Exclusive: Historic 110m sailing yacht Sea Cloud undergoes major rebuild

The historic Sea Cloud, the 1931 four-masted sailing yacht built at Krupp Germaniawerft in Kiel, Germany, as Hussar V for American cereal heiress and businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, has begun a multi-million-euro rebuild.

The 109.5-metre yacht arrived in Malta in November 2025 for a top-to-bottom renewal, Daniel Kũpfer, founder of Yanova and the owner’s representative, has announced.

The yacht’s history is part of her immense charm. Wall Street financier Edward Francis Hutton, an avid yachtsman, retained the renowned Cox & Stevens of New York to design what was, at the time of her launch in April 1931, the world’s largest private sailing yacht.

For the highly visible couple, who also built the Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, nothing could fall short of amazing. Hussar V was a masterpiece of engineering and design. Merriweather Post herself oversaw the interior, selecting everything from antique furniture to gold-plated swan-shaped faucets.

The couple sailed for months at the time on board the tall ship to faraway places, visiting the Galapagos Islands, Hawaii and the Mediterranean. When they divorced, the yacht stayed with Merriweather Post, who renamed the yacht Sea Cloud after she remarried. The sailing yacht went on with her fascinating life, serving as a weather ship for the US Navy (President Franklin D Roosevelt had deemed her too beautiful to see combat in World War II) and later becoming a presidential ship as Angelita, the name of Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo’s daughter, and after he was overthrown, Patria.

A group of German businesspeople who recognised the opportunity to breathe new life into the historic vessel, rescued her in Panama and sailed her back to Germany. The beautiful barque, then named Ancarna and caught in a custody battle of sorts, had fallen on hard times. They renamed her Sea Cloud and began a major transformation at HDW in Kiel. 

In 1979, she began a successful career as a small luxury cruise ship for 64 guests in 31 staterooms. A crew of 60 provided attentive service and managed the impressive rigging and sails. She had many return guests who loved the romance of a tall ship and her history. The Merriweather Post suite, faithful to the original, was a guest favorite. Whoever occupied the stateroom was bound to offer tours to fellow passengers.

The cruise line maintained her well — her riveted steel hull is in good condition, a testament to her craftsmanship — and she earned the title of the world’s most beautiful cruise ship in 2018. However, Sea Cloud lost some of her authenticity over the years.

Modifications to accommodate more passengers than originally intended altered her original design. The new refit, which began in earnest after Sea Cloud arrived in Malta, aims to turn back time. The project includes, for example, the commissioning of a new figurehead — a gilded eagle that faithfully replicates the original award-winning sculpture.

Extensive research preceded the work, drawing information from historical documents, including the Cox & Stevens archives from the Mystic Seaport Museum for reference and guidance.

The refit will also reduce the passenger capacity to just 20 people (closer to the original) for a crew-to-guest ratio of 1:3. It will restore the ship’s original lines, mast, and rigging configuration, plus rejuvenate her interior. Over time, layers of paint intent on keeping the décor fresh have dulled the original woodwork’s features.

“We are going to remove all the superstructure that has been added, so she looks like she did in the ’30s,” says Kũpfer, who adds that the interior will remain faithful to the original concept, the refit seeking to preserve rather than replace. Hull repairs will be made using traditional techniques.

Mechanically, however, the refit is forward-looking. New MTU main engines, fresh generators and state-of-the-art exhaust treatment systems will ensure compliance with modern environmental regulations and standards.

“SV Sea Cloud will be upgraded to the latest safety regulations, and new crew accommodation will be fitted to contemporary superyacht standards,” says Kũpfer, who has experience with the refit of historical yachts, including Haida, built by the same German shipyard in 1929.

“We are pleased to bring experience from other large yacht restoration programmes to this project. Such classic projects pose very specific challenges, which we approach with great respect for the vessel, her history, and her long-term future,” he adds.

Adam Pazdzioch, managing director of Sea Cloud Cruises, is overseeing the meticulous rebuild, which is taking place in a rented dock at Palumbo’s Malta facilities. Once the work is completed, Sea Cloud will retain her commercial status and return to the cruise and charter market as part of the Sea Cloud Cruises fleet, but with new superyacht standards.