Improving Support for Maritime Training and Employment

It is now more than two and a half years since UK shipowners and seafarer unions submitted proposals to the British government calling for improving support for maritime training and employment measures.

Now Nautilus International the organisation that represents professional yachts crew are again calling upon the government to urgently adopt the package sought by all sides of the industry to help safeguard the future supply of skilled and experienced British maritime professionals.

They have instigated an online petition that calls upon the Prime Minister to take urgent measures to safeguard the continued supply of UK seafarers by acting on the employment and training proposals that were first presented to the government by maritime unions and employers in April 2007. Professional yacht crew are being asked to sign the online petition. Robert Garside asks, " Those of you who have not yet done so please could you to take a few minutes to sign the E-petition. Please also ask family and friends. Every little helps as I am sure you know!” The link is as follows: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Seafarers/ They have been driven to make such a move following the recent announcement by the Maersk Company – one of the largest employers and trainers of British Merchant Navy seafarers – that it is making almost one-third of its UK officers redundant and reducing employment opportunities for newly qualified trainees, the need for action is greater than ever.

Dutch Builder launches 85.47m Super Yacht

Photographs: Pamela Jones

Superyacht Y705 Launched by Oceanco

In an operation that took three days to complete Oceanco the Dutch super yacht builder has successfully launched Y705 their 85.47m superyacht with the easily identifiable eye-catching teal coloured hull.

Y705, as yet unnamed, is scheduled to be delivered in early 2010is based on the yards proven Y700 platform. Her exterior is by Björn Johansson Design and her interior by Terence Disdale Design under the specific guidance of her owners.

All exterior decks have been designed to include water features which blend perfectly with the beautifully curved superstructure. Built-in features, such as table tops concealed in the ceiling, make her suitable for functions from as intimate dinners to cocktail parties.

The VIP cabin and four guest cabins which connect to each other are all on the main deck. The dining room can be converted into a video conference room with the optional use of the adjacent library. The donward foldable exterior bulwark ensures guests get an unrestricted view while dinner is being served.

The Master suite with its own pool balcony, is on the upper deck as is a sleeping cabin and a full beam lounge. The deck also contains a second VIP cabin and study which lies behind it. That cabin and study have drop down sea balconies and can also be connected with the Master suite, to create one large living area.

The bridge deck features a spa and a lounge which can also be converted into a movie theatre was designed by the owner who has given the area its bamboo finish. The owners’ input is evident in the layout of the spa lounge.

On the sun deck a semi enclosed air-conditioned bar, fully equipped with cooking facilities, separates the forward spa area from the aft sun-bed lounge deck.

Specifications

• Builder: Oceanco –Alblasserdam Yachtbuilding B.V.
• Type: Steel Hull and aluminum superstructure
• Length overall 85.47m / 280.41ft
• Beam overall 14.20m / 46.59ft
• Fuel capacity 287,600 litres / 75,976 US gallons
• Engine 2 x 4,680hp / 3,492kW MTU 16V 595 TE 70
• Maximum speed approximately 20 knots
• Classification X100 A1 SSC Yacht (P) MONO G6 XLMC UMS
• MCA Large Commercial Yacht Code (LY2)
• Owner: Master suite, Master VIP, owners’ lounge, study and private exterior deck area with whirlpool,
• Guests: 2 double VIP suites, 2 double guest cabins, 2 twin guest cabins
• Naval architect Oceanco / Azure
• Exterior designer Björn Johansson Design
• Interior designer Terence Disdale Design

Super Yacht Designer Ready for Take Off

Andrew Winch releases Superyacht and Private Aircraft designs

It’s been five years since Andrew Winch Designs launched their first online portfolio and who could have appreciated how important the internet would become way back then! To mark the occasion the firm has updated and launched a brand new portfolio.

Some projects are confidential and are not included, but still many on the site have never been seen before.

Originally known as a Yacht designer, the firm now has strong Aviation and Architectural design teams as well. Their work, be it for a yacht, plane or land based project is all highly individual, beautifully detailed and executed precisely and the company prides itself with the knowledge that it is able to personify a Client’s vision and deliver their own signature in a beautiful and unique project.

