When the classic 23.91 meter ketch sailboat from 1935 The Odyssey moored in Porto Montenegro a decade ago, her fate was fairly unknown. The famous trophy winner was falling to ruin; it was riddled with worms and was leaking a lot. Even in such a dilapidated state, she pulled the heartstrings. Photo: Engel & VölkersWhile its owner had a long relationship with The Odyssey, the work to keep it afloat being too expensive, its restoration stopped. She was released around the same time as Edward Daniell, an avid sailor and service entrepreneur in Porto Montenegro, sadly lost his partner last year. The couple were in love with the elegant French lady, so “the timing was too much of a coincidence,” Daniell said.
“Purchase The Odyssey meant that I had an elderly mistress who took my time and my money; I think my late wife was instrumental in arranging this for me,” Daniell said. “Even though she didn’t like boats and was afraid of drowning, she always loved The Odyssey. The time of The Odyssey coming to the market was his way of making sure that I was well taken care of and that I had something to do. 
Photo: Engel & VölkersThe Odyssey was built by MF Rey of the Chantiers Navals de Normandie, in Fècamp, between the wars on a plan drawn up by Mr. François Camatte. Her owner requested a Bermudian ketch that performed well and could outrun other sailboats in regattas. When she first hit the water in June 1935, she was about one and a half meters shorter than she is today (22.3 meters with an overall length of 16.4 m ).
She was constructed primarily of oak and furnished with Oregon pine for the deck planks. Moulmein teak was laid for the fittings, hatches and gunwale. Her large Bermudan sail plan of 235 square meters was designed by Eugène Mariole from Le Havre, and shaped with an additional triangular sail that had to be fitted when sailing downwind. It was state-of-the-art and equipped with electric headlights and a 50 horsepower Renault diesel engine.
Photo: Engel & VölkersOn June 29, 1935, The Odyssey embarked on her maiden voyage from Fècamp to Cannes via Gibraltar, with her owner and family on board. Unlike the envisioned dream journey, the journey was treacherous and almost perilous. The difficult weather conditions persisted and it took 574 hours of navigation to complete the route, including 320 hours under sail and the remaining 253 hours under engine. Even without the weather improving, they arrived safe and sound, having traveled a total of 2,619 nautical miles.
Little is known about The Odyssey after this dreadful passage; but the fact that she fell into the hands of Edward Daniell is proof that she has been well loved over the years. She also survived World War II and Nazi occupation – a war that saw many pleasure craft commissioned for the effort.
Photo: Engel & VölkersDaniell restores The Odyssey back to its former glory, making great use of the amazing talent that worked at Arsenal Dockyard before it became Porto Montenegro. “When she was lifted we found she was riddled with worms – and they weren’t ordinary worms, they were the size of earthworms! They had destroyed parts of the rudder, which was lucky because they hadn’t reached the main hull,” Daniell said. Even those destroyed sections of The Odyssey have been given a new lease of life and odd sections have been turned into jewelry.
The future of The Odyssey is the classic regatta circuit, where Daniell will present the fruits of his labor and the value of classic restoration; even a yacht in such poor condition as The Odyssey can be saved and loved again.
This article was originally published in Number 42 of the SuperYacht Times newspaper. To read more stories like this and never miss another issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper, subscribe here.
