Best of the Web: Green boat and yachting news

February 29, 2012
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Going retro to create a green cargo ship

An article on Tecca.com has mentioned how UK renewable energy firm B9 Shipping is going retro when it comes to designing fossil free cargo ships. Specifically, B9 Shipping’s idea is to create cargo ships with electronically-controlled sails that will eliminate the need for large crews and complicated rigging. The ships will also be equipped with energy-efficient Rolls Royce engines that are fuelled by biogas.

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Update about the upcoming America’s Cup in San Francisco

The San Francisco Chronicle has recently provided an update about the upcoming America’s Cup that the city will be hosting next summer. It was noted that on December 1, the final environmental analysis of the America’s Cup spanning a total of eight volumes was released and race organizers are confident that its “thorough enough to withstand a lawsuit…..”

America’s Cup foes lack support

In addition and in a city where Happy Meals and paper shopping bags can lead to protests and strong opposition, the San Francisco Chronicle’s America’s Cup blog has pointed out that a University of San Francisco poll found support at nearly 80% among residents – despite the fact that a small group of activists have filed an appeal to try and stop everything.

The first zero carbon superyacht tender

If you are feeling guilty that your superyacht is not eco-friendly enough, the Emax Super Marine 45 is being touted as the world’s first zero carbon superyacht tender as its equipped with a GM Allison Hybrid Transmission that consumes 40% less fuel or it can be powered on a 32KWh Lithium UPS at speeds of 25 knots. Guilt though is costly, as the Emax Super Marine 45 will set you back between €605,000 ($810,125) and €645,000 ($863,690) depending on the variant.

New crewed yacht charter for Tahiti

MSNBC has mentioned that the Moorings luxurious Crewed Yacht Charter vacation option in Tahiti is now available aboard their spacious Moorings Signature 18 meter (58 foot) catamaran. The new addition to The Moorings Tahiti fleet offers guests three luxurious guest staterooms with private en-suite baths while an all-inclusive vacation includes gourmet chef-prepared meals, a premium full bar and plenty of water toys.

The Robb Report’s 21 ultimate gifts

Near the end of every year, the Robb Report comes out with an “Ultimate Gifts” issue of exclusive gift ideas with the latest issue featuring a superyacht built by Italy’s Perini Navi and designed by Philippe Briand that starts at just $130 million (€100 million) for the 73 meter (240 foot) version. No word on an after holiday discount!

Best of the Web: Green boat and yachting news

February 24, 2012
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A €110 million superyacht that is also a green boat

CNN has an article about and a slideshow of the ultimate green superyacht: The 82 meter (270 feet) PJ World yacht that is being built in Norway and comes with a €110 million ($150 million) price tag. Guests have the choice of arriving at the boat via a submarine through “James Bond-style” doors or on a helicopter that can then be safely stored in an on-board hangar. Even better, the superyacht uses the latest in green technology with the hull’s shape and medium speed diesel engine producing low carbon emissions.

Price cut on a superyacht

Looking for a deal on a relatively new superyacht? The 62.5 meter (205 foot) superyacht Icon has just undergone a major price reduction of €3 million ($3.9 million) and is now being listed for just €49.5 million ($64.6 million).

The three best cruises (…for the superrich)

Wondering what the best cruise is for the superrich? According to A Luxury Travel Blog, those looking for six star cruise aboard a luxury cruise ship or your own yacht should consider: 1) South America and the Panama Canal, 2) From Auckland (New Zealand) to Australia and 3) Charter a yacht to Alaska.

Shipyards feel the pinch but Yacht builders keep cruising ahead

The Financial Times recently had an article about an almost hidden area of expertise for Istanbul: The building of luxury yachts. In fact, producing luxury yachts is helping to keep Turkish shipyards afloat.

A green superyacht fit for a queen

The Daily Mail has apparently launched a campaign to give the queen a new superyacht that would also be an eco-friendly green boat. Codenamed FSP21, the superyacht would be a four masted sailing ship that combines royal accommodations with maritime education, research and adventure training. More importantly, the superyacht would be carbon neutral thanks to solar power generated from 8,630 square meters or roughly 90,000 square feet of sails.