The new portfolio will be updated regularly showing all of the latest launched projects as well as all the latest press releases on news and achievements by AWD It gives a good overview of what the firm is currently working on.

Jersey Gives Super Yachts a Tax Break

Channel Island Issues Incentive to Ensure Superyachts Stay Longer

Jersey one of the Channel Islands is about to change its local taxes to make them more attractive to keeping superyachts in the island and the inhabitants are not happy with the idea

Currently yachts owned by non-residents are allowed to stay in the island for one year before they incur a three per cent GSD tax.

Now the plan is to extend that period by six months.

The new rules also allow the 18-month time period to restart if the yacht leaves Jersey waters for a period of longer than 14 days before returning.

A quick trip to St Malo for 14 days and the tax free period starts all over again.

Locally it was estimated that about ten per cent of the value of a yacht was spent each year in keeping it in a port, so a £10 million yacht would attract spending of about £1 million in the island annually.

Many locals are of the opinion that giving the non resident wealthy superyacht owners tax breaks they are promoting the idea that the island is a tax haven for the wealthy at a time when residents are facing the prospect of higher taxes themselves

Italian Super Yacht Builder Ceases Trading

Superyacht Yard CNP Leaves Workers Unpaid

Cantiere navale di Pesaro the shipyard that produced commercial ships and recently strayed in to super yacht building has ceased trading leaving workers demanding back wages.

The shipyard owned by the Careri family since 2005 built the Naumachos 105 as part of a co operation with American brokers Bartram and Brakenhoff. The chunky looking yacht whose interior was designed by Aldo Cichero was unusual in that she had two master cabins. She also boasted a fuel capacity of over 70,000 litres to give her a world exploring range of 9,000 miles at 9 knots.

In March of this year the company had announced that the hull of the first Naumachos 82' with Hybrid propulsion had been finished, with delivery expected in summer 2010.

Superfast Super Yacht Builder is Named

Wally to build Aeroyacht 110 Superyacht

Wally has been appointed to build the new Aeroyacht 110 a fast catamaran being sold through the offices of yacht brokers YCO

To date the builder has created nearly 40 advanced composite sailing yachts and the new facilities in Ancona boasts a oven capable of post-curing yachts up to 80 metres.

Gregor Tarjan, founder of Aeroyacht said, “Wally is renowned for its groundbreaking designs, which constantly reinvent and reinterpret the traditional approach.”

Heading up naval architecture on each project will be performance multihull specialists Morrelli & Melvin, multihull designers of world record catamarans such as Playstation and the US America's Cup Stars and Stripes, will work closely with the designers and the shipyard.

Luca Bassani, Wally President and founder said, “we have been approached by several multihull designers but never found a project to reflect our concept combining performance, style, comfort with safety. With this boat however, the technical characteristics and the aesthetics match those of our own yachts.”

Ben Bartlett, who heads up the specialised sail division of YCO masterminded the collaboration, He hopes the first yachts will hit the water late 2011. “The levels of interest we have received so far indicate that this is an exciting and important development in the industry.”

Superfast RIB Attracts Super Yacht Buyers

Superyachts Seeking Tenders are Favouring the Goldfish

The Goldfish 36 designed and built by Goldfish Boat AS in Norway as a super fast, leisure RIB is attracting great interest among those seeking to buy a tender for use on a superyacht with the UK distributor announcing a sharp upturn in interest in the boats following their launch at Southampton Boat Show this year .

Several were sold during the show and the boat has already been entered for the next Round Britain Race, while other potential buyers intend to use the boats as tenders for their other yachts. The 36 has been built using the highest quality materials and fittings with every attention to detail needed for the helmsman and passengers to safely enjoy high speeds on water even in rough sea states. The small cabin built into the main control pod, has two occasional berths and plenty of room to store equipment.

Power comes from two Yanmar 315hp diesels tuned up to 380hp, these Dmax Yanmars are therefore highly compact for their power, reducing weight and providing up to 80 knots in most conditions.

