The Eclipse Anchors In Bermuda

Photo: Eclipse docked in St George's on Tuesday. Photo by Gillian Outerbridge

'World's Biggest Private Yacht' In Bermuda -- Bermuda Sun

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30: A multi-million dollar motor yacht cruised into St George’s Harbour yesterday morning.

The Eclipse was built for Russian billionaire and Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich in 2010. The mega-vessel is believed to be the world’s largest private yacht and reportedly comes complete with helicopter pads, mini-submarine and German-built missile defence system.

Eclipse pulled alongside at Penno’s Wharf at 8am and is expected to make the trip around Hamilton Harbour later this week. The Sun understands that the yacht, which is flagged in Bermuda, is hoping to anchor at Salt Kettle later in the week.

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Editor: For more photos of 'The Eclipse' go here.

Super Yachts Are Now A 'Tough Sell'

'Super-Yachts' Are a Tough Sell to the Newly Rich -- CNBC/Reuters

The glamour, champagne-soaked launches, astronomical price tags, and celebrity clients belie a mounting unease in the world of "super-yacht" building, according to industry insiders.

The billionaire financier clients of the pre-financial crisis world are fewer. And the new rich of Asia with the kind of money needed to spend at least $100 million on a holiday gin palace just aren't that into boats.

"The business has been going through a lot of change in the past four years," says Henk de Vries, head of shipbuilder Feadship, which recently completed the 80-meter (yard) Venus motoryacht, reportedly ordered by the late Applefounder Steve Jobs and impounded in Amsterdam for unpaid bills.

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My Comment: I guess money is getting tighter.

12 Best Yacht Video Shots Of 2012

Yacht Builders Pin Hopes On Super Rich (Video)

From Reuters: Jan 18 - The glory days of the great shipyards are long gone but an increasing appetite for superyachts from the world's wealthiest is providing vital new business for today's ship and boat builders. Hayley Platt reports.

Johnny Depp’s Yacht Vajoliroja Is Available For Charter

Rent Johnny Depp’s Yacht Vajoliroja -- Business Insider

Did you know that you can rent Johnny Depp’s Yacht Vajoliroja?

Indeed, you can… Burgess Yachts rents the Depp yacht for €98,000 (approximately $130,000) per week in the high season and €84,000 (approximately $110,000) in the low season.

Depp named the yacht “Vajoliroja” — a combination of the first letters of the names of his family: Longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis, (“Va”), himself (“Jo”), his 10-year-old daughter Lily Rose (“LiRo”) and 8-year-old son, Jack (“Ja”.)

Depp often takes the Vajoliroja on trips to his private island in the Bahamas, Little Hall’s Pond Cay.

Last summer, the actor set sail with Vanity Fair editor Douglas Brinkley, along with three of Depp’s best friends, for a trip to the island.

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Editor: Vajoliroja's website is here.

LoveSail.com Connects Sailors With Their "Sailing Soul-Mates"

Photo: Wendy Robson-Burrell and Ian Morris.

Lonely Sailors Search Online For Love On The High-Seas -- CNN

(CNN) -- When Ian McLaren-Morris named his 12 meter yacht "Silver Slipper," he never could have known it would bring him a real life fairytale romance.

The divorced father-of-two had long dreamed of sailing around the globe with his very own Cinderella; a soul-mate who shared his love of the ocean and sense of adventure.

But finding a special woman willing to quit her job and say goodbye to her family and friends for a romantic voyage into the sunset wasn't quite as straightforward as the 52-year-old had hoped.

Like a growing number of single people across the world, McLaren-Morris searched for love on internet dating websites. Two years later and the sailor was still no closer to finding his seafaring sweetheart.

It wasn't until McLaren-Morris signed up to a website catering specifically for boating enthusiasts, LoveSail.com, that he found the woman of his dreams -- 45-year-old former superyacht hostess Wendy Robson-Burrell.

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My Comment: The website LoveSail.com is a smart idea. Kudos to the developers.

A New Marketplace For Yachts

Photo: RobW_/Flickr

Live Out Your Jay Z Fantasies With Incrediblue, a Marketplace for Yachts -- Wired

With the havoc wrought by superstorm Sandy still fresh, and winter storms Athena and Brutus threatening, it’s a safe bet that sailing a luxury yacht across the Aegean sounds downright heavenly. Sure the economy may be in shambles in that part of the world, but the highs are in the 70s this week in Athens, Greece, where a startup called Incrediblue is launching a boat rental marketplace akin to Airbnb, but at sea.

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My Comment: Incrediblue's website is here.