From dream to reality – the story of NO DESTINATION

Imagine a yacht that embodies the spirit of adventure, blending rugged capability with luxurious comfort. NO DESTINATION, currently for sale with Burgess, is just such a yacht. We recently spoke to her owner, Mike Miniea, about her remarkable story, a tale of transformation, exploration, and a passion for the sea. It's a story Mike narrates with palpable enthusiasm, a saga of how a working nuclear submarine tender became a globe-trotting explorer.

From naval duty to a second chance

NO DESTINATION's story begins in 2009 as SD EVA, a workhorse for the Royal Navy. 'She was a submarine tender,' Mike explains, 'taking 36 crew members out to a nuclear submarine and back a couple of times a week.' Designed for speed, SD EVA was intended to streamline operations, replacing an older, much slower vessel. 'SD EVA ran at 22 knots so they would be able to make the round trip much quicker.' But the best-laid plans often go awry, and SD EVA's fate took an unexpected turn. 'They didn't do their due diligence,' Mike says with a touch of amusement, 'and once they started running it out to the submarines and going down the rivers in Scotland at 22 knots, the local authority got involved and informed them that the speed limit was only seven knots.'

The Navy's arguments fell on deaf ears. 'Despite arguing that they were doing work for the government,' he continues, 'they were forced to do the majority of their journey at seven knots or less.' The high-speed submarine tender became a slowpoke, a victim of bureaucratic regulations. After a mere 1,200 hours of service, SD EVA was decommissioned, a promising career cut short. For seven long years, she languished in 'Hot Lay-Up' in Greenock, Scotland, meticulously maintained by a dedicated team but utterly unused, a ghost ship awaiting resurrection.

A serendipitous encounter

Mike's path to NO DESTINATION was a journey in itself, a quest for the perfect vessel to match his adventurous spirit. 'When I was originally looking at yachts,' he recounts, 'I was looking at a Northern Marine. But they were having some financial difficulties and weren't building the yachts that they originally had years before.' A chance encounter at the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show sparked a new direction. He was captivated by a 55 meter Damen support vessel, its rugged lines and imposing presence igniting his imagination.

'It was the kind of vessel I’d always dreamed of. I looked up at that bow, which was probably a good 12 foot in the air, and knew that I had to take step on board.' He spent five hours on that yacht, soaking in the atmosphere and envisioning the possibilities, but ultimately decided that it was too big. Damen, however, wasn't interested in building the smaller vessel he desired.

So, Mike switched gears and decided to look for a used boat to refit instead. While travelling, he found SD EVA on Damen Trading’s website and contacted them straight away with an offer, only to find out that he was a day late. 

Then, while travelling in South Africa, a stroke of fate intervened. He stumbled upon SD EVA online again. 'I got hold of them straight away and said I was interested in the vessel,' he says, his voice filled with the excitement of discovery. This time, the stars aligned. 'They offered to hold it until I went over to the UK to inspect the vessel in Scotland, and I bought it that day. That was Thanksgiving 2019.'

The 30-month refit – a transformation story

Mike's vision for NO DESTINATION was bold and ambitious: 'My vision was always to create something like a support yacht, but this would be my only yacht so it had to have everything.' Inspired by his and his wife's epic cross-country RV adventure, a 40,000-mile odyssey across the United States, he wanted a yacht that could carry all the toys and facilitate similar escapades on the water. 'I wasn't into big white boats,' he declares emphatically. 'I was more into the yacht that could haul a lot of toys, had big open deck in the back, and I liked the bold look of Damen’s fast supply ships.'

The 30-month refit was a monumental undertaking, a complete transformation of SD EVA into NO DESTINATION. 'It was a serious commitment,' Mike readily admits. He became intimately involved in every aspect of the project, acting as project manager for a significant portion of the refit. 'I didn't want to go through a project manager,' he explains, 'as it's hard to communicate that dream to someone who then needs to figure out how to put that on paper.'