James Sydenham General Manager of Salterns Boatyard the UK distributor, commented, "We have been busy with trials following Southampton and it shows that the market is still strong for the high standards of quality that these boats offer. They are comfortable at speed and virtually no other leisure RIB will even get close"

The boat has been built with a stepped decompressing hull to provide exceptional manoeuvrability on the water. Hydraulically dampened seating for 6 makes her an ideal RIB Tender for fast trips ashore irrespective of weather and fun as a leisure boat.

Super Yachts to Carry Scrubbers

The Need to cut Emissions will change Superyachts Exhaust Systems

"Scrubbers (also known as exhaust gas cleaning or flue gas desulphurisation systems) are not new.

Widely used in shore based factories and power stations, only recently has their application to marine vessels been considered.

According to a new report, from the consulting firm Accenture the marine environment has been one of the few areas of transportation to remain relatively unscathed by emissions regulation.

This may, in the future, have an impact super yacht exhausts, which have experienced little in the way of innovation; while sulphur emissions in road fuels have decreased significantly, there has been little or no change in sulphur emissions from marine transportation.

However, radical new legislation governing sulphur emissions from marine vessels has brought scrubbing technology to a position of prominence. In response to increasing pressure from international agencies and governments, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has now agreed an approach to achieving a limit of 0.5 percent sulphur emissions from marine vessels (2020) from 4.5 percent today.

A phased implementation in several Emissions Control Areas (ECAs) means that some vessels must comply with heightened limits today (a 1.5-percent limit in Baltic Sea and North Sea).82.

To meet this requirement, vessels must either switch to low-sulphur fuel oil (LSFO) or use a scrubber to extract sulphur from exhaust emissions.

Could Super Yachts Run on Batteries?

Algae-based biofuels, could in future, power superyachts

Several low-emission technologies have the potential to transform the transport industry in future years, according to a new report, from the consulting firm Accenture. The report identifies 12 technologies including algae-based biofuels, next-generation internal combustion engines and electrification, that it considers are most likely to quickly transform the transport sector. Some of these may also have an impact on the super yacht industry

“Among the most exciting for super yachts would be algae-based biofuels however these will be the most difficult and will take the longest to bring to commercial scale,” said Charles Howorth one of the contributors to the report.

The report goes on to highlight the need to bridge the gap between long-term solutions such as algae-based fuels, by providers looking to existing technologies in the short-term. For instance, significant efficiency gains are possible in next-generation engines. The ability to produce fuel from waste currently exists in laboratories and in pilot-scale projects, but the potential game-changer for the traditional fuels sector at sea would be electrification of super yacht engine rooms. That, the report says technology, is however, held back by battery costs and other constraints.

All Go at Super Yacht Show

MYBA Superyacht Charter Show lines up New Features

Sint Maarten Superyacht Charter Show is setting course for success with a host of new special events that will take place over the period.

The show will be different this year in that the Sint Maarten Marine Trades Association have together with Show Owners MYBA agreed to exhibit superyachts for sale along side yachts offered for charter.

Yachts that will be on show are organising a Yacht Hop for Saturday, Dec 5th from 6 to 9pm. Passports will be issued to charter brokers to be stamped upon boarding. Stamped passports must be presented the following night at the “All on Allure” party. The passport(s) with the most stamps is eligible for a fabulous prize.

The “All on Allure” party takes place on Sunday, Dec 6th from 7 to 10pm with the yachts builders and owners Shadow Marine acting as hosts.

All attendees are invited to enter the 1st Annual “Brokers Got Talent” Show aboard as well as the Karaoke and Cocktail Competitions. Stamps on passports will be counted naming a winner “Yacht Hopper of the Year”.

Additionally at the show there will be a Concours De Chefs Competition
with registration now open. There are only 20 slots available so click HERE for the theme and the registration form.

