New yachts naturally attract a lot of attention. However, several megayachts making the rounds of the world’s oceans merit equal, if not more, attention. Why? They’re the oldest yachts in the world. Thankfully, in the case of the six yachts on the following list, age doesn’t mean “aged.” Indeed, despite their hulls having seen dozens of decades, these six superyachts are in Bristol condition. They also exude the grace and style of their eras, both inside and out.
El Primero, Built in 1893
El Primero was the first steam yacht built on the U.S. West Coast, with construction taking place in San Francisco at Union Iron Works. Featuring an iron hull, she is the oldest power superyacht in the world. Though she launched with a steam engine, plus auxiliary sails in case that engine failed, she underwent a repower with diesels in the 1960s. Her present is just as remarkable as her long, storied past. Early owners entertained four U.S. Presidents, from Howard Taft to Herbert Hoover, on her decks. Fun fact: Her second owner lost her in a poker game to her third owner. Thankfully, though, that third owner used her for about five decades. El Primero remains an American-owned yacht today, in the hands of a home builder from Portland, Oregon.
Madiz, Built in 1902
Madiz (pictured) is the oldest yacht with either a steel or iron hull to still have Lloyds classification. Ailsa Shipbuilding in Scotland constructed her, to a design by G.L. Watson & Co. Imagine if her bulkheads could talk. She was a purely pleasure yacht from delivery to 1914, when she was put into service as a patrol boat during World War I. She did the same in World War II, then returned to private usage. Her current owner had her undergo a rigorous three-year refit starting in 2003 to bring her back to Lloyds classification, as a previous owner had let it lapse. Amazingly, much of the original woodwork was salvageable. This includes teak decking and interior paneling such as the Cuban mahogany used in the master staterooms and the oak used in saloons and other gathering areas. Madiz spends time these days in Greece.
Delphine, Built in 1921
Horace Dodge, of the famous automobile family of the same name, commissioned Delphine from the now-defunct Great Lakes Engineering Works. Delphine, sharing her name with Dodge’s only daughter, hosted many a cocktail party and viewing party for the speedboat races in which Dodge’s son participated. Despite a horrific fire in 1926 sinking her, Delphine was salvaged and restored. Like Madiz (and pretty much every other yacht of the early 20th century), she, too, saw wartime service. She later served stints as a training ship. From 1998 to 2003, she underwent a thorough refit, since plans under previous owners never came to fruition. Today, Delphine spends time in Monaco, hosting day and weekly charters.
Haida G, Built in 1929
Launched as Haida for American millionaire Max Fleischmann, Haida G crossed from Germany to New York as her maiden voyage. She continued on to California, remaining Fleischmann’s until 1940. She served the Navy for military duty, still on the West Coast. At the war’s end, Haida returned to pleasurecraft status, rechristened Sarina and cruising in Egypt, then the South of France. Further owners followed through the 1960s, including music and movie producer Robert Stigwood, who regularly entertained celebrities onboard. Another subsequent famous owner: the late Andreas Liveras, owner of the charter firm Liveras Yachts. He named her Rosenkavalier. Finally, in 1999, her current owner acquired her and gave her the name she bears today, as a tribute to her origins. While the yacht had been maintained, she still needed quite a bit of work due to her age. Haida G now cruises and charters regularly, with her original engines.
Talitha, Built in 1929
Named for the wife of J.P. Getty, Talitha started life as Reveler. She was built in Germany at Frederich Krupp Germania Werft, to a design by the famed Cox & Stevens. While she’s had several different owners, she’s perhaps most famous for belonging to two particular people/families. There’s the Getty family, of course, which still owns her, but there’s also Robert Stigwood (mentioned above), who christened her Jezebel in 1983. In fact, Stigwood had the yacht restored to her original lines. (When she served as a gun boat during World War II, her beautiful bowsprit was removed, and subsequent refits failed, for whatever reason, to restore it.) These days, Talitha is among the most popular charter yachts.
Nahlin, Built in 1930
Despite numerous early-20th-century yachts seeing war service, Nahlin is an exception. She escaped service because of odd circumstances. King Carol of Romania acquired her in 1937, but he stepped down two years later and left the yacht, unused, along the Danube, even though World War II was already underway. The yacht remained there for decades, in fact, until at some point she became a dockside restaurant. The restaurant went out of business, and Nahlin deteriorated. Thankfully in 1988 William Collier, a yachtsman fond of classics, decided to acquire her. It took 11 years, but Nahlin was finally towed out of Romania. Collier enlisted her original designer, G. L. Watson & Co., to oversee her restoration. More than a decade of redesign, re-engineering, and reconstruction ensued… until at long last, in 2010, Nahlin was back in business.
