The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell

Free: Mr Allen offered the Octopus for the expedition at no cost to the government

The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell: Billionaire Offers To Fund Recovery So That It Can Be A Memorial To 1,415 Crew Who Drowned When Warship Was Sunk By The Bismarck In 1941 -- Daily Mail

A US billionaire has offered to lead an operation to recover the bell of the sunken battle cruiser HMS Hood, which was sunk in 1941 and killed 1,415 men, for free.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said US philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G Allen has offered his private yacht be used in the search to recover the bell at no cost to it.

HMS Hood, which was a state-of-the-art vessel for its time, is the largest Royal Navy vessel to have been sunk, causing the biggest loss of life suffered by any single British warship.

Read more ....

My Comment: Kudos to Paul Allen for doing this.

More Massive Yachts Have Arrived In London For The Olympics (Photo Gallery)

UPDATE: Even More Massive Yachts Have Arrived In London For The Olympics -- Business Insider

Update: Our friends at Boat International sent over a bunch of additional photos of superyachts docked in London for the Olympic games. We have added them to the slideshow.

The real high-rollers didn't have to think twice about booking a room in overcrowded London during the Olympic Games—they just docked their megayachts in East London's Canary Wharf.

Read more ....

Super Yachts At The London Olympics

Super-Yachts Crowd London's Docks for Games -- CNBC

East London may be a far cry from Monaco or St Tropez, but the international rich are gliding into the capital's poorest area for the Olympic Games on what looks like a gathering fleet of multi-million-dollar superyachts.

Seven gleaming giants, the biggest of which is 126 metres (413 ft) long, dominate the impeccably kept South Quay of East London's West India Docks, where daily moorings cost up to 9,000 pounds a day, a third of the average U.K. annual wage.

Read more ....

Editor: For more photos of superyachts docked in London .... go here.

Building A UK Flagship

(Click on Image to Enlarge)
'Lust for adventure': An artist's impression of the proposed UK flagship, which is gathering growing support from senior ministers

Flagship Shows The Nation's Lust For Adventure: Ministers Salute Mail's Plan For Iconic Vessel -- Daily Mail

* Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg and Education Secretary Michael Gove among MPs behind privately-funded project

Crucially, the 650ft, four-masted UK Flagship will not be funded by taxpayers’ money, instead drawing on donations from businesses, philanthropists and the public.

Mr Clegg said: ‘This is directly in line with Britain’s proud naval tradition which stretches back hundreds of years. Our country has always been at the forefront of trade, exploration and scientific research and the UK Flagship can help us to continue to be so.

Read more ....

My Comment: Impressive .... and at 650 ft .... a big boat.

The Super Yachts In London For The Olympics

Luxury craft owned by Microsoft co-founder, Paul Allen, among those moored in London.

Billionaires Are Docking Their Super Yachts In London Ahead Of The Olympics -- Business Insider

They are some of the most magnificent and expensive vessels in the world and this weekend they started arriving in London as the world’s global CEOs brought a touch of glitz and glamour to the capital in time for the Olympics.

The Ilona, a super-yacht owned by Frank Lowy, the co-founder of the shopping centre group Westfield, has moored in Canary Wharf, not far from the company’s new retail complex in Stratford. The vessel has been joined by the Octopus, the 414ft luxury craft owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is better than renting a hotel room .... and you are smack in the middle of it all.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts For The London Olympics

Octopus, the £130m super-yacht of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, enters South Dock in the Canary Wharf the weekend before the games begin.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts: They've Got Swimming Pools, Helipads And Even A Mini-Submarine. How The World's Mega-Rich Are Turning London Into A Floating Olympic Playground -- Daily Mail

This could be Monaco, or an exclusive resort on the Med as the world’s most lavish superyachts jostle for space. Their perfectly scrubbed decks bristle with security guards, while hot tubs bubble and helipads wink at the sky.

This is the playground of billionaires, oligarchs and A-list celebs. There are rumours that Roman Abramovich’s sumptuous $1billion boat will arrive tomorrow.

