A refit for a grand vessel: New masts and a classic look for the ‘Sea Cloud’

Reviva Refit has begun construction of the masts for the four-masted barque ‘Sea Cloud’. The shipyard in Tuzla, Turkey, is manufacturing all four masts entirely from steel and will deliver them to Malta for assembly. The square-rigged sailing ship has been operating as a cruise ship since 1979 for the shipping company of the same name, with which YACHT has a Readers’ trip organised as part of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez.

​Restoring it to its former glory

The new masts are part of a major refit that Palumbo Superyachts is currently undertaking in Malta. The 110-metre-long ‘Sea Cloud’ arrived at the refit yard in November 2025, also for a complete modernisation of all engines and technical systems – including new main engines and generators that comply with current environmental standards. Above all, however, the superstructure, rigging and deck layout are being restored true to the original 1930s style.

​The ‘Sea Cloud’ carries 29 sails on four masts. Three are rigged as square-rigged sails, whilst the rearmost is a gaff-rigged sail. The sail area is approximately 3,000 square metres. The steel hull is 109.5 metres long, 14.99 metres wide and has a draught of 5.13 metres. The masts rise up to 56 metres above the deck.

The eventful history of the ‘Sea Cloud’

​The four-masted barque was built at the Germania shipyard in Kiel to designs by Cox & Stevens of New York – with a black hull. The American financier Edward F. Hutton and his wife Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the General Foods empire, took delivery of her in 1931 as the ‘Hussar V’. Merriweather Post furnished the ship with eccentric opulence, ranging from golden swan-neck taps to hand-picked antiques. Following their divorce, the yacht served as a floating diplomatic palace in Leningrad under her new husband, the US Ambassador Joseph Davies. During the Second World War, the couple made the vessel available to the US Coast Guard – for a symbolic dollar. As the IX-99, she patrolled the Atlantic and was one of the first ships to have African-American officers on board.

Following extensive restoration, Marjorie sold the yacht in 1955 to the Dominican dictator Trujillo, who renamed her ‘Angelita’. Following his assassination in 1961, the vessel changed hands several times, fell into disrepair for years in the port of Colón under the tropical heat, and was paralysed by a dispute between owners. In 1978, the Hamburg-based captain Hartmut Paschburg rescued the wreck together with a group of Hamburg merchants: He brought the yacht across the Atlantic, had it thoroughly overhauled at the Howaldtswerke shipyard in Kiel – the successor to the original builder – and christened it once again with its old name.

The choice of material determines behaviour

The new masts are being constructed from steel, just like the original design from 1931; for a ship of this age, this is not a matter of style. Steel determines the behaviour under load, the inspection procedures throughout the service life and adherence to the original design. According to the Turkish shipyard, the material makes the work considerably more difficult. Heavier cross-sections require stricter control of welding distortions. Alignment demands significantly greater precision than with modern aluminium masts or composite profiles.

​​​Four masts for the ‘Sea Cloud’

Reviva Refit rolls the conical steel sections from certified sheet metal at its workshop in Tuzla. Qualified welders shape and join the parts together in accordance with the drawings. Each part is dimensionally checked and test-assembled in the workshop before it leaves for Turkey. The welds undergo non-destructive testing in accordance with a set plan. Every ‘Sea Cloud’ mast is given a coating system suitable for maritime operation and the forthcoming sea transport.

Dimensional checks are carried out alongside production. A trial assembly in the workshop shows whether all the connections fit. Only then does the shipyard authorise the parts for transport. The production of mast fittings includes straps, eyes and reinforcements.

Rare expertise required

Few shipyards worldwide build complete square-rigged vessels in steel. Commissions for ships with this history are even rarer. Reviva Refit regards this project as one of the most significant in the company’s history. The shipyard has around 40,000 square metres of floor space in Tuzla, with additional capacity in Didim, Aykın and Kıyı Istanbul. More than 250 skilled workers are employed there, working on motor and sailing yachts up to 130 metres in length.

The work is carried out in accordance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018. RINA, Lloyd’s Register, DNV and Türk Loydu oversee the classification work. Reviva was established in June 2024 as a dedicated refit and service brand of Mengi Yay. The group has been carrying out refit work since 2015.

Technical Specifications for the ‘Sea Cloud’

• Overall length: 109.5 m
• Width: 14.99 m
• Draught: 5.13 m
• Rigging: 4 masts, three square-rigged, the aftmost gaff-rigged
• Sails: 29 sails, approx. 3,000 m² of sail area
• Mast height: approx. 56 m above deck
• ​Shipyard: Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft, Kiel, Germany
• Year of manufacture: 1931
• Original name: ‘Hussar V’
• Design: Cox & Stevens, New York
• Type: Four-masted barque, steel hull
• Flag: Malta
• Home port: Valletta
• Classification: DNV
• Mast construction: Reviva Refit, Tuzla, Istanbul, 2026
• Refit yard: Palumbo Superyachts, Malta