Nahlin moored in Dartmouth, Devon 17 July 2010 |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Nahlin |
| Builder: | John Brown & Co |
| Launched: | 1930 |
| Status: | Currently in service |
| Naval Architect: | G.L. Watson & Co. |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | Charter Yacht |
| Tonnage: | 1,574 metric tons (deadweight tonnage) |
| Displacement: | 2,017 metric tons (maximum) |
| Length: | 91.4 m (300 ft) |
| Beam: | 10.98 m (36.0 ft) |
| Draft: | 4.42 m (14.5 ft) |
| Propulsion: | 2 x 200 hp |
| Speed: | 17.4 knots (32 km/h) (maximum) 16.1 knots (30 km/h) (cruising) |
Nahlin is a yacht previously owned by the Romanian Royal Family. Nahlin is one of the last of three large steam yachts constructed in the UK. She was built for Lady Annie Henrietta Yule, heiress of Sir David Yule, was launched in 1930.
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Lady Yule ordered three small private cruise ships in 1929 from John Brown & Company, Clydebank with Nahlin being the first built. In 1934 Nahlin was classified as one of the biggest private cruise yachts ever built in the U.K. In 1936 Nahlin was chartered by King Edward VIII and used by him and Mrs. Wallis Simpson during their love affair. The yacht was bought in 1937 by King Carol of Romania for £120,000 and renamed Luceafarul,[1] and later Libertatea.
She was owned by the Romanian Ministry of Culture under order no. 3041, and in service as a charter yacht, a sailing museum of yacht building and development as well as a floating restaurant on the river Danube.
After the Romanian revolution the yacht was sold to "Regal" S.A. - a privatised company based in Galati, Romania which, in her turn, sold it in unclear circumstances in 1999 for as little as 250.000 USD to EDMINSTON Comp. a British based company. Despite the ship, named at that time "Libertatea", was categorised as a Romanian national treasure by the Ministry of Culture order no.3041/1998, and legally it couldn't be sold to a foreign company and exported from Romania, in 1999 it was issued a temporary export permit under the claims that it needed urgent repairs and the "Even Port Royal" shipyard was the only holder of original plans. The permit expired on the 25th august 2000 - date by which the ship should have been returned fully restored to Romania. Today the ship is registered in the port of Glasgow under her initial name "Nahlin".
The Nahlin is 91.4 m (300 ft) long, and has a beam of 10.98 m (36.0 ft). Her draught is 4.42 m (14.5 ft) and is fitted with a propulsion system providing 2x200 hp, and a maximum speed of 17.1 knots.