The classic yacht Argosy has been transported on the back of a transport ship to the Weser River for a total overhaul and renovation at a Lemwerder Yard. She is waiting at the little harbour of Brake north of Lemwerder for her slot in the sheds at Lemwerder. A picture from her active days. She was built in 1931 at the Krupp-Germany yard at Kiel for her US customer Charles A. Stone of the US Broker Hayden-Stone. The yacht was designed by Cox & Stevens. After 3 years, she was sold to Sir Thomas Sopwith and renamed Vita. Sopwith had used Vita as a shadow for his sailing yacht Endeavour during the America’s Cup. Other names in her colourfull life were Abril, USS Cythera PY-31 as a military Patrolboat until 1944, later Cythera, Satira, Abril, Ben Hecht, INS Maoz K-24 and finally Santa Maria Del Mare as a ferry in the in the Gulf of Neapel. In 2008 she was rearranged as a Yacht and renamed Rossy One. Since 2020 she was layed up and now brought to the Weser river for renovation at Lemwerder. I am looking forward to her total renovation to an as new standard. I will keep You informed about her progress. A classic masterpiece with a real colourfull history, especially during WW II and during her involvement in the building of the state of Israel (Exodus). Krupp Steel really survives . HTMO9
Was the transport ship a float on/off type? If not, that's a lot of old steel and weight to strap and lift by crane. Do you have any idea of the refit plans? She's a great classic hull with beautiful lines. With a proper budget she could sure make a unique yacht.
Float on / off type. She is a 600 ton yacht. I will try to post more pictures, when she is lifted out of the water. You should see her old classic engines. Real masterpieces. The plan is really not a refit plan, it is even more than a complete renewal, she will afterwards look as good as new (At least I hope). I will keep posting pictures.
I've sort of taken this approach at every turn, every new adventure, restoring an old--one-but-good-one. Kudos to the wallet choosing to take this route.
Some more Info on the classic Yacht Argosy Yacht's main dimensions technical characteristics. Please note her big slow turning MAK engines. That is really heavy iron. And the Krupp steel Fe510. Steel like this is not made anymore. Built Krupp Germany in 1931 Rebuilt Completely rebuilt in Italy in 2009 Overall length [m] 71,1 Overall length [m] 70,5 Maximum beam [m] 9,15 Maximum draft [m] 3,14 Fuel capacity [l] 145000 Fresh water capacity [l] 8000 Engines 2 x Mak (8Mu 452Akx) 1323kW@425rpm Reduction gears DAEWOO GWC 4549 Maximum speed [kn] 18 Cruising speed [kn] 13 Range at cruising Sped [nm] 3000 Eco speed [kn] 10 Range at eco. Speed [nm] 3850 Propellers 5 fixed blades Main generators power 1x300kW + 1x370kVA Hull material Steel Marine grade steel Fe510 Superstructure material Steel Marine grade steel Fe510 Guests places 5 cabins 10 people Crew places 7+1 (Captain) cabins 14+1(Captain) people Below an older GAP And a profile sketch what she was supposed to look like after a possible renovation. More info to come.
Please do, it will be very interesting to see them. Out of idle curiosity, I did a bit of math using your numbers, and it appears that each of those monster MAKs burns "only" 170 litres/hour (=45 gallons) to keep the ship moving at 10 kts. I think that's remarkable, particularly when we consider their age!
We had a lot of MAK engines in our commercial ships, especially in our inland waterway cargo vessels. They were indestructible, as long as they got some kind of lubrication oil, no matter of quality. These engines were lasting so long, that even when the vessel was scrapped, the engines were used in the next ship. Today, MAK is part of the Caterpillar group and the engines have a higher RPM rating, are made lighter (cheaper) and do not last that long anymore. The first of my fathers coaster which was under my command, had one of those low RPM MAK inline 8 cylinder engines. They would run on any quality of fuel oil or even on rancid butter as my machinist kept saying. And a very soothing engine sound. I would be great, if those engines could be completely overhauled and used for one more yacht life. To be continued
Below 2 pictures of Argosy during WW II, acting as USS Cythera PY-31, a military Patrolboat Later she sailed as INS Maoz K-24 in the Israeli Navy. What a colourful history.
Some more history of this famous ship: This is Argosy during her ownership of Sir Thomas Sopwith, renamed Vita and being used as a shadow and mothership of the sailing yacht Endeavour during the America's Cup. This was probably her gloriest time. After WW II and her time as a US Navy warship, she came into the hands of wealthy jewish US-American citizens helping in the preparation for the building of the state of Israel. At that time Palestina was still occupied by the UK. The ship was secretly renamed (the british would say illigal) Ben Hecht and in 1946 tried to carry 600 jewish refugies to Palestina. The ship was intercepted and stopped by a Royal Navy destroyer and all refugies arrested at a POW camp at Cyprus. The lucky end of the of story was the building of the state of Israel and all refugies made it finally to their new homeland. Ben Hecht was renamed INS Maoz K-24 and enrolled into the young Isreali Navy. Her name is still held high in this country. Here is Argosy later as Argossy One under Italian flag, when she was reconverted as a Yacht but her complete restauration was never completed. Her worst and least glory usage was her life as Sata Maria del Mare, being a ferry in the Gulf of Naples. If I start boring our members with those details, just tell me. TBC
Keep it coming.... No detail to small. This would be one of those pre-atomic hulls. No radiation in her original construction metals or mains blocks. Not many vessels (or anything) this virgin.
