Of all the classic and luxury yachts in the world, only a few can convey an authentic open sea adventures, cruising and explorations. Almost no other motor yacht in Southeast Asia can promise a combination of old world charm, adventures and explorations, equipment and professional crew that CALISTO can offer. CALISTO, now a crewed yacht charter, was originally built in 1944 for the US Navy as an Y
MS-1 class minesweeper. Upon its completion, she sailed the open Ocean to the UK and served in the Royal Navy of Great Britain. After World War II and a decade of glorious service, her voyage soon charted a new course and adventure. In 1954, Thomas Loel Guinness - the Irish tycoon and former Minister of Parliament, converted and fitted Calisto out for his private use. He also discovered La Calypso in Malta and benevolently acquired the boat, transformed her into an oceanographic ship for Jacques Cousteau. Under Guinness' devoted supervision, CALISTO was brilliantly transformed into a luxury yacht for his own cruises across the seas. CALISTO was all about old world charm, dining pleasures, high sea adventures and explorations. She catered to the boating and luxury pleasures of the elite and well heeled. She sailed the waters of Greece and Britain, roamed the seas from Antibes to Sicily and all over the Mediterranean Sea in style, often in the company of celebrities and politicians. In the late 1960s, a French family purchased CALISTO. The Weiller family retained Calisto for four decades, home-porting her in a purpose-built slip in Antibes and sailing solely in the Mediterranean until her sale in 2007. It was another French man, Eric Merlin, who ensured her survival and restoration with a transfer of the ship in South-East Asia. Before joining her actual homeport in Phuket, Thailand, CALISTO underwent a major restoration and refit at the Raffles Shipyard in Singapore. Overseeing the refit, Merlin made good on his commitment to save her, rejuvenating CALISTO with a completely new hull, reconditioned engines, new electronics, air conditioning and a lot more. As such, CALISTO now appears equipped with everything required to sail gracefully through to celebrate her centenary in style.
