History of S/Y Southern Cross. A classic boat for private events in Barcelona
S/Y SOUTHERN CROSS
S/Y Southern Cross is a steel hulled ketch with wooden masts. It is the largest steel yacht built in Scotland by Yarrow & Co. shipyards, located in Scotstoun, Glasgow.
Yarrow was the company in charge of the construction and repair of the British Navy fleet since the post-war period, having the greatest construction boom in 1960.
It was then that S/Y Southern Cross was designed and ordered to be built. The design was carried out by W. McPherson Campbell, a renowned naval architect, who tried to design a yacht for navigation in rough waters such as those in the area of England.
Shipyard built metal plate
In 1962, the ship was equipped with the best and most innovative technology of the time, as well as some of the top interior design of the time. In fact, that same year it was awarded the prize for the best yacht of the year by Lloyd’s Register “Yacht of the Year” Trophy, competing with 86 other yachts from around the world.
Yarrow shipyard book
It has been speculated for more than a decade that its construction was, on the one hand, an agreement between magnates and, on the other, a gift to the British Royal Family.
The truth is that there are records of the ship at all levels, except for the four years subsequent to the launch from 1963 to 1967, in which there is no record. Experts in the matter affirm that it is the typical mark of the goods that have been enjoyed or have been at the service of some royal house. In any case, the promoter of its construction and the first owner was Major Frederick William Cundiff, a former naval officer and politician, as well as an influential member of the British Parliament.
The ship was launched under the original name of Southern Cross, the same name that she currently has and that her current owner very rightly recovered in 2001.
But it has not been the only one, it came to have other names that are detailed below:
Schierensee, Patrilla, Lola-Min, and Amstel.
During the 70s it is known that the ship was in the Caribbean area and it is very likely that one of its owners was a company linked to Frank Sinatra, in fact, there are photos of the actor on board S/Y Southern Cross.
In 1970 it had its first refit in which the superstructure was probably modified and the material was changed to aluminum.
In 1998 its second great refit, in which the solarium on the upper deck and some basic aspects of habitability were modified.
Even having spent a whopping 6 decades since her launch, the ship maintains the character and atmosphere of the British style, being the bridge a space-museum, since it still retains the original machinery control elements and in good working order. A relic of navigation!
Old controls in the bridge of the vessel
Currently, and since the year 2000, the ship sleeps in Barcelona, being a jewel of the historical navigation of the city. Her current owner, Ramón Tomás, who has definitively recovered his original name, is in love with classic objects. He is recognized for its authentic collection of vehicles (motorcycles and cars) from all eras, completing this same collection with S/Y Southern Cross ketch.
The ship is located in Barcelona and can be visited in the Maremagnum area. It offers private charter services for groups in events and company events up to 65 passengers as well as daily tours scheduled for sunset in Barcelona. Also can be rented as exclusive charter boat for a weekend or week in Balearic island, specially in Ibiza.
S/Y Southern Cross is registered as a commercial passenger ship in the Spanish Canary Islands Special Registry as (Group 1 Class H). It is rented regularly in Spanish waters. It is currently licensed to carry up to 65 passengers plus 5 crew members on coastal departures.
Let’s go with the data:
There is extended talk of a 35-meter boat, but it is actually a 33.4-meter long sailboat with the following main characteristics:
- L.O.A 33,4
- Beam 7,1 m
- Draft 4,5 m
- Gross tonnage 256 tones
- Engine 2 x Gardner
- Double cabin 5
The boat is manned in winter by 4 crew members and in summer the chef is added. Captain, naval engineer, deckhand, hostess and cook
Apart from the spectacular data on fuel and fresh water capacity, large refrigerators and freezers, etc., the important thing is that the ship can be with 17 people on board for 45 days without having to touch port, since it has the stores for food , fuels and water treatment plants necessary to be independent of supplies for that period of time.
Anecdotes and famous people on board:
During the period in Barcelona in which it has worked and continues to work as a charter boat for events or sailings for small private groups, countless anecdotes have followed and an endless list of personalities and celebrities have passed through the boat. Here we are going to try to remember the most entertaining stories of what happened on board during these years.
We will start with Claudia Schiffer, who celebrated her 40th birthday on board with her family, enjoying for a few days the tranquility and pleasure of sailing in the Balearic Islands. Due to contract reasons there are no photos of such an event, but the curious thing is that when you explain this anecdote and show which was his cabin, everyone is very interested.
Lana del Rey, the singer from the USA, was on board for a day and also was on board Adelle.
Lana del Rey hired the boat for a day and kindly let us to take some shoots
David Geta has been a regular during the sailings in Ibiza
Of course, footballers and personalities from the world of sport such as Joan Laporta, Barça players, former F.C. Barcelona, presidents of the Autonomous Community.
Julio Salinas and other ex-football Barça players has been on board. Nice people!
President of Balearic autonomic comunity
On board, products have been presented for the first time, such as the first organic wine from Bodega Concha y Toro from Chile.
Coffee machines, swiss watches, coats, international paints, new devices like phones
Plays and musicals, as well as promotional campaigns for singers.
Musical theatre play actors
But what usually catches our attention is the world of cinema. Countless domestic and foreign productions have been staged at S/Y Southern Cross.
Pierce Brosnan’s film “Die Another Day” whose ship scenes are shot on board.
The life of Carmen Cervera, a 2-part miniseries “Tita Cervera: The Baroness” in which the life of Baroness Thyssen is recounted. Oddities of life, the ship currently mooring next to S/Y Southern Cross is the baroness’s sailing ship.
Recently the tv commercial of Free Damm and photo shoots for Gucci.
the last scene of the tv ad of Free Damm. National beer 0.0 Alcohol
And of course, how could it be otherwise, the ship has had pirates on board…
Pirates on board