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ETERNAL SPARK Yacht Launch Day & More…
From the 1st to the 6th of February 2024, the team & crew of ETERNAL SPARK yacht gathered in the West Istanbul Marina, the home of Bilgin Yachts shipyard. The reason for this gathering was the launch of m/y ETERNAL SPARK, Bilgin NB80, hull No. 1 50-meter series ... or as she has been internally called: “the “best 499 GTer in the world”.
Commemorating the launch of the first hull of the Bilgin 163 series, Berkay Yilmaz, the Commercial Director of Bilgin Yachts, had this to say:
”She is a superbly designed charter vessel yacht, with a great layout and plenty of spaces to enjoy whatever the day delivers. She has a sleek, sporty, and elegant exterior design with huge exterior space throughout the yacht, including a large beach club with full height sauna and day head.”
The captain of the motor yacht ETERNAL SPARK, Mr Mark Everard, was very pleased by the way she turned out, noting the volume of the exterior spaces on this amazing yacht:
“…the bow area for guests is a great multi-purpose area for lying in the sun, a sunrise workout, watching a movie on the outdoor screen cinema setup, or pre-dinner cocktails at sunset.”
These praises are well-deserved, considering how much time and energy went into designing and integrating every element of her interior and exterior. In this regard, her 6-cabin layout can accommodate up to 12 guests in complete lavishness and luxury.
From the bespoke marble, unique to each guest cabin, to the convenience of having a day head on each deck and five bars, Eternal Spark yacht can satisfy a large range of different tastes.
Future clients will also find that she has both an outdoor and indoor cinema setting, that will captivate guests, especially families with children.
On the other hand, the custom-made jacuzzi on the sundeck uses its glass bottom to allow sunlight direct entry into the interior foyer, where it reflects and refracts against the crystal chandelier in the middle of the staircase, projecting colourful lights all over the vessel.
This innovation, and many more similar to it, was spearheaded by Hot Lab studio and Enrico Lumini. However, ETERNAL SPARK`s interior design cannot be attributed to a single source; rather, it is the direct result of knowledge collected from industry leaders, managers, charter crew, and clientele.
Enrico Lumini highlighted the following:
“Noteworthy features include a full-height round glass wall separating the lobby from the main living room, a floating staircase, a skylight on the sundeck floor, and a stunning chandelier in the main lobby, all meticulously designed by Hot Lab.”
What has been done in this construction cycle of ETERNAL SPARK Yacht?
On the 1st of February, when it was decided that m/y ETERNAL SPARK had to leave the yacht production hangar, many preparations were needed to finally “walk her out” into the light of day.
It looked like there were over 150 people on the yacht at one time, removing the protective foil from every surface, sorting out tools, removing equipment, and checking crucial hull points, as well as lights, propeller shafts, lines, valves, exhausts… everything needed to be tested and secured before she could exit the production hangar.
To an observer, it may have seemed like the busy workers who were removing the protective foil were unwrapping a big Christmas present, with excited faces gleaming with pride and joy.
It is common practice that a protective layer in the form of a foil is applied on every surface of the yacht after the final paint or topcoat is added, depending on the material and location.
This includes everything from doors and door frames to glass and wood panelling on all surfaces, like bars, walls, and dividers. On the lower deck, the guest cabins presented a detailed task, since there are so many integrated elements involved.
Thus, the morning of the 1st welcomed m/y ETERNAL SPARK fully wrapped, and it took nearly an entire day to finish this process.
Unwrapped, ETERNAL SPARK Yacht was placed on a cradle lift, – a long and flat vehicle used for yacht transfers. Finally, the slow process of manoeuvring the yacht outside the production hangar could begin. Once she was out, a travel lift was used to hoist the yacht from the cradle and place her on temporary chocks.
An interesting comment was made by one of the project managers, about how thrilling this moment was:
“The long-awaited day arrives, and she comes out to the natural light. She sparkles at the morning sun and for the first time, you start discovering her genuine beauty. You see all these people you work with, just standing in silence and admiring their work. Faces full of joy and pride!
Then, out of a sudden, and without any control or warning, you become really emotional… The pressure in your breath becomes heavy and the whole journey rushes through your mind.
You feel like it was yesterday when you started changing the drawings and making corrections that make her so unique… This moment will forever be engraved in my memory, and I am sure I will carry it with me into eternity.”
From the night of the 1st all throughout the 2nd of February, the construction teams were busy at work, mounting the radar and antenna mast, stabilization fins, and flag masts.
M/y ETERNAL SPARK boasts an X-Band radar and a Pulse Compression radar, alongside similar equipment like the chart plotting system and the autopilot system, with a gyro, magnetic and GPS compass. For the guest`s convenience, there is a Sat-TV antenna for satellite TV reception and a V-sat antenna for the internet and communication.
The ultimate reveal of ETERNAL SPARK Yacht
On Saturday the 3rd, m/y ETERNAL SPARK was once again lifted, but this time – for the first time ever in such form, she was slowly lowered into the sea.
The lowering in the water was marked ceremonially: the entire workforce of the Bilgin shipyard, including managers, workers, artisans, and the yacht crew, gathered to greet her with a big applause. All the people who worked tirelessly on this project came together at a single point in time and space to commemorate this glorious event.
Halil Uzunbabalar, the project manager of Eternal Spark, said this in unison with all the workers:
“After 2 years of hard work in the hangar, it’s time to take our daughter to the sea. We are excited and happy with all our teammates who contributed here. I am grateful and I take this opportunity to say thank you to all of them.
Standing here, I see we have done a great job! Congratulations! We all did our best to implement high expectations of the future yacht charter market.”
After the ceremony, the construction crew once again went to work, checking if there were any leaks under the water level.
Monday the 5th witnessed the arrival of an engineering team from Caterpillar, whose job it was to finalize the inspection of the generators and engine integration. ETERNAL SPARK yacht fields two CAT C32 with 1450bhp/1081Kw, paired with 3 CAT C4.4 generators, which produce 86 Kw each.
One by one, three generators followed by two main engines were started, and for the first time, set in motion. At the same time, the steering system was being inspected, alongside the main hydraulic lines; “Everything is working just great!”, said the leader of the engineering team, and the rest agreed.
Eternal Spark Yacht Unofficial Sea trails
The crucial moment arrived a day later when on the 6th of February, the Bilgin Shipyard Captain Mr. Halit made the long-awaited proposal: “Let’s give her a spin”. The question on everybody`s mind was: “Are we ready, is this really happening?” There was so much excitement centered around the yacht, that you could feel the positive tension among the crew.
The onlookers could observe the quiet confidence of Captain Halit`s hands as he tested the engines:
Starboard engine: first kick. forward – neutral…Starboard engine: second kick. forward – back to neutral…Both engines: kick forward – neutral…
…and m/y ETERNAL SPARK was out from the dock.
She displayed amazing numbers on her first unofficial sea trail, reaching the top speed of almost 17 knots, with minimal vibrations and a high degree of soundproofing throughout the entire yacht.
Currently, ETERNAL SPARK is located at her berth in West Istanbul Marina, where the last bit of work is being done, and it is expected that it will take several months until she is fully ready to sail out from Istanbul and into the first of many adventures for her.
Stay tuned for many more interesting stories related to ETERNAL SPARK Yacht.