MY Shemara is a motor yacht built in 1938 by John I. Thornycroft & Company to the order of Bernard Docker. Between 1939 and 1946 she served in the Royal Navy as HMS Shemara. As of 2015[update], Shemara is owned by Sir Charles Dunstone, and is available for charter. She can carry 12 guests and 16 crew, is 64.09 m (210.3 ft) in length and 9.19 m (30.2 ft) in beam, and has a maximum speed of 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph).[1][2][3]
 Shemara in Venice in 2014
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United Kingdom | |
| Name | MY Shemara |
| Owner | Charles Dunstone |
| Builder | John I. Thornycroft & Company |
| Completed | 1938 |
| Refit | 2010-2014 |
| Identification | IMO number: 8749717 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Motor yacht |
| Length | 64.09 m (210.3 ft) |
| Beam | 9.19 m (30.2 ft) |
| Propulsion | Diesel-electric |
| Speed | 14 kn (26 km/h; 16 mph) |
History
The English industrialist Bernard Docker commissioned John I. Thornycroft & Company to build a yacht to his specifications. The yacht was built at Thornycroft's yard at Woolston, Southampton. She was completed in 1938 and christened MY Shemara.[4][5]
MY Shemara was requisitioned by the Royal Navy at the start of the Second World War in 1939 and used as a training vessel for anti-submarine warfare. It was during a training exercise with HMS Shemara that the submarine HMS Untamed was lost with all her crew. Shemara left Royal Navy service in 1946.[6][7]
Once returned to Docker's ownership, the Shemara became known for lavish parties with guests including King Farouk of Egypt. However in 1965, Docker put her on the market for £600,000, and she was eventually sold to the property developer Harry Hyams for £290,000. Hyams used the Shemara on a number of Mediterranean cruises, but she was largely left laid up in Lowestoft, and was not regularly used between the 1980s and 2010.[8][9]
In 2010 the Shemara was bought by businessman Sir Charles Dunstone, and a project was started to return her to her former glory. In order to achieve this, a new company, Shemara Refit LLP, was created. The refit was completed in 2014, and the yacht now has a contemporary interior while retaining many of her historic original features, including as much of her original steel and teak as possible. The ships machinery was completely replaced with a new Rolls-Royce diesel-electric system comprising five main generators providing power for two electrically driven azimuthing pods and a bow thruster.[1][3][10][11]
Gallery
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HMS Shemara during World War II
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MY Shemara in Southampton in May 2014
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MY Shemara in Venice in October 2014
References
- ^ a b "Shemara Yacht Charters". Edmiston & Company. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ "Shemara". Marine Traffic. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ a b Thomas, Tim (16 January 2015). "Superyacht Shemara: the 65m classic motor yacht is restored to her former glory". Boat International. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ Davenport-Hines, R. P. T. (2004). "11. Birmingham Small Arms 1918–44". Dudley Docker: The Life and Times of a Trade Warrior. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. pp. 231–233. ISBN 978-05-218940-0-5. Retrieved 13 May 2011.
- ^ "Info Page for Motor Yacht Shemara by JI Thornycroft & Co". CharterWorld.com. Charterworld Limited. Archived from the original on 28 June 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Submarine Losses 1904 To Present Day – Page 8". Submarine Losses 1904 to Present Day. Gosport, Hampshire, UK: Royal Navy Submarine Museum. Archived from the original on 13 July 2013. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Helgason, Guðmundur, "HMS Shemara (FY 026)", uboat.net
- ^ Howorth, Michael (September 2011). Linnington, Andrew (ed.). "Vintage vessel set to be saved in rebuild project". Nautilus International Telegraph. 44 (09). St. Albans, Hertfordshire UK: Century One Publishing: 8. ISSN 0040-2575.
After a great deal of legal wrangling, the superyachtpassed to the ownership of reclusive property tycoon Harry Hyams of Oldham Estates for £290,000
- ^ Thompson, Henrietta (23 July 2015). "Studioilse casts off with Shemara motor yacht". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ "Wight Shipyard Co". Wight Shipyard Co. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
- ^ Campbell, Stewart; Bonsor, Sacha (27 July 2015). "On board with Sir Charles Dunstone, owner of classic yacht Shemara". Boat International. Retrieved 25 November 2017.