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 First Impression: Lady Thuraya
Date toured: May 2010
In December 2007, I had the pleasure of spending a few days aboard the 228-foot motoryacht Sherakhan in the Caribbean. The owner, Jan Verkerk, had spent several years bringing the 1965 build back from the dead with a spectacular refit that continues to make Sherakhan one of the most sought-after large yachts on the world’s charter scene.
One sunny morning, as Verkerk and I stood in Sherakhan’s pilothouse, he told me that he had another dream—to sail around the world aboard a “regular-size” yacht. He wanted her to be a renovation project, too, one that put to use all the same lessons he had learned with Sherakhan about making a classic-age yacht ideal for the modern charter market.
And so it was more than two years later that I found myself standing aboard the 101-foot Lubbe Voss sailing yacht Lady Thuraya, a 1982 launch that entered the charter market in Turkey during mid-summer 2009. My tour was about a year after that in Genoa, Italy, where Verkerk was displaying Lady Thuraya for the first time at an industry-only charter boat show.
“She was completely run down,” he told me. “We gutted her, the same as we did with Sherakhan. It took two years of work in Rotterdam. All we kept was her rigging. It’s the only thing that was good.”
 As with Sherakhan, Lady Thuraya retains her overall classic look, but with fabrics and colors that provide a splash of contemporary fashion. The interior woodwork in the main salon was my favorite part of the décor, with interesting patterns in the cabinetry that look almost like a basket weave.
Also as with Sherakhan, Lady Thuraya has all modern systems. There is satellite TV, WiFi for guest use, and similar creature comforts that Verkerk enjoys while aboard his much larger motoryacht. She does 10 knots at maximum speed under sail, Verkerk told me, “but she weighs 19 tons and she is only 30 meters long, so she is nice and slow and stable.”
Lady Thuraya has accommodations that are ideal for two couples with four children. One cabin has a queen-size bed, another has a double-size bed, and two of the cabins have twin-size beds. I thought it noteworthy that one of the showers—placed in what otherwise would be a tight spot—had been sunken more than a foot into the yacht’s sole. “A man standing two meters tall can fit here, no problem,” Verkerk said as he walked inside to show me.
His smile at that moment—while standing fully dressed in a guest-cabin shower—told me everything I need to know about Lady Thuraya. She was renovated with just as much love and care as Sherakhan, and she is being offered for charter in keeping with Verkerk’s longtime attitude that guests should be as comfortable and happy as possible.
Lady Thuraya is part of the charter fleet at Camper and Nicholsons International. She takes eight guests with five crew at a lowest weekly base rate of €35,000. Any reputable charter broker can tell you more or help you book a week onboard.—Kim Kavin |
Shannon Webster is a longtime AYCA member. She books yachts worldwide from 80 to 400 feet long. Email Shannon
Sharon Bahmer is an expert at booking charters in the Americas, from Alaska to Brazil. She's also a member of FYBA and CYBA. E-mail Sharon
Nicole Caulfield is licensed, bonded, and a longtime member of FYBA and AYCA. She brings a unique perspective as a broker, having worked aboard yachts for nearly 10 years. Email Nicole
Trina Howes has 10 years of experience in the charter industry finding great pleasure in creating the best yachting vacations possible. E-mail Trina
Ed Hamilton has worked in every part of the charter industry over the last 37 years and heads one of the largest, most respected charter brokerages.
Liz Howard joined Fraser Yachts as a charter broker in 2002 after more than 15 years in the maritime industry. E-mail Liz.
Beverly Parsons has been chartering since 1969. She is a licensed, bonded broker and a founding member of the professional groups AYCA and CYBA International. Contact Beverly.