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Picture source: http://www.luxuo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Queen-of-England-megayacht.jpg

Historic sailing yacht continues to sail

Mainline Media News has reported that the Sea Cloud is as elegant today as when heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post and her husband, Wall Street tycoon E.F. Hutton, launched her in order to create the largest, most opulent sailing private yacht ever built. Today, the Sea Cloud accommodates 58 guests in 30 cabins plus two Owner’s Suites, which go for as much as €25,350 ($33,080) and €19,710 ($25,720), on voyages around the Adriatic and the Eastern Mediterranean.

David Geffen’s superyacht collection

February 9, 2012
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Hollywood mogul David Geffen was recently in Mallorca to show off his latest superyacht acquisition: The $300 million 115 meter (or 377 foot) Pelorus – the nineteenth largest yacht in the world. Previously owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abravomich who had to hand it over to Irina Abramovich in 2009 as part of a divorce settlement, the superyacht was then sold via broker Merle Wood to David Geffen in 2011.

The Pelorus is reportedly equipped with a few standard superyacht features such as a swimming pool, spa pool, two helipads, a private owner’s deck that comes with 180 degree panoramic views and a garage full of various “toys” for the enjoyment of passengers. Otherwise, little is known about Pelorus’s interiors as Abramovich was always highly security conscious when he owned it.

However, this is actually David Geffen’s second superyacht to be among the top 20 largest yachts in the world as last year he also purchased Larry Ellison’s 138 meter (or 453 foot) Rising Sun – the world’s eighth largest yacht which reportedly cost $200 million to build.

The Rising Sun has 82 rooms on five storeys and a total living area of more than 8,000 square meters. In addition, the superyacht features 3,300 square meters of deck space outfitted in teak along with a wine cellar, gymnasium/spa and a private cinema fitted with a giant plasma screen.

No word on why Geffen owns or needs two of the largest superyachts in the world and how his environmentally conscious Hollywood friends view his not so green superyacht collection. However, Geffen is worth more than $4 billion – meaning he can more than offset any carbon impact from his superyacht collection by donating to any number of environment causes.

How to prevent boat theft

February 6, 2012
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If you think that boat thefts are isolated incidents that tend to occur off the Horn of Africa coast by armed Somali pirates and don’t occur at “secure” marinas or anchorages, think again. In fact, a recent article on the Boat Trader blog noted that the National Insurance Crime Bureau has reported that there were 19,854 watercraft thefts between January 1, 2006 and March 31, 2009 just in the United States and the Virgin Islands. Moreover, less than half of these stolen vessels were recovered.

Worst, many of the stolen boats ended up being stripped down and sold in secondary markets or they were then used to smuggle people into Mexico or the USA. This means that if your boat gets stolen, you have little hope of getting it back in the condition you last saw it in.

In addition, law-enforcement agencies say that they are now seeing more professional thieves target high-value and high-performance boats while insurance companies are starting to place costly theft warranties and deductibles on their boating insurance policies.

However, there are some measures you can take to limit your exposure to boat theft. For starters, consult with your marina about what kind of security they offer and more importantly, keep an eye out for any suspicious activity when you are at the marina. Moreover, do not keep any valuables or valuable equipment that can be easily removed aboard your boat or in an unlocked location aboard. Finally, install an ignition interlock or a remote power cut-off switch along with an audible alarm system that will both detect and deter intruders.

For boat owners, GreenCat can install the latest in security monitoring and theft prevention devices in your catamaran in order to ensure that your boat does not end up as another stolen boat statistic.

Automate your yacht like rapper P. Diddy

February 2, 2012
Automation
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Rap mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs has completely automated his new luxury yacht “Solemates” with 14 iPads to control just about everything on board – including all on-board entertainment, climate settings, lights and blinds. In fact, P. Diddy’s iPad can even summon the crew to bring refreshments to passengers while all guests on board are given their very own iPad to use for the duration of any cruise.

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However and if you want to completely automate your catamaran, don’t expect to visit the Apple app store to download a few apps anytime soon. Instead, GreenCat customers who choose the Green Tech Yacht Automation Option will not only get the benefits of automation, they will also receive a unique remote control system that comes with automatic health checks to make your boat both safer and more reliable. Moreover, the system will detect problems before you arrive at the marina – meaning you won’t waste your time preparing for a sail only to discover that your boat is not as prepared as you are.

