This Decade-Old Turkish Superyacht Has Returned to the Seas Bigger and Better Than Before

There’s a new Turkish delight on the high seas.

A superyacht that Turkish yard Concept Marine delivered in 2012 has hit the water following an epic transformation. The 13-year-old cruiser, originally named Greyzone, underwent an extensive rebuild at Florida’s Serenity Yacht that included stripping down the body to bare metal, extending the stern and aft decks, and upgrading the flybridge. Christened Thanuja, the revamped vessel is now bigger and better than its decade-old predecessor. The overall length increased from 125 to 164 feet and the interior volume jumped from 380 to 440 GT, in fact.

Interestingly, the project initially began as a simple refit but quickly morphed into a major conversion. German firm iYacht spearheaded the exterior design and naval architecture, starting off by reverse engineering the existing superyacht. In June 2020, iYacht’s team flew to the south of France to measure and create an accurate 3-D model of Greyzone that they could design from. Four weeks later, the first concepts were complete. The team proposed a new galley, an updated foredeck, a Jacuzzi on the flybridge, and a larger stern platform. They also redesigned the beach club to ensure the 2012 superyacht appealed to modern seafarers.

As the refit commenced, the decision was made to turn the existing 124-footer into a high-tech superyacht in line with the latest North European standards. The technical spaces were reconstructed, with Thanuja gaining a new engine room, bow, stern thrusters, pipes, cabling, engines, and generators. The aluminum superstructure was rewelded, too.

Onboard, the superyacht gained fresh teak decking and new furniture throughout. Katharina Raczek and her team brought the interiors to life, balancing new and old elements and combining existing structures with new construction. After the upgrade, Thanuja can comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests in five staterooms and seven crew across six cabins.

The rebuild required tens of thousands of hours of coordination, planning, and engineering. “Leveraging the expertise of our studio, we were able to support the owner and the yard in every phase,” iYacht CEO Udo A. Hafner said in a statement. “As the project complexity grew, it required us to bring in additional expertise from different disciplines.” Serenity also built a team of around 100 to complete the mammoth task. The hard work appears to have paid off, with Thanuja at the pinnacle of tech, design, and innovation. The superyacht has received approval for commercial charter under the Luxembourg flag, meaning you could soon jump aboard the Turkish delight.