PHOTOS: Wioletta Kowalska
It’s one thing to commission a custom yacht that looks as it were from the 1930s. It’s quite another to have that yacht built the same way it would have been 80 years ago, while still incorporating some modern niceties and, of course, modern safety features. This was the challenge put forth by the owner of Taransay to Rossinavi. From the camber of the overheads and decks to the interior design and to the on-deck gear, Rossinavi’s craftspeople did enormous research and overcame learning curves to ensure everything was authentic.
The owner, a lover of classic yachts, had initially sought an older yacht on the brokerage market. He came close a few times, but each deal fell through for various reasons. When his captain recommended building a replica, he learned about a Scottish-built yacht from 1930 called Taransay. Scrapped in 1952, she ticked all the boxes.
To be clear, the modern Taransay does differ somewhat, in terms of modern comforts. Her 128’9” (39.3-meter) LOA allows for some better-configured areas compared to the original design’s 102-foot (31-meter) arrangement. The captain and crew’s quarters particularly benefit. So, too, do the wheelhouse and galley. Since Taransay is intended for some long-range cruising, all of these bigger spaces are sure to be appreciated. Even with all of these, though, every aspect had to be detailed the way it would have been done in the early 20th century. “We had to take a step back before drawing, and thus building, as if to say, ‘Yes, this is what we usually do, that’s our standard, but we can’t do it here, the materials are not appropriate, the line is not in style,’” explains Federico Rossi, head of Rossinavi.
From the selection of Nibral for all deck gear (designed and manufactured in house, too) to the beautiful cambered beams overhead in Taransay’s saloon, period-authentic details resulted from immense research. (Studio Tassin Design was tapped by the owner for the interior design.) Interesting enough, the way the wall paneling had to be made has, by the yard’s own admission, improved the in-house carpentry team’s skills. Artisans in the 1930s did all varnish work by hand. There’s a noticeable difference between that and modern-day spray-gun work. The mahogany and ash aboard Taransay does feature an initial two coats applied via spray guns. But, the layers after that are all brushed on.
Then there’s the funnel. Aboard classic yachts, the funnel provided ventilation for the engine rooms. It does the same on Taransay, but further conceals a small pantry serving the upper deck. More significant, though, it additionally houses the crane to launch the tenders. Rossinavi’s in-house naval architecture department collaborated with the survey and consultancy firm STB Italia to design and engineer it. The funnel and crane were created and assembled in-house at Rossinavi, too. The photo above shows how part of the funnel’s facing flips up to reveal the crane, which rotates out.
Here’s more of Taransay.
Leave a Reply