First Sherakhan, Now Thuraya
Back in December, I had the pleasure of spending a few days onboard one of my all-time favorite super-size motoryachts: the 228-foot Sherakhan. One morning, as the yacht cruised en route to St. Barth’s, I got a chance to chat in the pilothouse with owner Jan Verkerk, whom I first met at least eight years ago when he owned and operated the 124-foot charter motoryacht Jaguar, and who had since spent several years personally overseeing the rebuild of Sherakhan (which originally launched in 1965).
Jan told me that morning a few months ago that he was quite excited about a new boat project he was about to undertake, one that, like the Sherakhan effort, played to his personal passion for classic yachts of all kinds. Now, he’s ready to reveal the details about Thuraya, the soon-to-be charter yacht shown in the photo above.
Originally built in 1982, this 102-footer needs, as Jan puts it, “a little care” before she will be ready to enter the charter market. He has dispatched Bas Karrel, formerly first mate on Sherakhan, to oversee Thuraya’s refit this summer. The work will include installation of the kinds of things Jan knows charter guests have come to expect even aboard classic yachts, including air conditioning, satellite television, and WiFi capability.
The refit is scheduled to be done in time for the winter 2008/2009 season in the Caribbean, where Thuraya will take eight guests with four to five crew. If she’s even half as successful as Sherakhan, Jan will no doubt be pleased, as the larger yacht is already nearly fully booked for the upcoming Mediterranean season. About half of Sherakhan’s guests are repeat clients, including one who, Jan told me, booked a four-week charter. That’s really saying something, given that Sherakhan’s base rate is about a half-million dollars per week.
Thuraya will join Sherakhan in the Camper & Nicholsons International fleet. Her weekly base rate is yet to be set, but certainly, it will be far less than her big sister’s. To my thinking, it should be a pretty good deal, especially if Thuraya offers the same level of service and quality that exists onboard Sherakhan.
Contact any reputable charter broker to learn more.