"Malahne" is all that the new mega yachts are not - a harmonious, unobtrusive and immediately recognizable luxury boat for relaxed enjoyment on the sea, for those who can afford it, or are able to "unload" 154,000 GBP, which is the weekly rent of this luxurious boat.
Elegant, classical hull lines and the added construction of "Malahne" (or its "shipshape" layout of the yacht, as it is said by the English), reveals that the old-timer was constructed and built at a time when the yachts were indeed ships, not floating fun and entertainment parks such as most modern superyachts.
The "Malahne" has a long and rich history because it has 81 years of navigation on the world's seas. This yacht was built in 1937, by the famous British specialized yacht design bureau and the shipyard "Camper & Nicholson". A luxurious yacht designed and decorated in the so-called "art deco" style, as it prevailed in the 30s, was commissioned by a wealthy British businessman and sailor, William Lorens Stevens.
The yacht that is now rocking the waves at the pier in Porto Montenegro has a layered past in which it has changed several owners and has had different names. The "Malahne", after the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, mobilized in the British war fleet, received the prefix HMS (His Majesty's Ship) carried by all British warships. In 1940, before the capitulation of France, the "Malahne" was part of the fleet that the British sent over La Manche to the French coast at Dunkirk in the Dinamo operation, evacuating hundreds of thousands of British, French and Belgium troops surrounded by Germans.
As a living witness of its role in the operation, it still has the "Dunkirk Jack" on its flagpole - a blaze of civilian ships that have participated in this, one of the greatest military evacuations in history. By the end of the 1945 war, the "Malahne" continued tmilitary service, this time in Scotland as a school boat for British seaplane crews.
“Malahne” as a military ship in the Second World War
"Malahne" also has a layered connection with the film industry since this yacht was bought by the famous Hollywood movie producer Sam Spiegel at the beginning of the 60s. This triple Oscar winner turned his yacht into the footsteps of the movie jumper set, and the "Malahne" served as a logistics ship in the Persian Gulf, the headquarters of the production, during the recording of Spiegel's big hit – "Lawrence of Arabia". The well-known producer cruised with his famous yachts in the following years with many well-known actresses and singers, so "Malahne" sailed with Frank Sinatra, Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Jack Nicholson... On this yacht, in 1973, they also recorded the scenes from the film "The Last of Sheila" with Raquel Welch and James Mason in the main roles. The famous movie yacht in 1983 was bought by a Saudi sheriff, who, unfortunately, completely changed its appearance and interior. The recent "Malahne" from 2009 was bought by the British nautical entrepreneur, Nicholas Edmiston, from the Arabs, and he was able to restore the original glory to the last detail. How successful it is, is witnessed by the award that "Malahne" received in 2016 as the best ever designed restoration project for a classic yacht.
Exceptional luxury for ten passengers
Fifty meters long, 7.9 meters wide and with a 3.4-meter ford, this yacht has a displacement of 475 tons. In six luxuriously equipped cabins, the ship can accommodate up to 10 guests on board who are hosted by 11 crew members. This steel-aluminum yacht at 15 knots speed starts with two "caterpillar" diesel engines. The "Malahne" carries a whole range of smaller vessels and water entertainment equipment as well as diving gear, and the main attraction is its 7.5 m long speedboat made in retro-style mahogany wood.
Text by Sinisa Lukovic, on August 28th, 2018, read more at Vijesti
