Immortal Cangarda
It is nothing short of astonishing that a vessel of such venerable age, and after all the vicissitudes of a long working life, has managed to survive in such fine fettle — not merely looking presentable, but remaining fully operational afloat. The restoration of ‘Cangarda’, undertaken by the Istanbul-based company RMK Yachts over a period of eighteen months, can only be described as a labour of love, indeed a veritable miracle of craftsmanship. The restoration team walked a razor’s edge, preserving antique fabric wherever possible so as not to compromise the vessel’s historic integrity, while at the same time carrying out a thorough refit and full technical overhaul to return all systems to working order and ensure the yacht’s longevity as a museum exhibit.
“From the very beginning, we treated ‘Cangarda’ not simply as a restoration project — for us, she embodied a responsibility to the world’s maritime heritage. Our aim was to preserve her spirit, not to reinterpret her,” says Cuneyt Okcu, Director of RMK Yachts.
The magnificent classic schooner Cangarda, designed by naval architect H.C. Wintringham, was launched from the yards of Pusey & Jones in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1901. Originally a steamer-sailer hybrid with a steam engine, she is today the sole surviving American-built steel steam yacht, and one of only three such vessels left anywhere in the world.
The yacht’s name derives from the surnames of her first owners, timber magnate Charles Canfield and his wife Belle Gardner. Over her richly eventful 125-year history, Cangarda has travelled far and wide, and her guest list reads like a roll-call of the great and the good. As the flagship of a Canadian senator, she hosted dinner parties for the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VIII), the British Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister of Canada. During the Second World War, she served as a training vessel for the Royal Canadian Navy, and the damage she sustained in those years would later come back to haunt her, ultimately leading to the destruction of her hull. At the age of 79, Cangarda sank, but was raised and repaired by 1983.
The total number of repairs and rebuilds she has undergone is known to no one, but the most extensive was the reconstruction carried out between 2004 and 2009. Dr Robert McNeil, owner of Sanderling Ventures, bought the yacht in 2002 with a view to restoring her. The work, which met the standards of the American Bureau of Shipping, was executed by Jeff Rutherford of Rutherford’s Boat Shop in California. A completely new hull was fabricated in exact accordance with the original lines, replacing the old one which was beyond repair. However, some of the original machinery, including the steam engine and elements of the interior, were successfully preserved and restored. Following this radical renovation, the vessel resumed service as a private yacht.
Then, in 2024, she was acquired by the Rahmi M. Koç Museum and Culture Foundation.
A renowned entrepreneur, philanthropist and member of one of Turkey’s wealthiest and most influential families (which controls a major industrial holding company and a private university), Rahmi Koç has spent a lifetime collecting machinery. Starting with models, he went on to acquire full-size ships, aeroplanes, automobiles, trams, railway locomotives and carriages. This collection formed the core of the museum he opened in 1994, dedicated to the history of transport, industry and communications.
The museum is situated in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district, on the northern shore of the Golden Horn. Its total exhibition area amounts to 27,000 square metres, including the hangars of a former shipyard and the quays where the museum’s own fleet is moored. Several fairly large historic vessels are currently kept in operational condition, and far from being static exhibits, they take tourists out for trips: the steamer Gonca (length 32 m, built 1910), the diesel tug Vernicos Irini (ST class, 26.6 m, 1944), the harbour tug Liman 2 (19 m, 1935), and the steam tug Rosalie (16 m, 1930).
Cangarda arrived in Istanbul and docked at RMK Yachts in October 2024. This yard, part of the industrial giant Koç Group, is considered one of the most prestigious in Turkey and enjoys a worldwide reputation, building high-class military and commercial vessels as well as luxury superyachts. Collaborating with leading design studios such as Hot Lab, Ron Holland Design and Vripack, the yard carries out all stages of production — from design to finishing — on its own premises, and this full in-house cycle ensures consistently high quality control. RMK Yachts also has a refit division (witness the 45-metre superyacht Keyla, which won an SBID International Design Award for her refit) and even a dedicated restoration workshop, with two dozen sailing and motor vessels returned to life in its portfolio — the largest of them being the steamship HALAS 71, 52.4 metres long, built in 1914.
Cangarda is no small yacht: her length overall, including bowsprit, is 42 metres; length on deck 38 metres; length waterline 32 metres; beam 5.3 metres; draught 2.3 metres; and displacement 120 tons.
The comprehensive programme of maintenance, conservation and functional restoration included a detailed inspection of the hull and all structures, a major overhaul of the mechanical and steam systems, conservation and repair of the interiors, and work on the rigging, deck equipment and safety systems.
Items that were completely worn out and beyond repair were reconstructed using historically accurate methods and materials, strictly in accordance with specifications found in the archives. The hull and superstructure underwent repairs that respected the original geometry and build philosophy, and were then given protective treatment to ensure their long-term structural integrity while retaining their historic character. The varnished blue-black topsides, gilded carvings on the bow and lemon-yellow funnel make the yacht stand out from afar. And when she draws closer, revealing a classic steering wheel with mahogany spokes, elegantly curved davits, smooth brass handrails, and navigation lights fashioned as two antique hanging lanterns, one’s admiration for the sheer elegance of her exterior knows no bounds.
Cangarda has retained her two slightly raked wooden masts, long bowsprit and full rigging, but she is unlikely to sail under canvas.
Particular attention was paid to her propulsion plant, which represented one of the project’s greatest challenges. The original Sullivan triple-expansion steam engine, producing 238 hp at 226 rpm, was for its time (the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries) the most efficient type of powerplant: by using high-pressure steam successively in three cylinders of different diameters (high, medium and low pressure), it enabled vessels to reach speeds of up to 30 knots.
The RMK Yachts yard did not have in-house specialists in century-old steam technology, so they turned to experts for international support. Engineers from Tüpraş, an energy company within the Koç Holding group, came to the rescue, and under their guidance the system was successfully restored. Its original configuration was retained, but certain components had to be replaced to bring the yacht into compliance with modern safety and operational requirements.
Indeed, the restoration demanded a constant balancing act between authenticity and contemporary yacht-building standards, with every decision carefully weighed for both historical fidelity and the vessel’s long-term preservation.
In her heyday, Cangarda was luxurious even by Edwardian standards: for instance, not only the interior but also the external windows of the deckhouses were embellished with Tiffany stained glass. On board, in addition to four guest staterooms, a saloon and a separate dining room, there was a smoking room. “All the work was carried out with a museum-grade conservation approach, not with a view to modernisation,” explains Cuneyt Okcu. “Where technically possible, we retained original elements, including the Cuban mahogany joinery, brass and bronze fittings, authentic deck equipment, and the internal layout.”
After launching, a rejuvenated Cangarda was handed over to the Rahmi Koç Museum. She will now be accessible to the public as a ‘living testimony’ to the early days of steam yachting. A documentary film about the schooner’s life story and restoration is currently in production, with its release scheduled for the end of 2026. But even now, anyone who wishes can come and admire our heroine, and with a little luck, even enjoy a day trip aboard her on the waters around Istanbul.