At 557ft, the Russian tycoon’s Eclipse is the largest private yacht in the world. It has two swimming pools, two helipads, a dedicated disco hall, 30 cabins, a cinema, a mini-submarine, and even its own missile defence system. Abramovich’s master suite is armour-plated and protected by bullet-proof windows and a laser system designed to dazzle long-lens photographers.

Read more ....

My Comment: Here is an easy prediction .... the best Olympic parties will be on these yachts.

The Boat Of The Future

Screenshot via Rove Projects

Prize-Winning Architect Zaha Hadid Is Designing The Boat Of The Future -- Business Insider

Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid is designing a sleek, futuristic boat for Rove Projects, and it could be yours for just under $457,000.

The boat, dubbed the Z-Boat, is a limited edition, 24.6-foot-long fiberglass watercraft designed for both looks and power, according to a Forbes article.

Rove's Kenny Schachter reportedly hired French company Shoreteam to produce 12 Z-Boats, which will be released to the public in 2013.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a boat built for speed.

New All-Wooden Speedboat Has Leather Seats And A 60s Design

The ergonomic pilot's chair took nine months to design and has a concealed refrigerator and picnic box - perfect for putting the wine on ice

New All-Wooden Speedboat Has Leather Seats - And A 60s Design That Would Make Sean Connery's Bond Say, 'Yesh, Pleashe' -- Daily Mail

It has a licence to thrill and looks that would make James Bond go weak at the knees.

A Serbian yacht maker has built a boat fit for a secret agent with retro 1960s design that makes it look like a prop from ‘Dr No’.

The main feature is the luxury throughout and an unusually large open cockpit which is big enough for eight people to lounge in style.

Read more ....

My Comment: The large open cockpit is unique.

Italy's Super Rich Yachters Sail Away From Taxman

Marina Porto Cervo, Sardinia Photo: Alamy

Italy's Super Rich Yachters Sail Away From Taxman -- The Telegraph

Wealthy Italian sailors are finding that their yachts attract unwanted attention from the taxman, reports Nick Squires.

As Italy swelters in temperatures of up to 40C, the country's marinas should be packed with bronzed sailors in expensive deck shoes tending to their gleaming yachts.

But Italian boat owners are feeling the heat not just from the sun this summer.

Thousands are weighing anchor and fleeing with their gin palaces to quiet corners of the Mediterranean to escape a tax evasion crackdown – part of efforts by the government of Mario Monti, the prime minister, to tackle Italy's €1.9 trillion public debt.

Read more ....

My Comment: It's hard to hide a superyacht .... hence they are an easy target. But they have an option denied to everyone else .... they can sail and move away.

A Look At The Yacht Slipstream (Video)

Editor: For more info on Slipstream, go here.

Billionaires And Their Yachts On The Med

Billionaires Play Battleships On The Med -- Sydney Morning Herald

IT HAS become the catch-cry of the Cote d'Azur: ''Sacre bleu! Les Australiens!'' Around the luxurious villas and gleaming superyachts of the French Riviera, party planners, maids, chefs, caterers, waiters and butlers are in a tizz as they welcome one of the biggest influxes of Aussie silvertails to converge on the famous playground.

And they want to party.

Already there are James Packer and his heavily pregnant wife Erica, spotted ordering bottles of Dom Perignon at the Hotel Du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes, the venue of their 2007 wedding.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/private-sydney/billionaires-play-battleships-on-the-med-20120629-217u5.html#ixzz20WYDG119

Read more ....

My Comment: It's nice to have money and certain toys.

Worlds Largest Mega Yacht Eclipse Caught On Video In The Caribbean

My Comment: A perfect musical score as the sun rises.

10 Simple Steps When Buying Your Super Yacht

via Boat International

Looking To Buy A Yacht? Make Sure You Follow These 10 Simple Steps -- Business Insider

Yachts are the ultimate toy for the uber-rich. They can boast everything from a Jacuzzi to a helipad.

But what does it take to own a mega yacht, other than wads of cash?

We tracked down yacht brokers to find out what you need to know before purchasing your dream vessel.