New Caribbean Super Yacht Crew Show

Superyacht Brokers Sign on as Sponsor

Following events staged in Antibes and Palma de Mallorca earlier this year, CrewShow a trade exhibition focused exclusively on professional yacht crew has announced its first Caribbean event: CrewShow- St Maarten. The new show is scheduled for Saturday, January 9, 2010, at Yacht Club at Isle de Sol, an Island Global Yachting (IGY) marina.

The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals (TSGYP) have signed on to sponsor this inaugural event.

CrewShow founder Celia Wagstaff will host the new event together with Brian Deher, IGY Marina Manager for Yacht Club Isle de Sol.

“The show runs from morning to evening at one of the best venues on the island,” said Celia. “Anyone interested in attending should mark the date and ensure they are part of what promises to be one of the Caribbean’s most talked-about events in 2010.”

“I am really excited at the prospect of bringing CrewShow to the Caribbean, especially with Brian on the team providing local knowledge and expertise,” Celia said.

Sint Maarten Super Yacht Show Changes Direction

What was a Charter only show will now offer Superyachts for Sale

This year in what is a new initiative, MYBA will be opening the doors of its St Maarten-based Caribbean charter show to yachts, which are explicitly offered for sale.

The brokerage association entered into its controversial partnership with St. Maarten charter yacht show organisers several years ago, with a view to creating another show for super yachts for charter in the Caribbean. In those days super yacht charter business was booming, and the benefits, both to charter agents, the yachts they represented, and to show organisers the Sint Maarten Marine Trades Association (SSMMTA), were considerable and it was hoped that the show would rival that of Antigua.

Times however are now somewhat different and MYBA president Neil Cheston says, “2009 has brought austerity and changes to the super yacht industry and has taken the initiative to invite yachts for sale to a new category within the St Maarten Show.” Lucille Frye, show organiser of the event said, “The, and in fact the whole community in St Maarten, do a first class job with this show, and MYBA is as keen as the SMMTA to make the show a resounding success and generate yachting business,” says Neil Cheston. “It makes perfect sense to take advantage of the superb facilities at the St Maarten Show to sell a few yachts as well as booking charters for the upcoming season.”

Super Yacht Big City for Sale E Bay Style

World’s first online auction for Superyachts opens

The 46 metre Super Yacht Big City built by Trinity Yachts is one of a host of superyachts offered by sale on a new internet site that is being dubbed the millionaires e Bay

The Xchange describes itself as the world’s first online auction and trade site for luxury items where members are able to buy, sell, bid-on, auction, and or exchange luxury items all around the world

Other items suggested for trading include a mansion in Beverly Hills a Chateau in France, or your antique Rolls Royce for a new model Bentley, or even a bottle of your 1802 Chateau Lafitte for a bottle of 1947 Cheval Blanc. “The possibilities,” say the site owners “are literally endless.”

Wholesalers, retailers, manufacturers and private parties, are all being welcomed to join by registering for membership, a stringent process in which unqualified and or undesirable are screened out.

Those who get through the process and wish to advertise their listings can do so without hassle and say the site owners, “at a fraction of the costs of other so called Luxury sites.” In addition to regular listings,

The company charges sellers a fee of five per cent of the sales and claims that had fees been charged during an initial test phase approximately $8.75 million in revenue would have been generated

the company will be publishing a free BillionaireXchange flash online magazine in which they plan to keep their elite clientele up to date on new luxury items and pertinent material.

Failing GPS Satellites May Cause Problems

Without GPS, Astro Navigation will again become important

It may be time for Superyacht Captains to Dust off their Sextant Skills. The much relied on GPS navigation satellite system operated and maintained by; the US Air Force is, we are told, currently beset by several on-going crises.

The latest satellite added to the system earlier this year in March has already developed a complex signalling interference fault, degrading its navigational signals, and preventing its inclusion in the current group of ageing satellites, 30 of which orbit 12,500 miles above the Earth, arranged in planes of six for global coverage.

The next possible launch, which was due to take place February next year, has already been delayed because there is not a spare rocket available in which to send it into orbit

To compound the problem further, Lt Col David Goldstein, Chief Engineer, GPS Wing, American Air Force told delegates at the European Navigation Conference, in Naples, Italy that they will launch no further satellites until the interference problem is solved.

