Superyacht docked for two decades up for auction

The half-completed superyacht, Bella T, which has been moored dockside in Cape Town since 2001, is to go on auction this March.

Vessel sales specialists Solution Strategists, is to hold the auction which will take place at 9:00am GMT on March 1st, 2022 at the Western Cape High Court in Cape Town. Up for auction are four containers of original fittings and engines as well as the yacht’s 43m superstructure.

Court documents show the applicant Rapaport Flagship Ltd has a claim that amounts to almost $1m. A refit is expected to cost around $2m, according to a completion plan on the auction website.

The yacht was built in 1977 for industrialist, Roy Carver and named LAC II. She was designed by naval architects Arthur de Fever and Doug Sharp and constructed by Bilbao-based Maritima de Axpe. The yacht has six double cabins, crew accommodation and twin caterpillar 750hp engines.

However, delays in the build prompted Carver to commission another yacht, LAC III to be constructed by Feadship. LAC III arrived 18 months ahead of her sistership and she was sold on as a result.

Moving through a series of owners she was purchased in 1999 by another American, Earl Romans, and renamed Summit One. The yacht was taken to South Africa for a major refit by Farocean Marine in 2001, which included a hull lengthening of 5m.

However a legal dispute between Farocean and Romans began because the refitter alleged the owner had defaulted on multiple payments. The semi-completed refit was abandoned in 2003, and the yacht has been in Cape Town ever since.

Bella T was sold to a company in Dubai in 2008 shortly before the global financial crisis. The vessel was passed onto Nautic Africa and, finally, to Europa Shipping in 2016.

After years of legal trouble, Bella T was then ordered to a judicial auction by the Western Cape High Court.