Mengi Yay’s refit and service brand Reviva Refit, is continuing the reconstruction of the original steel masts for the nearly century-old Sea Cloud in Tuzla. Once the work, carried out under DNV supervision, is completed, the masts will be shipped to Malta and installed on the ship.
Launched in Kiel in 1931 by Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft under the name Hussar V, Sea Cloud, remains an active maritime heritage site that still embodies the sailing ship engineering of its era. The new project, carried out as part of the refit of the four-masted barque, brings one of the most distinctive elements of this heritage directly into the reproduction process in Turkey.
Responsibility for the project's production Mengi Meadow’s refit and service brand Reviva Refit is being undertaken. The Sea Cloud’s full set of four masts is being manufactured from steel, in line with the original design from 1931. While production is taking place at the facility in Tuzla, engineering and technical coordination are being carried out in collaboration with SSPT and Germany-based Tailship Design. The design review, survey, and certification processes are proceeding under the supervision of DNV.
In this project, the choice of materials is directly linked to preserving the ship’s historical character. Steel, Sea Cloud’While maintaining the engineering approach of the original emblem, it also allows for the remanufacture of new components in accordance with today’s industry standards. In turn, the production process requires high precision during the sheet metal forming, welding, alignment, and dimensional inspection stages.
At the production facility in Tuzla, conical pole sections made from certified sheet metal are formed by bending and then joined together. Non-destructive testing of the welds is performed in accordance with an approved inspection plan. Each pole undergoes a test assembly in the workshop prior to shipment; dimensional verification of the joints and inspection of the mounting connection points are also completed during this stage.
Once production is complete, the masts will be shipped to Malta by sea. The assembly process on board the ship will take place there, and the rigging configuration from approximately a century ago will be recreated.
The story of the Sea Cloud adds a special dimension to the technical aspects of the project. Designed by Cox & Stevens and built in 1931 for New York businesspeople Marjorie Merriweather Post and Edward F. Hutton, the vessel was the world’s largest private sailing yacht at the time of its launch. The ship, which later served in the U.S. Coast Guard and was used for a time as the presidential yacht, returned to sailing in the late 1970s.
Today, the Sea Cloud, which is approximately 110 meters long, carries 29 sails on its four masts—three with square sails and one with a mizzen sail at the stern. The ship, which has a sail area of approximately 3,000 square meters, operates under the Maltese flag.
The project Reviva Refit is carrying out in Tuzla therefore requires an engineering discipline that goes beyond standard refit production. The reconstruction of a vessel designed nearly a century ago while preserving its original material approach brings together historical accuracy and contemporary class standards on the same production line. The process, which began in Turkey, will be completed in Malta with the Sea Cloud’s steel hull ready to return to the sea.
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