A 117-year-old British sailing yacht rescued from a Mallorca beach after a winter storm is set to undergo a major restoration following a marine industry-backed rescue effort.
The 20-metre classic yacht Owl broke free from her mooring during a January storm and was driven ashore at Palma Nova on the Spanish island of Mallorca.
Her future appeared bleak when local authorities reportedly gave the owner 48 hours to remove the yacht before it was to be broken up.
The yacht's fortunes changed when superyacht manager Jim Passmore, co-founder of 8 Yachts, spotted Owl on the beach and began organising a complex salvage operation.
"I managed to contact the owner, who explained that with the tourist season starting, he'd been given just 48 hours by the council to come up with a plan – otherwise the diggers would move in and break her up for disposal," Passmore said.
A marine survey carried out by Felix Bussmann found the wooden hull had escaped serious structural damage, allowing the recovery plan to proceed.
The biggest challenge was not removing the yacht from the beach, but finding somewhere suitable to place her afterwards.
Back on Course — Restoration work begins on the 117-year-old sailing yacht Owl at STP Shipyard Palma after the Edwardian classic was rescued from a Mallorca beach earlier this year Photo: Mirka Formanova
"That's where it got complicated," Passmore said. "Step one was to get the boat off the beach. Step two was to keep her afloat. Step three was to get her somewhere she could be lifted out. Step four was successfully doing so, and then step five was finding somewhere to stand her. The problem was, we couldn't do step one until we had a plan for step five."
STP Shipyard Palma agreed to lift Owl from the water, while the President of the Port Authority authorised temporary space alongside to complete the recovery.
The salvage operation required eight specialists, dive boats, flotation equipment, anchors and lifting gear. Although Owl was resting in just 70cm of water, her 2.3-metre draught made the recovery technically demanding.
Having operated as a charter yacht from Port Andratx in recent years, Owl was well known within Mallorca's sailing community.
"The enthusiasm shown by the sailing community in Mallorca has been incredible," Passmore said. "Even more notable is the offer of product, services and financial support to help restore this yacht to her former glory."
The restoration has already attracted significant industry backing.
Coatings manufacturer AkzoNobel carried out a technical assessment before donating a complete International® coatings system to protect the yacht above and below the waterline. Restoration work is now underway at STP Shipyard Palma before Owl moves to Pendennis Vilanova for restoration of her interior varnish finishes.
A Rare Edwardian Survivor
Designed by Frederick Shepherd and built by the White Brothers of Southampton, Owl is regarded as one of the last surviving sailing yachts from the Edwardian era of British yachting.
During her 117-year history she has survived two world wars, crossed the Atlantic, raced extensively and was even stolen, later reappearing in New Caledonia without her mast.
Future Still to Be Secured
Passmore says discussions are continuing to secure Owl's long-term future.
Options include finding a new owner willing to complete the restoration or assembling a partnership of marine industry supporters and private backers to preserve the yacht for future generations.
