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Travel: an African cruise with Over the Rainbow

14 August 2024
Aberfeldy – the Highlanders’ golden dram
13 August 2024
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15 August 2024
Aberfeldy – the Highlanders’ golden dram
13 August 2024
Destinations: England, the Lake District, Gilpin Hotel
15 August 2024

The old lady and the sea


Scottish-born and a veteran of the Second World War, Over the Rainbow of London now provides the fortunate few with an unforgettable journey to the hidden gems of the East African coast


H er canvas taut and shining white, her woodwork gleaming with many decades of elbow grease, Over the Rainbow of London glides across a kingfisher-blue sea towards the sort of island that passing pirates could surely not have resisted as a place to bury a trove of two of ill-begotten treasure.

Up in the wheelhouse, skipper Tim Cooter surveys the scene with the relaxed, eye-narrowed competence of a hero from the pages of Ernest Hemingway, Joseph Conrad or Arthur Conan Doyle.

‘Every island we pass is completely different and each is fascinating in its own way,’ he says. ‘We might drop anchor and swim in places where maybe nobody has been in 10 years. We can find spots where the reefs are teeming with incredibly colourful life, completely undamaged, and where there isn’t another soul for miles and miles.’

These days, Over the Rainbow plies the warm and vivid waters in the vicinity of her home base, the luxurious Thanda Private Island.

If ships had feelings she’d probably be heaving something of a sigh of relief at this development, because her keel once ploughed its way through waters of an altogether less welcoming aspect.

Built as a nautical runabout for a Scottish entrepreneur, rumoured to have made his fortune producing tartan cloth for kilts, home was initially the chilly waters of that nation’s seas and lochs.

When peace slipped into war, Over the Rainbow firstly took part in the evacuation of British troops from Dunkirk in 1940, before receiving a coat of grey paint and venturing out into the North Sea as a coastal patrol vessel.

‘The yacht has the most incredible maritime and naval history,’ explains Cooter. ‘There is nothing like it, it’s a time machine and that’s reflected in the atmosphere on board; it’s really special.’


‘We upgraded the whole boat, transforming it from a vessel suited to the Mediterranean to one that could handle the open ocean.’


During the war the ship's saloon was transformed into the officers’ mess where, to alleviate the boredom of peering out across the ocean in search of Nazi raiders, they set up a dartboard, whose near-misses pockmark the woodwork to this day.

Generally, though, the ship was a lucky one. She dodged the mines, the U-boats and the low-flying Junkers Ju-88s and, when peace finally arrived, she headed to warmer, albeit less heroic, duties off the coast of Athens, where she became a floating casino.

The next 40 years were spent in various roles pottering around the Aegean and the Med until the yacht was spotted by a Belgian artist, who had her renovated to the tune of around €5m, ensuring her history was preserved while her facilities were upgraded.

In 2017 she was sold again, this time to Dan Olofsson, the Swedish entrepreneur whose business interests include Thanda Private Island, Thanda Safari and Thanda Cruise.

Olofsson commissioned Italian shipyard Cantieri Navali Di Sestri to overhaul the vessel and to ready her for a new life in East Africa.

Captain Cooter adds: ‘The restoration project was a major undertaking and required a lot of work. We upgraded the whole boat, transforming it from a vessel suited to the Mediterranean to one that could handle the open ocean.


‘Some days we sail south to the Rufiji Delta and beyond. We get to see the real Africa; no crowds, no one else around.’


‘We brought it up to class, installed the latest navigation systems and reworked its structural integrity so that it was better equipped to make the passage [between the Med and East Africa] and to handle the open seas.’

The restoration has left the vessel’s charm entirely intact, however. The four cabins are lined with oak and teak panels, their décor providing an appreciative nod to 1930s style.

Above decks the vibe is one of relaxed elegance with a low-key colour palette and artworks inspired by the region, while the sundeck is a glorious place from which to watch the African coast slip by.

‘We see extraordinary sights from up here,’ says Cooter, ‘from sand spits that come and go with the tide to islands like Pemba, with its superb beaches, to Zanzibar, with its heritage and fascinating architecture.

‘Sometimes we just cruise up the Tanzanian coast exploring the islands, meeting local people whose lives are pretty much the same as those of their great grandparents.

'On other days we sail south to the Rufiji Delta and beyond towards Mozambique. The options for exploration are endless. We get to see the real Africa; no crowds, no one else around.’

Guests generally join the boat at whichever island suits them best, Cooter adds. After that, the possibilities are many, though one preferred option is a stay at Thanda Island, an almost impossibly idyllic combination of white-sand beaches and shade-giving trees fringed by the turquoise seas of Tanzania’s Shungimbili nature reserve.

Accommodation here comprises a luxury villa and two laid-back beach chalets. The views and the sunsets are rivaled by few places in the world and the diving and snorkeling come with the opportunity to swim with wildlife such as whale sharks and manatees.

It’s a magical place, indeed, and there’s perhaps no more fitting way to arrive than upon the gleaming deck of the great nautical survivor that is Over the Rainbow.

Words: Staff

Thanda Island

Thanda Island forms part of a wider research and conservation project focused on, for example, sea turtles, dugongs and whale sharks, as well as the preservation and rehabilitation of the nearby coral reef.

The island provides a base for marine park rangers to patrol the western side of nearby Mafia Island (and several others) to stop illegal fishing.

The Thanda Island team also delivers an educational programme to the young people on Mafia, including lessons on sustainable fishing and marine conservation. Local people are employed on the island, where they are trained in high-end hospitality skills.


This article was originally published in Halcyon magazine in 2019


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