Luxury visitor attracts crowds

When the luxury cruise ships QE2 and Queen Mary 2 crossed paths in Sydney Harbour last year, the whole city was brought to a standstill by crowds wanting to get a look at the two "twins".

The Dutch-built luxury ketch Thalia might not be able to carry 2000 passengers but the 160 ft (48.5m) dark blue beauty has become a drawcard for dreamers since she moored in Rushcutters Bay more than a week ago.

Designed by Ron Holland in 1994 for an owner who wanted a yacht that looked like a gentleman's racing yacht of the 1920s but with all the modern equipment to sail independently anywhere in the world, Thalia is really the stuff of dreams.

Displacing 342 tonnes, the raised deckhouse ketch has a beam of 31.8ft (9.7m) and draws just 13.5ft (4.11 m) enabling her to enter lagoons too shallow for most yachts of her size.

She sailed into Sydney last week after undergoing a year-long refurbishment in the Orams Marine Services yard in Auckland. The yacht, which features a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, had a complete makeover.

The main engine was removed and rebuilt and new Northern Lights generators installed to run the various systems aboard. The captive winch system which gives push-button control over the masts and sails was removed and refurbished.

The teak decks were sanded and recaulked, while the hull was stripped back and faired before being fully repainted in dark blue with cream bulwarks and cream cove stripes.

New upholstery was fitted throughout, along with new headliners. All the interior woodwork was stripped bare and revarnished and all the bathroom fittings removed and gold-plated.

Underwater lights were fitted around the stern and a forward-facing sonar system installed to make entry into new anchorages easier.

The workmen at Orams also converted the port forward guest cabin into a gym and built a new bar on the lower saloon level. The towering main mast and the equally impressive mizzen were both removed and inspected before being replaced with new rod rigging.

Thalia's captain Jake Reid and a crew of seven sailed her from Auckland and reported an uneventful voyage despite running into a couple of early winter storms.

Since mooring at d'Albora's marina, Thalia has had a stream of envious local yachtsmen sailing slowly past or even borrowing dinghies from the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia so they can row up for a closer look.