Writing in the journal “ Spaceflight Now” Stephen Clark reports that the American equivalent of the National Audit Office, the Government Accountability Office has published a report for Congress, detailing delays and schedule uncertainty, raising doubt as to the ability of the U.S. Air Force to maintain the current system and its necessary replacements.

The report states, “It is yet uncertain whether the Air Force will be able to acquire new satellites in time to maintain current GPS service without interruption. If not, some military operations and some civilian users could be adversely affected.”

Perhaps it is time for Superyacht Captains to look again at re acquiring the skills of the astro-navigator. With impeccable timing fellow yachtsman Allan Murray has provided the perfect vehicle to do just that in that he has written a book entitled Astro-navigation from Square One 2010 Priced at £19.95 the 289 page paperback book is available from the publishers website www.authorsonline.co.uk or through booksellers such as Amazon and Bookharbour. Very much in line with modern technology the same book is available as an E book for just £3.95 from the same sources.

I will be reviewing this book just as soon as I have been able to read and evaluate it and will report back once I have done so.

Super Yacht rudder repairs without drydocking

Permanent repairs no longer cause superyachts to drydock.

Major defects on rudders very often cause unscheduled drydocking of super yachts. Loss of charter revenue or use by owner can be significant costs factors should such an incident arise. The Belgium based company Hydrex has developed an entirely new method enabling permanent repairs to rudders without drydocking and could prove to be a cost effective way of solving a problem.

The new method designed by the company’s in house technical department allows engineers, welders and inspectors to perform their tasks in dry conditions. Class approved permanent repairs in-situ, without moving the yacht, are now possible and commercial operations can continue. Steel repairs and replacements can be performed and pintle and bushing defects can be solved without the loss of time and money associated with drydocking.

The newly designed equipment is lightweight and can be mobilised very rapidly in special air freight containers. Therefore this new service is now available worldwide.

The equipment can be mobilised within hours to any port in the world. It will be available at the company headquarters in Antwerp and at offices in Tampa and Algeciras close by the Straits of Gibraltar.

Malta Shipyard Talks Fail

No New Owner Yet for Malta's Superyacht Repair Facility

The task of finding a new owner for the Malta Shipyards Ltd's super yacht facility has hit yet another brick wall now that bidders have been asked to submit fresh proposals because, according to local newspaper reports, earlier offers were considered unsatisfactory.

The Islands government informed of bidders yesterday of their decision saying that, after considering the submitted proposals and following clarification meetings, none of the plans were found to be satisfactory.

The process for the privatisation of the shipyards started in the middle of 2008 and included an early retirement scheme, taken up by almost all its workers. It has seen the facilities of Malta Shipyards divided into four units: the ship repair yard in Cospicua, the former Marsa shipbuilding yard, the super yachts facility in Cospicua and Manoel Island Yacht Yard.

A total of 14 bids were received, of which three were for the ship repair facilities, five for Malta Super Yachts Facility, three for the shipbuilding facilities and three for Manoel Island Yacht Yard.

Preferred bidders had already been selected for the Marsa yard and the Manoel Island facility at the beginning of summer.

Super Yacht Transporter to Make Bahama Stop

Semi Submersible to Deliver Superyachts to Freeport

Dockwise Yacht Transport, a yacht transport carrier that specialises in the transport of super yachts is to make its first voyage from the USA to The Bahamas this weekend with some 6-8 yachts. She will discharge her cargo in Grand Bahama Island.

Clemens van der Werf company President said his ships would serve the Bahamas on a shuttle style service, assisting owners avoiding harsh North American winters to enjoy summer-like weather in The Bahamas returning them when the weather changes.

Services will operate from Newport, Rhode Island on the East and Long Beach on the West coast of mainland USA with the first expected to arrive in Freeport, Grand Bahama, between November 7^th and 8th. Most of the carried yachts are expected to stay in The Bahamas for the winter.

