Superyacht Bella T to be auctioned after 23 years in Cape Town harbour

Posted by Taylah Strauss on 14 January 2022

The once-luxurious superyacht Bella T’s history has been nothing short of tumultuous, and will hopefully soon have a new home. Originally built for American industrialist Roy Carver in 1977, with a design from Arthur De Fever and Douglas Sharp, the yacht was constructed by Maritime de Axpe in Bilbao, Spain.

Bella T would however never make it to Carver, as he grew impatient with the slow pace of construction and ordered another yacht with the same design from a different shipyard. This yacht was completed in 1975 and named Lac II – later renamed Valeria – and launched 18 months ahead of her sister ship.

Named Lac III after Carver’s mother’s initials, the initial yacht was later sold to the Sultan of Sabah, before it was passed to another Malaysian owner and underwent another name change. The incomplete yacht was on the market in 1999, and was eventually sold to American Earl Romans in 1999 and renamed Summit One before being brought to South Africa for an extensive refit, according to the Superyacht Times.

Work was halted in 2003. Evidentiary documents pinpoint the reason as a financial dispute between owners and the refit yard. At present, Bella T is still incomplete where she is moored in Table Bay Harbour, stripped back to bare steel and four containers of equipment that house her engine and mechanical works. According to Business Insider, it has since been sold to Europa Shipping.

The yacht is 45.3m long and has a top speed of 13.0kn, and she can accommodate 12 guests and eight crew members.

The auction which will determine the superyacht’s fate will be held by Solution Strategists – in the Western Cape where Bella T has been moored since construction ceased – in March 2022. It was ordered to public auction by the Western Cape High Court in the matter of Rapaport Flagship Limited, the applicant, and Europa Shipping Capital SA, the respondent. Despite years of neglect, reports indicate that the vessel is in ‘good condition’.

Pictures: Superyacht Times

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