc39bea57e.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/55401"></a>This article was first featured in The SuperYacht Times newspaper. <a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/the-superyacht-times-subscription">Subscribe</a> now to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.&nbsp;

Explore the history of the classic 1930 built yacht Shogun

Take a trip down memory lane with Malcolm Wood and discover the story of a 1930s US-built classic which was once a well known charter yacht.

The history of the all-American motor yacht Shogun

SuperYacht Times’ in-house yacht historian Malcolm Wood remembers the largest yachts built in the United States over the last two centuries;Following the <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show - 2019">FLIBS event last month</a>, I thought it would be a good time to take a brief look at the largest yachts constructed in the USA from the 19th century to the modern era of the superyacht. It is important not to forget that the advent of satellite communications in the 1970s signalled the emergence of the modern superyacht market as we know it today.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/101042/image/large-564ad09d952dcb620697fb8bb5865bc4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/101042"> Although production of large yachts (150 feet, or 45.72 metres, and over) in the USA commenced with the launch of the 84.1-metre North Star&nbsp;steam yacht built by Simonson, (Greenport, NY) in 1852 and followed by the 76.2-metre Voyageur de la Mer by Holden &amp; Gallagher (East Boston, MA) in 1858, it was not until the 1880s that we saw an increase in the numbers delivered. &nbsp;Let’s take a look at some basic statistics before we go further.The number of yachts of 150 ft (45.72 metres) and over delivered in the period 1850 to 1899 was 62 units and from 1900 to 1939 it was 112 units. It was during the period of World War I and following the Wall Street Crash in 1929 until the start of World War II in 1939 that the numbers of large yachts delivered decreased significantly.&nbsp;In the post-war period from 1945 to 1980, only a handful of vessels were completed including a number of World War II conversions of former naval craft. However, from 1980 until the end of the 20th century, there was the start of an upturn in numbers with the establishment of several new yards. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/105208/image/large-10175fddb7c8234e0e4f25c96ebed3ac.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/105208">Turning now to the all-time largest American yachts: 10. &nbsp; &nbsp;Viking&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1929 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;82.9m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Newport News SBBuilt for George F. Baker Jr as the first turbo-electric powered yacht. She later came under the ownership of Norman B. Woolworth as Noparo but became a war loss in 1944. 9. &nbsp; &nbsp;North Star&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1852 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;84.1m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;SimonsonBuilt for Cornelius Vanderbilt, North Star&nbsp;was the first very large yacht built in the USA. Converted to a passenger vessel in 1854. She was renamed Three Brothers&nbsp;in 1866 and later became a coal hulk at New London, Connecticut. 8. &nbsp; &nbsp;Caroline II&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1931 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;85.0m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/900" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bath Iron Works (Company)">Bath Iron Works</a>Built for Eldridge H. Johnson as the second vessel of this name, the first was a 52.1-metre constructed by Lawley in 1926. She was later known as Moana&nbsp;and Hilo in 1941, before being broken up in 1958. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/5868/image/large-aec07aa2d51592990f8c0cfe54f785db.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/5868"> 7. &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/28" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aquila85.6m (280'10&quot;)Derecktor Shipyards2010">Aquila</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;2010 &nbsp; &nbsp;85.6m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/36" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Derecktor Shipyards (Company)">&nbsp;Derecktor Shipyards</a><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/28" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aquila85.6m (280'10&quot;)Derecktor Shipyards2010">Aquila</a> is by a wide margin the largest purpose-built yacht from a United States shipyard in recent history, not only by length but also by volume, as she measures 2,998 gross tons (GT). She was completed as Cakewalk and sold to her current owners and renamed<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/28" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aquila85.6m (280'10&quot;)Derecktor Shipyards2010">&nbsp;Aquila&nbsp;</a>in 2014. Her exterior was designed by the renowned British designer,<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tim Heywood Design Ltd. (Company)">&nbsp;Tim Heywood.</a><img src="/uploads/store/photo/5875/image/large-ee5691e873087622128d57e2350817e9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/5875"> <img src="/uploads/store/photo/7066/image/large-ac4f3d7791f365f693c0e80f06851a58.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/7066"> 6. &nbsp; &nbsp;Niagara II&nbsp; &nbsp; 1898 &nbsp; &nbsp;86.0m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Harlan &amp; HollingsworthBuilt for Howard Gould, she became a US naval hydrographic vessel in 1918 and was sold for scrap in 1933.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/105210/image/large-986379ff3eecfd520f90a55db40f2c9b.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/105210"> 5. &nbsp; &nbsp;Alva &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1886 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;86.9m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Harlan &amp; HollingsworthBuilt for William K. Vanderbilt, she sank after a collision in 1892. 4.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Savarona III&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1928 &nbsp; &nbsp;89.6m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Pusey &amp; JonesBuilt for Richard M. Cadwalader Jr. as the third vessel of this name. She was later named Alder and converted to a banana carrier in 1953. She became a total loss in 1961 after springing a leak. 3. &nbsp; &nbsp;Aphrodite&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1898 &nbsp; &nbsp;92.2m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/900" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bath Iron Works (Company)">&nbsp;Bath Iron Works</a>Built for Colonel Oliver H. Payne. She went to the US Navy 1917 and then to Harry Payne Whitney in 1919. Converted to a passenger vessel in 1920, she was bombed and sunk off Patras in 1941. 2. &nbsp; &nbsp;Corsair III &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1899 &nbsp; &nbsp;92.7m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;MarvelBuilt for J. Pierpont Morgan Sr. She was the third of four Corsairs completed for the Morgan family. Became the US survey ship Oceanographer in 1930 and was broken up in 1944. 1. &nbsp; &nbsp;Corsair IV&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1930 &nbsp; &nbsp;104.7m &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/900" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bath Iron Works (Company)">Bath Iron Works</a>Built for J. Pierpont Morgan Jr. The largest US-built yacht (measured by length overall). Converted to a passenger cruise ship in 1946 after war service. She was wrecked off Acapulco in 1949.<img src="/uploads/store/photo/105209/image/large-c1d2f59ca320c1328f9a1c2ab9b4afef.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/105209"> NB – apart from&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/28" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aquila85.6m (280'10&quot;)Derecktor Shipyards2010">Aquila,</a> all the above yachts were steam-powered vessels. The largest sailing yachts included the 73.2-metre Bretagne built in 1881 by Malster &amp; Reaney, the 55.1-metre&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2266" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shenandoah of Sark55.08m (180'9&quot;)Townsend & Downey1902">Shenandoah&nbsp;</a>built in 1902 by Townsend &amp; Downey and the 1930-built&nbsp;Black Douglas.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title=""><img src="/uploads/store/photo/55401/image/large-6524e9c9dfc37e22bf131ecc39bea57e.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/55401"></a>&nbsp; This article was first featured in the latest edition of The SuperYacht Times newspaper. <a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/the-superyacht-times-subscription">Subscribe now&nbsp;</a>to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.