Locals in The Bahamas, hope that with more boats arriving each year the Islands economy will get a boost as they generate revenue through use of Marinas – electricity, water, dockage fees, restaurants, hotels and everyday supplies. Government Officials are quoted as saying “In many cases, the owners will have family and friends joining them in The Bahamas periodically and therefore, we are glad that with the global recession proving a challenge to some of the most stable economies globally, Our aggressive efforts at finding means to diversify the way visitors arrive in our Islands, is truly paying off.

Dockwise additionally transport yachts to St. Thomas, in U.S. Virgin Islands and Martinique in the Windwards.

Yachts arriving in The Bahamas will be able to benefit from the assistance of Bradford Marine Bahamas, a local shipyard that has full services including haul-outs, mechanical, electrical, hydraulic as well as structural and coating.

Van Der Werf said at the Fort Lauderdale boat show that he was pleased that his company was finally able to transport yachts to the area. He said that over the years his company has received requests for transport but were unable to do so economically without help.

Donna Blom, Regional Manager of Dockwise said talks started as much as ten years ago, but did not get serious until about two years-ago, when they began discussions with the Bahamas Tourist Office.

Grand Bahama Island offers easy accessibility with Freeport offering the water depth necessary for docking down of the semi submersible ship,inside a sheltered cove where there are no currents or high waves to damage the sides of the yachts.

Dockwise Yacht Transport uses semi submersible yacht carriers to transport vessels throughout the world including, Spain, Italy, France, Turkey, Mexico, Costa Rica, Australia and New Zealand.

Super Yacht Charter Shows Go Green

Caribbean Superyacht Shows Offset Carbon Footprint

Both the Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting and the MYBA Sint Maarten Charter Show have been at each others throats for the past few years, each trying to establish themselves as the Caribbean’s number one charter yacht show.

Capitalising on their rivalry, Mark Robinson Managing Director of Yacht Carbon Offset’s has persuaded both shows to offset greenhouse gas emissions from the events. The decisions made by each of the show organisers reflect the growing number of yacht owners and charterers seeking to compensate for their vessels’ carbon footprint.

Paul Deeth, of the Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting said: “With the show coincident with the UN Summit in Copenhagen, the issue of greenhouse gases is set to remain at the top of the agenda. So the opportunity to take pragmatic action is both timely and relevant. Our gathering has traditionally been a place to share new ideas and we are pleased to help bring this concept to the attention of yacht owners, charterers and those that support them.”

Lucille Frye, Show Manager of the MYBA Sint Maarten Charter Show said: “Our show brings together Captains, brokers, vendors, media and other industry professionals from around the world, and is a great opportunity to consider carbon offsetting within the industry.”

Purchasing carbon offset emission certificates can be added to the costs of any super yacht charter, and is a monetarily proportionate response that is achieved by buying into independently verified green energy projects, where a quality assurance certification programme underpins the effectiveness of the action.

Palm Beach Attracts Bigger Super Yachts

New Superyacht Berths in Florida

The new Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach opened during the Fort Lauderdale show offering a new location for yachts to go when they leave the show.

With 165 dedicated boat slips and more than 5,000 linear metres of dockage, there is plenty of space that is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Boats can stay a night or two, monthly, seasonally or annually.

The marina is located south of the Flagler Bridge, on the site of a marina originally owned by the city of West Palm Beach first built in the early 1950s.

Leisure Resorts LLC took over the lease and decided to build Palm Harbor closing the marina late last year.

Existing fixed docks were removed, the old seawall was replaced and the area was dredged. Floating concrete docks were installed by April of this year and the basin dredged.

The old marina could handle boats up to 20 metres with a few slips up to 45 metres. Marina manager John Smundin says, ”The new marina has slips for boats from 20 metres and upwards to 50 metres. The main docks are 5 metres wide, and finger piers for each slip are the same lengths of the boats that will be docked there, which is uncommon.”

Each slip has its own power pedestal, so boats can be put where their power needs can be met and the marina has its own fuel dock. In time a clubhouse with a fitness centre and game room as well as a gourmet shop and office space will be added to the marina facilities.