Specific components or options in the GreenCat automation package include the following:

  • Boat automation central.
  • Bridge to navigation systems.
  • Boat sensor package that covers water, temperature, humidity, power, engine and air conditioning.
  • Self health check system.
  • Remote control system.
  • Camera systems for engine rooms and bilges.
  • Underwater camera.
  • Lighting system with dimmers and LED.

Just like P. Diddy, you can control GreenCat’s system on board using notebooks or tablet PCs or even remotely from home. However and unlike P. Diddy’s boat, which reportedly costs as much as $850,000 a week to operate and maintain, a GreenCat boat or the Green Tech Yacht Automation Option won’t break the bank.

(Hat Tip CEPro)

Celebrating the 1%: The truth about luxury yachts and their owners

January 31, 2012
Opinion
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The so-called 1% or “one percenters” who can afford luxury yachts and superyachts have been vilified by Occupy Wall Street along some politicians but US Congressman Allen West from Florida has recently written an article in Politico to defend the one percent who own superyachts or can afford yachts in general. In the article, Rep. West pointed out the following facts:

  • South Florida’s marine industry alone supports more than 200,000 workers.
  • Each superyacht built will require more than 1,000 workers to complete.
  • Ten percent of the purchase price for each yacht will go towards maintenance each and every year – work that is performed by mechanics, dock hands, cleaners and other service staff who are members of the so-called 99%.

The point? Rep. West does not want you to feel guilty about owning any type of luxury yacht or superyacht because you will be helping to employ hundreds of thousands of employees or thousands of small, often family owned businesses (that also happen to be located in his Florida congressional district….)

Moreover, Rep. West pointed out that soon Florida will have one of the best superyacht facilities in the world. Specifically, the Rybovich Superyacht Marina in Riviera Beach will have a 2,500-ton-capacity lift that will enable the facility to haul yachts to 90 meters or 300 feet and service ones up to 120 meters or 400 feet dockside – work that tends to be done overseas right now. Rybovich also estimates that their Riviera Beach superyacht marina project will cost $45.5 million and create 1,000 jobs on site plus generate $630 million for Palm Beach county with $111 million of that going to the town of Riviera Beach.

In other words, there is no need to feel guilty about owning a having a superyacht or luxury yacht of any kind – especially if your boat is also a green eco-friendly one!

Best of the web

December 30, 2011
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Star Clippers: Experience the age of sail in luxury

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If you want to experience the age sale with all the modern conveniences of a luxury cruise boat, A Luxury Travel Blog has a profile of the 134 meter (440 feet) long five masted sailing yacht Royal Clipper along with her smaller sisters, the Star Clipper and Star Flyer. This fleet of sailing boats provides a luxurious and thoroughly modern alternative to the usual cruise.

Picture Source: http://www.starclippers.com/us/our-fleet/royal-clipper.html

Five steps for safely boarding a boat

For land lovers and even experienced sailors alike, the daily boater has a quick guide to safely boarding and de-boarding a sailing craft. If you don’t think that you need to read a guide about how to properly board or de-board a boat, its worth noting that the post’s author, Captain John, ended up as a human fender after a misstep on a dew-soaked deck.

Cold water rescue and recovery

Mario Vittone, a frequent writer about maritime safety, has written a lengthy and must read article about cold water recovery along with his own personal experience as a guinea pig in a cold water rescue where, after signing a legal release, he allowed himself to be immersed in cold water to the point of hypothermia.

Bang & Olufsen outfits a Skagen megayacht

Bang & Olufsen, a Danish maker of high end audiovisual components, has teamed up with Skagen, another well known Danish brand, to create Skagen’s new 37 meter (121 foot) AeroCruiser 38 II – which is filled with a whole range of custom-made audio and video products.

How vulnerable is your yacht to cyber security threats?

Pirates on the high seas and theft while docked at a marina are well known threats to yacht owners but did you now that GPS, CCTV and access-control systems are subject to hacking? In a recent interview with Megayacht News, Trevor Bond, the head of sales for SELEX Elsag’s Marine & Yacht Technologies, explained just how vulnerable a boat could be to cyber threats.

How Greece became the yachting capital of the world

How Greece became a prime yachting destination was no accident according to an article on the website of Royal Charter Yachts. It was in large part due to Bill Lefakinis, a Greek born and US bred businessman who in 1969, began laying the groundwork to make Greece the yachting capital of the world.

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