ATATURK'S YACHT SAVARONA

We have two ships that have become legendary in our maritime history. One is our warship Yavuz, which we always refer to as "glorious", and the other is Gülcemal, our only real cruise ship. To add a third to these two, this should be Atatürk's Savarona. Hani, the first day Ata saw, " What would have happened if we had had this ship a few years ago!" The most beautiful yacht in the world, Savarona!

When it was decided to buy a yacht with the thought that the sea air would be good when Atatürk's illness progressed, this beautiful boat was the biggest and most beautiful yacht in its class all over the world. The Savarona was a very elegant yacht with its white side, two egg-yellow chimneys, and mercury protruding forward on its nose...

Nameplates of the Savarona Yacht dated 1932 and 1992.

The construction of this yacht began in the early 1930s at the world-famous Blohm und Voss looms in Hamburg, Germany. This was also one of the most important shipyards in the world, where Yavuz was also built years ago. The owner of the yacht was an American woman named Cadwalader, who owned a huge fortune. The ship, whose keel was laid on the slipway on July 29, 1930, was completed on February 28 of the following year, and in July, champagne was exploded in her nose and launched with a spectacular ceremony. The ship had cost 10,400,000 dollars in the money of that time.

Photo of Mrs Cadwalader, the first owner of the Savarona yacht, and above it, framed, broken champagne bottle exploded during launch.

However, the fact that Mrs. Cadwalader had her emulating yacht built in Germany, rather than in one of the shipyards in her own country, despite the great economic crisis that was going on in America at that time, angered the Americans. For this reason, the government demanded a customs tax that was close to almost the entire cost of the yacht's owner. Otherwise, the ship would not have entered American territorial waters.

This beautiful yacht was strictly forbidden to enter US waters after Ms. Cadwalader was strongly opposed to this decision. As such, Savarona had to sail under the Panamanian flag during her two world tours, from the time she landed in 1931 to 1937.

Desperate in the end, Mr. Cadwalader had to put this beautiful yacht up for sale. His attempts, first in Hamburg and then in Southampton, proved fruitless. The Germans intended to seize this elegant ship cheaply without losing it to foreigners. That's why they put a lien on it.

In those days, the Turkish government made an attempt to buy the yacht. F. Roosevelt, the President of the United States of America, who had great admiration for Atatürk, was not at all willing for the Germans to seize Savarona; He was in favor of the acquisition of the yacht by the Turkish government. For this reason, it was reported that a German transatlantic that entered the New York harbor in those days could be foreclosed - in return for the Savarona. In the end, Germany had to lift the lien on the yacht, on Hitler's personal instructions. Thus, when the obstacles were removed, the Turkish government easily bought the yacht.

Well, well, but what did Savarona mean? "Sava" was the name given to a legendary bird believed to live in the Atlantic, according to a belief. This fairy tale bird was a bit like a seagull, and a bit like a pelican with a big beak. As you can see, Sava was a legendary bird like our Huma or Phoenix... "Rona" was Mrs. Cadwalader's maiden name before she got married. Combining these two words resulted in a brand new word that did not exist in any language: Savarona. In fact, he explicitly stipulates it...

The ship was built with the most advanced technique of its time. The steel rivet hull was 4,701 net, 1,540 dw tons. It was 124.3 meters long and 16.08 meters wide. The water it drew was 6.19 meters and its depth was 9.75 meters. It had five decks and was separated from the inside by 11 bulkheads. He was moving with a steam engine. Because its gall was mercury, it was designed so that it would never sink unless it tilted 90 degrees. From its dining hall to its library, from its lounges to its private suites, it was tried to be more like a home than a ship. One of the ship's main attractions was its magnificent fireplace, a true work of art in its great hall. Miss Cadwalader had seen this fireplace in a historical castle on a trip to Portugal and liked it very much. She wanted to buy right away, but they didn't agree. Then she, with a sudden decision, bought the castle first,