Jordan Waugh
You seem to have forgotten “Haida G”
http://www.haida-g.com/
Diane M. Byrne
Apologies! The story is amended.
hossam shahin
the oldest yacht in the world located Alexandria Egypt
it was built at 1865 and stil runing toll now > thie yacht the first ship crossing Swiss channel with king Esmaeel and queen ojenee
if you want i can send the photo of this yacht
Rick Anderson
The oldest working motor yacht is the 1893 El Primero.
Owned now by my brother . We just took it from Portland Ore to Eureka , Ca .
I am on it now
hossam shahin
1863 is Khedive Ismail Wali Egypt built yacht In Chehribral in 1865 completed a constructive company Samoda and headquartered in London, capital of Britain and sailed the yacht for the first time in August 1865 of the Port of London on the banks of the River Thames England to the port of Alexandria in Egypt.
The dimensions of the yacht as constructive: length 411 feet and width 42 feet and load 3417 tons steam engine works briquette fuel tori-based side at a speed of about 16 knots per hour, and was adorned Mdkhntan addition to eight aircraft guns Armstrong for protection from any maritime raid
[ edit ] the most important tripsIn 1867 used in the transfer of the campaign yacht sent to quell the revolution Crete
In 1868 sailed by Khedive Ismail to attend the exhibitions held in Paris,
In 1869 sailed by the Khedive Ismail to the French port of Marseille to call the kings and princes of Europe the world to attend the ceremony for the opening of the Suez Canal.
In 1869 was the first to cross the yacht at the opening of the Suez Canal and was carrying a group of kings and princes of Europe, such as Prince and Princess of the Netherlands, Germany Crown Prince Frederick, Empress Eugenie Empress of France. The Emperor of Austria Francois Joseph.
In 1879 sailed by Khedive Ismail Pasha after isolating it from the rule of Egypt by his son Khedive Tawfiq Pasha to the port of Naples in Italy.
In 1899 he sailed the yacht from Alexandria to Port Said to celebrate the unveiling of the statue of de Lesseps
In 1914 sailed the yacht Head Lice Khedive Abbas Helmi II into exile Balastana Turkey
In 1939 came on board, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah of Iran is heading to Egypt to tied the knot on Princess Fawzia sister majesty King Farouk I of Egypt and Sudan
1946 sailed the yacht orders of His Majesty King Farouk I of Egypt and Sudan to the port of Jeddah to sail on board His Majesty King Abdul Aziz Al Saud, King of Saudi Arabia to the Egyptian port of Port Fouad in His Majesty’s visit to Egypt on 01/06/1946 the yacht where he returned to the port of Jeddah in 25-1 -1946 after the King’s visit to Egypt.
July 26, 1952, left the majesty King Farouk I of Egypt and Sudan to self-imposed exile in Italy after the abdication of the throne of Egypt and Sudan after the movement of the Egyptian army in 23/07/1952; His Majesty intends to keep it with him but was turned down by the Egyptian authorities and then
[ edit ] the most important modifications in the design and shape of the yachtIn 1872 to increase the length of the yacht to 40 feet
In 1894 was change its boilers
1905 amended the exterior where the system has been removed tori side to be replaced by a system of propellers and provided the steam turbines speech.
In 1912 provided the connection means a telegraph
1919 is the fuel system of coal to fuel and diesel fuel and prolong the structure of the yacht 27 feet from his face stern English port of Port Tmut
In 1949 was the development and modification marine yacht arsenal (Ansaldo) at Port «Italian Aspiza.
Yacht participated in the second opening of the Suez Canal in June 1975 during the War of October 1973 and on the board of the late President / Mohamed Anwar Sadat ..
In 1976 yacht sailed a distance of 12700 nautical miles to the United States of America to celebrate the 200th anniversary of America’s independence
[ edit ] yacht designMahrousa consists of five floors and they are:
Downstairs includes machinery, boilers and fuel tanks
Main floor living rooms, kitchens, warehouses, wing winter, and Hall
Add to Pharaonic Suite princes and princesses
Upstairs the first includes Introduction yacht, anchorage, winches, dining hall, smoking lounge
Upstairs second surface artillery, winter and summer garden, summer and lounge wing blue
Third floor walkway and floating yacht contains four lifts including private elevator private wing. The special car garage King royal red.
