Feel the spirit
It’s only halfway through, but the major refit of the classic 58.8-metre superyacht Marala has already uncovered a hidden gem. “We removed the carpet in the saloon and we found this beautiful old fir flooring,” says her captain, Chris Lawrence. “We’ve been told that the wood was 200 years old when the tree was cut down, and it’s been on board for 90 years.” With a beautiful patina, the timber is being split (to reduce weight and make it go further) and re-laid throughout the main deck and owner’s cabin. This is a project where the aim is to feel the original yacht, right down to the soles of your feet – because Marala is a very special boat.
Commissioned by car and aircraft manufacturer Montague Napier, who died before her 1931 launch by Camper & Nicholsons, was bought by Charles Fairey, another aircraft-maker, who loaned her to the military for the Second World War. “She went to Gibraltar, where one of the depth charges she dropped disabled a German U-boat, which surrendered a day and a half later,” says Captain Lawrence. The U-boat captain said they hadn’t picked her up on their sonar because she was so quiet – a happened to have the same German MAN engines).