Sorry, I had a typing error in my last post. During the Italian restauration project, the Yacht was named Rossy One and not Argossy One. They started with the internal refit and when the external refit was suppost to start, they went out of money. Due to the insolvency, the boat was laid up but now she is on the Weser River and ready for a new life as a beautiful swan. Argosy during her glorious time The remaining thickness of her hull plates will be shown during her deep survey prior starting the refit, when the hull is investigated via ultrasound measurement. From the first impression the progress of corrosion is not as bad as one might think because of her age. But nobody knows, how many layers of paint are on this hull. As said above, the material of the hull and superstructure of Argosy is Fe530 or in the old nomenclature ST 52, which is mild low carbon steel (0.2 to 0.22 % carbon), 0.55 % silicon, 1.6 % maganese, 0.035 % phosphorus and no nitrogen or copper. This steel has a tensile strength 0f 470 - 630 N per square mm and propper coated, lasts forever. At that time, this type of Krupp steel (the same type of steel, the mighty German battle ships were made off) was fabricated in open hearth furnaces, the so called Siemens Martin furnace. This manufacturing principle is not used anymore for enviromental reasons. The exhausts and the smoke were pretty dirty. And during this time, Krupp steel was made only from pure iron ore and comming directly from the blast furnace. Today most steel, especially ship building steel or construction steel is mostly if not exclusively electric furnace steel made out of recylcled scrap steel and much lower in tensile strength. This type of steel is because of its origin, never as pure as the ST-52 listed above, is hot brittle and much more prone to corrosion and much more effected by largely changing temperatures (loss of tensile strength in very cold enviroments. As I said before, nothing beats Krupp steel . TBC
As my Grandmother (from my mothers side of the family) was Jewish, I was always very interested in the establishment of the state of Israel. I have relatives and friends in Israel and the restauration of the yacht Argosy is therefore almost a matter of the heart for me. The "Ben Hecht" Haapala ship was the only ship whose arrival in Israel after WWII was not organized by Hamossad for Aliyah Bet, but by parties affiliated with the Revisionist Movement. The ship was bought and sent on its mission by the initiative of "The American League for a Free Palestine," an organization that was affiliated with the Revisionist Movement. The ship carried the name of a Jewish-American writer and playwright, who identified with the revisionists' views and was a member of the league. The ship was bought with income money from Hecht's highly successful play – "A Flag Is Born," which dealt with the Haapala struggle of Jewish refugees during the British siege. "Ben Hecht" was prepared for departure to Israel in New York by Morris Ginsburg and local volunteers who joined in on the mission. The ship commanders were Moshe Schwartz and Simcha Berlin. The ship crew consisted of 18 American volunteers. "Ben Hecht" sailed from Port De-Boeck in France on February 28th 1947, with 626 immigrants on board. The ship was scheduled to arrive at the shores of Netanya, whose many residents identified with the revisionists in those days. The British spotted the ship on March 9th, and took it over with no resistance from the immigrants. "Ben Hecht" was taken to the Haifa port and the immigrants were loaded onto deportation ships that took them to Detention Camp No. 66 in Cyprus. But as said above, the final outcome is known and all refugess made it finally to Israel. But without the support of American Jewish population, Israel would most likely not excist today. Btw. the rust flags You see on the bow of Argosy are caused by the reconversion of the warship bow to its original yacht bow with simple and cheap scrap steel. This corrosion is caused by the difference in the electromagnetic voltage series between the high tensile steel and the unspecified scrap steel. That part will have to be completely rebuild. This rotten remains of a bowspriet makes me sad. Below an article about her history as Ben Hecht in Israel: The Voyage of the “Ben Hecht” This vessel was built by the German firm Krupp as a private yacht. It changed hands and was used, at one time, to smuggle the gold of the Republican Government from Spain to Mexico, shortly before its fall in the Spanish Civil War. Finally it was purchased by the US Navy and used as a coastal patrol vessel. In 1946 it was purchased by a company called Tyre Shipping of New York, which served as a façade for the “American League for a Free Palestine”, an organization that was connected to the Revisionist Movement. The ship was named for the author and screenwriter Ben Hecht (at right), a Jewish American who was active in Revisionist circles. The proceeds of his successful play, “A Flag is Born” which dealt with the subject of Aliya and the fight against the British - were used to help purchase the vessel. Ben Hecht sailed on March 1st 1948 from Port de Bouc, France, carrying 626 Ma’apilim and two Palyam men accompanying them; Moshe Shwartz and Simcha Berlin. The crew of 18 was made up - for the most part - of American volunteers. Two American journalists were also on board. On March 9th, when the vessel was close to Palestine, it was intercepted by two British destroyers. A British force took the vessel under its control, facing almost no resistance. The vessel was towed to Haifa, whereas the Ma’apilim were transferred to Cyprus. The American crew was arrested but the men were freed and deported back to the USA, following diplomatic intervention. The “Ben Hecht” was the only Revisionist vessel that participated in Aliya Bet after the end of the WW II. Since Aliya Bet was regarded as something that was of common interest to all the political movements of Palestine, the Hagana aided in preparation of the vessel in New York and later in France. In the summer of 1948 the vessel was taken out of storage in the port of Haifa ‘shadow fleet’ anchorage, and refitted as a vessel of the Israeli navy called: “Maoz” [Hebrew: Stronghold] K-24. She participated in the War of Independence and served as mother-ship for the ‘explosive launches” which sank the Egyptian flagship “Emir Farouk”. During the 50’s the ship was sold to Italians and was used as a ferry in the harbor of Naples. In 2008-2009 the vessel was once again refitted completely and used as a private yacht with the name of Santa Maria Del Mar. As of 2010 it is known that the vessel is for sale and one would hope that some Israeli or private Jewish factor would be interested in purchasing her. So far as we know, this is the only vessel from the period of Aliya Bet that is still afloat and one can hope that it will be returned to Israel and used as a floating museum of Aliya. (Compiled by Tzvi Ben-Tzur) Please note that there are differences in the dates about her capture by the Royal Navy. Some books may not be accurate. HTMO9