A historical perspective on the largest American yachts 

In our latest historical feature, Malcolm Wood examines the largest American yachts ever built. 

Born In The USA: Exploring the largest American-built yachts 

Whilst updating our database of yachts, I came across a yacht I haven't seen or heard from for years, superyacht Uthingo. Built in 1930 in the USA by Lawley, Uthingo measures 40 metres. We found this photo of her, when she served as an armed yacht for the Canadian Navy. <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dr_gorham/6099081547/" title="HMCS Moose by DRGorham, on Flickr"></a>In 2001 she was offered for sale by Fraser Yachts, with an asking price of $ 1,000,000. According to her specs at that time, she accommodated 10-12 guests in 5 staterooms, and she had a range of 5000nm. We heard she was seen around that time in South Africa. Please <a href="mailto:yachts@superyachttimes.com?subject=Info%20about%20Uthingo">contact us</a> if you have any recent or historical information on Uthingo, or if you have any recent photos of her. We will post an update as soon as we know more!

What ever happened to superyacht Uthingo?

<img alt="" src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/126838/image/large-f45051f54aef41b25df7a1e6ad954f78.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/126838">Sakara in Villefranche-sur-MerSakara anchored in the bay of Villefranche-sur-Mer on 19 May 2008. The 34 metre Sakara was built in the United States by Lawley in 1913. The two-masted schooner is owned by a well known Egyptian businessman who uses the yacht privately in the Mediterranean.