The Savarona was a much more beautiful and comfortable yacht than its counterparts. In particular, the apartments specially built for the owner of the yacht and the aft suites reserved for the guests could only be found in palaces. Each of the private cabins had a different bathroom. Care was taken to ensure that the bedding in these cabins was the same color as the bathroom. Apart from a rich library, no other yacht had a very rich 78 record collection consisting of a modern stereo and classical pieces. Of course, both the furniture and the paintings that adorned the walls were meticulously chosen. The round table in the dining room was large enough for twenty guests to dine comfortably. The coasters were custom-made, made of very precious Bohemian crystal. Plates decorated with light green patterns that make up the dinnerware,

But the most interesting corner of the yacht was the private flat that Mrs. Cadwalader had had it built for her. The fact that her bathroom is lined with a precious black marble had been specially chosen by the yacht owner, who is obviously a blonde lady, to highlight her own blondeness.

What had Miss Cadwalader not thought of to make her life on the yacht easier! The private corridor under his cabin was one of these interesting inventions. A mysterious hatch that emerged when the carpet on the floor was pulled aside led to a secret staircase. It was obvious that this secret path had been designed in order to let some of his guests, whom he did not want anyone to see, to pass quietly into his apartment. Since the prohibition of alcohol was in effect in America at that time, meticulously concealed drink compartments were built in appropriate places. A piece of the champagne bottle that had exploded while the ship was being launched was preserved in a frame on the wall of the "patron's" private apartment.

One of the ship's two galleys was arranged to serve Miss Cadwalader personally and her guests. With the food in the pantry, a meal could be prepared for a 300-person banquet at any time in this large kitchen. In the cold storage, 10 tons of meat and 2 tons of fish could be kept fresh for months without spoiling. On the other hand, the section reserved for the cavalry of the yacht was no less comfortable and luxurious than Mrs Cadwalader's private flat.

Savarona on the open sea

The Turkish flag was hoisted in a ceremony at the port of Southampton on 24 March on Savarona, which was purchased by the Turkish Government on 1 March 1938. Sait Kaptan (Özege), who took delivery of the ship, was an experienced sea wolf who previously served as the cavalryman of our Aegean cruise ship.

The first stop of the yacht, which left Southampton on 12 April, was Hamburg. The ship, which was thoroughly maintained in the shipyard where it was built, passed through Gibraltar and entered the Mediterranean. On the morning of June 1, 1938, he came and anchored in front of Florya. It took the afternoon for the ship, which was cleaned and overhauled for the last time, to dock in front of Dolmabahçe. Everyone who saw the ship was fascinated by it from the very first moment.

The part of the ship that remained in the water was painted red, and a thin black line separated the white side from this red color. Atatürk, along with the Deputy Prime Minister Celâl Bayar, the Chief Secretary of the Presidency Hasan Rıza Soyak, the Chief Adjutant Celal Tolgay, one of the deputies Kılıç Ali, his relatives Cevat Abbas, Salih Bozok, Istanbul Governor and Mayor Muhittin Üstündağ, got on the Acar boat and went for a tour of the yacht. He liked it so much that he started to spend his days on this yacht from that night onwards. He would not take off the white sports sweater that İşbank General Manager Muammer Eriş brought from England. He also had himself a sports yacht suit made of white pants and a navy blue jacket. Despite his collapse, he was very stylish and very handsome as always. However, it seemed that he did not quite comply with the diet prescribed by his doctors, even if he did not miss his medication. Atatürk was trying to be happy in Savarona despite his progressively worsening illness. He often ate on the upper deck, gathered here with his relatives and continued their conversations. On 19 June, King of Romania II. He hosted Carol and her lady friend by inviting them to Savarona. On June 24, he made a sea voyage as far as Erdek. On July 9, he called the deputies to the yacht and held an important government meeting with them, which lasted about three and a half hours; He especially focused on the Hatay problem, for which he was trying to find a definitive solution. But he was very tired. It seemed that his illness was getting worse day by day. On 19 June, King of Romania II. He hosted Carol and her lady friend by inviting them to Savarona. On June 24, she made a sea voyage as far as Erdek. On July 9, he called the deputies to the yacht and held an important government meeting with them, which lasted about three and a half hours; He especially focused on the Hatay problem, for which he was trying to find a definitive solution. But he was very tired. It seemed that his illness was getting worse day by day. On 19 June, King of Romania II. He hosted Carol and her lady friend by inviting them to Savarona. On June 24, she made a sea voyage as far as Erdek. On July 9, he called the deputies to the yacht and held an important government meeting with them, which lasted about three and a half hours; He especially focused on the Hatay problem, for which he was trying to find a definitive solution. But he was very tired. It seemed that his illness was getting worse day by day. On July 9, he called the deputies to the yacht and held an important government meeting with them, which lasted about three and a half hours; He especially focused on the Hatay problem, for which he was trying to find a definitive solution. But he was very tired. It seemed that his illness was getting worse day by day. On July 9, he called the deputies to the yacht and held an important government meeting with them, which lasted about three and a half hours; He especially focused on the Hatay problem, for which he was trying to find a definitive solution. But he was very tired. It seemed that his illness was getting worse day by day.