[ edit ] Current Place RsuhUse yacht Mahrousa a time in the training of Egyptian navy after 1952 and used by President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat and moored yacht is currently off the coast Palace Ras El-Teen royal city of Alexandria where amended name yacht officially by the Egyptian government after 1952 to name a yacht “Freedom” But he still mentions realistically smiling and popular Royal and Ancient, a yacht “probation” in 2000 ordered former President / Mohamed Hosni Mubarak to retrieve the yacht to its original name of the yacht (Nude)
Retrieved from ” http://ar.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title = Mahrousa _ (yacht) & oldid = 8221217 “
Diane M. Byrne
Due to being used as a naval training vessel, we did not include her.
Jim
Zephyr was launch in Port Adelaide, Australia 1873 as a gentleman’s racer and cruiser and is still sailing. She is only 45 foot on deck, 12 feet wide but older than the boats in the article.
She was built of Huon pine.
Diane M. Byrne
Zephyr does not qualify for this list due to her length, but thanks for sharing the statistics about her.
Ann
You talk about old mega or super yachts being the “oldest yachts”, but you seem to mean “oldest mega / super yachts” (and then the question comes to how you define a “mega / super yacht”). There are older *yachts*, even older luxurious sailing yachts such as Amphitrite (1887) still going strong…
Diane M. Byrne
Amphitrite is indeed a grand old lady, but since she is a ship that conducts educational voyages and is not a private yacht, she does not qualify for our list.
Richard Woods
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Primero
currently being refitted in Port Townsend Wa USA
Christian Lint
Yes indeed ..What about her? El Primero built in 1893 and beginning her “return home to San Francisco”!this coming summer is concidersbly older ?I own the El Primeto and would like to return her to Ssn Francisco this coming summer. Please let me know if you can help me find a berth for her? Perhaps in front of the old machine shop I believe is still there snd built in 1892 a year before El Primerobefore
Eas Tchacos
You are talking about old grand ladies like el Mahroussa but her little sibling ” faker el Behar ” is rarely mentioned although she still apparently exists under the name of
” Entessar ” or Victory ,
If anybody has information on her specifications or pictures I would appreciate hearing from .
I do remember her when I was a young boy in Alexandria port , and I did admire her for being a smaller royal vessel much used by Avdel Hakim Amer the Vice President ( for a short while before being executed ) by the regime at the time , he used to take her on fishing trips to,the Red Sea .
Meredith Hardy Penelope
Does anyone know where Siesta is now. Knew her in The Red Sea in the 1950s. Port. Said , Suez. Used as a private British Army yacht .
Simon Costain
The world’s oldest yacht is The Peggy of Castletown built in 1789
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_of_Castletown
Diane M. Byrne
Our list includes only superyachts. The yacht you reference is far smaller. Regardless, it’s great to see such a classic still around!
Diane
Any info on m/v Time?
Diane M. Byrne
The motoryacht Time was built in 1987, not nearly as old as these. She’s set to become an artificial reef this summer, a first for a superyacht.
David Robinson
Diane
You missed even an older yacht that is still around built in 1863,
El Mahrousa (Arabic: المحروسة, literally “The Protected”), officially renamed for a period of time as El Horreya (Arabic: الحرية, “Freedom”), is a super yacht that serves as Egypt’s presidential yacht, and previously served as the country’s royal yacht. She was built by the British ship building firm Samuda Brothers in 1863 to the order of Egyptian Khedive Ismail Pasha and was handed over to its crew two years later.
El Mahrousa underwent a number of important alterations during its years of service, including the replacement of her paddle wheel engines by turbine driven propellers in 1905; the installation of a wireless telegraph in 1912 and a diesel-fueled system in 1919; as well as multiple-feet lengthenings throughout that period. She also witnessed much of Egypt’s modern history since she was first commissioned in the 19th century up till now. The yacht carried three Egyptian rulers to their exile abroad, namely Khedive Ismail, Khedive Abbas II and King Farouk I, along with the latter’s recently born son, Fuad II, the last ruling members of the Muhammad Ali dynasty. This marked the end of the monarchy in Egypt following the 1952 revolution and the founding of the Republic of Egypt, after which the yacht joined the Egyptian Navy and was renamed El Horreya (English: Liberty).
Diane M. Byrne
Actually, we left that vessel off on purpose. She has been serving primarily as a naval training ship and not a yacht since Mubarak was the president.