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Duchess of the Isles

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by John Potter, Aug 12, 2008.

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  1. John Potter

    John Potter New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2008
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Dunedin
    The Duchess of the Isles / Lady of the South Pacific / Sarha current whereabouts. (13-08-08)

    For more than 18 months now I have been trying to find information on the whereabouts and operational history of a vessel (now converted into a luxury yacht) that appears "to have dropped off the radar", as they say.
    The vessel has been known variously as:
    The Duchess of the Isles a.k.a. Burotukula a.k.a. Southern Cross and then Lady of the South Pacific and might now be called Sarha.

    Although some of the ‘facts’ are a bit hazy, what I think I know is:
    Duchess of the Isles was built in 1989 by A.S.D. Marine at Alberton, Queensland, Australia. She was originally built as a passenger ship. Her first flag was Bahamas.
    She is a catamaran of 726 tons.
    Her I.D. Number is: 8815267 and she was launched and named Duchess of the Isles.
    She was designed by Stuart Ballentyne of the Sea Management Corporation, Caboolture, Queensland. (Now called The Sea Transport Corporation.)
    She seems to have been originally built to sail as a passenger / tourist vessel on Loch Lomond, Scotland but apparently this did not happen.
    When she was originally called Duchess of the Isles (1989 - 1991) she was briefly owned (or enjoyed shared ownership) by James Fisher and Sons plc, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, U.K.
    (I would like to know more about this.) and probably Curnow Shipping, UK.
    She was sold in 1992 and went to Tahiti in the role of a cruise ship and renamed Burotukula.
    The vessel was sold again and, in 1994, she was renamed three times, firstly as Southern Cross, then Duchess of the Isles and, on the 9th December 1995, arrived in Milford Sound, New Zealand, under new owners Tourism Milford Limited, as a cruise vessel named Lady of the South Pacific.
    Around 1999, for 11 months, the vessel was laid up awaiting a refit contract, in Otago Harbour, Dunedin, New Zealand and was later moved to Auckland.
    She was towed to Tahiti again in possibly June, 2000 by, I believe, SEA-TOW 22.
    Next she was put on board an unknown vessel as cargo and taken to France. From there she was towed again to somewhere in Slovenia about 2001.
    I believe that in Slovenia she underwent a complete refit (at one time a heli-pad was planned) possibly for a Sheikh. At this juncture, her name was possibly changed again to Sarha, although she might remain Lady of the South Pacific.

    I have recently been informed that the catamaran may now be named Lady of the South Pacific, owned and operated by Victorian International out of the British Virgin Islands.
    Her flag might now be ‘Panama’. Her IMO Company Number (DOC) is: 9991001. Her IMO Registered Owner Number is: 1900097

    If anyone is able to fill in some of the many gaps in her past life and provide me with info on her present whereabouts I would be grateful to hear from them.
    Also, if anyone has printable, hi-res photographs of her from the past or present I would be pleased to know.

    Best regards
    John Wren-Potter
  2. kootenay67

    kootenay67 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2004
    Messages:
    94
    Location:
    canada
    This is the ship yard in Slovenia that converted her to Sarha if this is the

    same vessel that you mean:

    http://shipyardizola.si/galerija/sgallery.php?gid=103


    If you do a search for " yacht Sarha " you can find an email address for her

    1st mate/captain of her from 2004 - nov 2006 and high -res photos on Webshots as Sarha

    Regards ken

    Edit - not sure we can link to webshots so deleted link just in case
  3. John Potter

    John Potter New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 11, 2008
    Messages:
    2
    Location:
    Dunedin
    Lady of the South Pacific / Sarha

    Thanks for that Ken.
    I'm 90% certain that a yard in Slovenia covered the 'Lady of the South Pacific' (as she then was) to 'Sarha'.
    So we must be on the right track. Anything else you can discover will be most welcome.
    Best regards
    John