First day aboard Savarona Yacht, Istanbul. (June 1, 1938)

It was very hot that summer. Atatürk was overwhelmed by the heat that sometimes reached 30 degrees in Savarona. They wanted to alleviate the suffocating heat a little by placing large containers of ice on the sides of the flat in order to cool down his cabin a little. They took Savarona to Büyükdere bay so that a little more wind could come in through the windows and anchored. But Atatürk's troubles did not go away. Meanwhile, the vibrations caused by the ship's dynamo were getting on his nerves. Desperate, they silenced the dynamos and had to get the necessary electricity by cable from a docked submarine.

On 23 July, his doctors and relatives suggested Atatürk move to Dolmabahçe Palace, as they hoped it would make him more comfortable. But he absolutely refused to be moved where he slept. As such, they had to sit him in a chair and carry him. At 1:00 at night, the ship's lights were turned off, leaving only the pier illuminated. Atatürk, who was transported to Acar with the armchair, was taken to the dock of Dolmabahçe Palace from there. Thus, Atatürk's Savarona days came to an end. All in all, it had lasted 54 days. His last residence in Savarona...

On the Savarona Yacht, Istanbul. (June 14, 1938)

After Atatürk's death, they registered Savarona on behalf of the Treasury with the number 2.051 of the Istanbul Port Ship Registry, by the order of the Ministry of Communications. During the Second World War, the yacht was kept moored in the Baha'i Gulf in Kanlıca. Although it was used as a Presidential yacht for a while, it was given to the Naval Forces Command on July 2, 1951. Now the Savarona had become a training ship for the Naval Academy students... Until 1976, every naval officer had his first open sea voyage experience with the Savarona, and he had his first long-haul experience with the Savarona.

However, a significant part of the ship was severely damaged in the fire that broke out on the yacht for an unknown reason on October 3, 1979. In the fire that lasted for 24 hours, many items on Ata's yacht could not be saved from the destruction of the flames. They could not make this beautiful yacht, a heirloom from Ata, a museum due to heavy maintenance costs. Currently used for tourism purposes, the yacht spends its winters in Istanbul and summers on the Cote d'Azur, one of the popular yachting centers. The section belonging to Atatürk is preserved as a museum in accordance with its original form. Now the ship appears in the Turkish Lloyd's Ship Registry book as the property of the Ministry of Finance and Customs, Ship Rescue Sea and Tourism Joint Stock Company.

Source:  Atatürk's Yacht Savarona, Eser Tutel, Whole World Magazine, November, 2000. Page: 95

Savarona Yacht is in the Bosphorus.

Additional information : In 1989 it was decided to scrap the Savarona; however, Kahraman Sadıkoğlu made a last-minute decision to charter the yacht for 49 years and began the demanding refurbishment of Savarona to restore it to its previous glory. It took 425 workers nearly three years to renovate the yacht, the interior of which was designed by Donald Starkey. Savarona sails on world waters once again, giving elegance and luxury to those who have the privilege of being a passenger today.

Photos of the Savarona Yacht

Savarona under construction

The launch of the Savarona.

Savarona is in the harbour .