Rupert Connor, president of the Luxury Yacht Group in Ft. Lauderdale, told us that, among other things, future yacht owners should seek the advice of friends who own yachts and they need to remember to keep their emotions in check.

Read more ....

My Comment: A number of common sense recommendations that can be applied to any boat that you buy .... small to super large.

The Moment £270,000 Yacht Blew Up And Sank Just 15 Minutes After It's New Owners Picked It Up

Sleek: The Meridian 341 is a four-berth motor yacht with two state rooms and all mod cons

The Moment £270,000 Yacht Blew Up And Sank Just 15 Minutes After Businessmen Picked It Up From Boat Yard (And Now They Want Their Money Back) -- Daily Mail

* Paul Ward, 61 and his crew member John Innes were forced to leap for their lives into the English Channel, their clothes in flames, as the boat exploded
* Rescued by the Coastguard, both men were hospitalised with serious burns
* Mr Ward had only collected the yacht moments earlier
* He is now suing the boat dealers MGM Marine Ltd and Dun Laoghaire Yacht Services for more than £300,000

Businessman Paul Ward was on the crest of a wave when he picked up the luxurious yacht he had paid £269,000 for at the Southampton Boat Show.

The sleek Meridian 341, a four-berth motor yacht with two state rooms and all mod cons, was every sailor’s dream.

But that dream quickly turned into a nightmare when just 15 minutes after picking up the vessel from a Hampshire boat yard, Mr Ward, 61 and his crew member John Innes were leaping for their lives, their clothes in flames, as the yacht exploded.

Read more ....

My Comment: A boat just does not explode like that .... something terribly wrong occurred from the moment that they took possession of the boat, and 15 minutes later.

Expensive Superyachts On Charter

Most Expensive Yachts On Charter -- Born Rich

Superyacht owners have been known to make the world a playground for their luxury boats, but now they are available on charter. This list provides an insight into these superyachts and their specialties, which make them unique for numerous reasons:

Read more ....

My Comment: The list is from last year, but it gives a good idea on what it costs to charter a superyacht.

First Look At Former F1 Boss Eddie Jordan's Luxurious Floating Palace

Under construction: A computer-generated artist's impression of what Eddie Jordan's £25million yacht will look like when it is completed later this year

The Super-Yacht So Big It's Almost A Ship: First Look At Former F1 Boss Eddie Jordan's Luxurious Floating Palace That Even Boasts A Nightclub (But It Still Doesn't Quite Measure Up To Roman's!) -- Daily Mail

* F1 mogul commissions construction of a £25million super yacht that is 155ft-long
* But luxurious vessel pales in comparison to the 536ft-long, £272million yacht owned by Roman Abramovich

F1 mogul Eddie Jordan has bought a £25million super yacht that is so big it is almost classed as a ship.

The 155ft-long vessel has been commissioned by the 58-year-old and will blow his current 120ft-long boat out of the water.

But it pales in comparison to the Eclipse, the world's largest private yacht.

Owned by Chelsea football club oligarch Roman Abramovich, that vessel is a staggering 536ft-long and cost £272million. It has two swimming pools, two helipads, a gym, hair salon, dancefloor and a 007-style submarine.

Read more ....

My Comment: Nice.

Staying Sane On A Research Ship In The Middle Of The Ocean

How To Stay Sane On A Ship In The Middle Of The Ocean -- Scientific American

The Knorr is a big ship as far as research vessels go – but there’s still no getting around the fact that you’re in a little metal box in the middle of the ocean with 47 other people for a month. Add to that the fact that most people are doing highly repetitive experiments all day (and I do mean all day, people get up at 5 am and work until 11 pm) and you’ve got a recipe for madness.

For the first week or so, everyone was calm and collected. They got up, they did the CTD casts, they worked, filtered, sequenced and experimented. There was chatter and laughter, but it always came in between long periods of intense science-doing late into the night. But the times, they are a changin’, and people are starting to loosen up (or perhaps go nuts, I don’t know).

Read more ....

My Comment: I rather stay on a luxury yacht where my primary focus is on what to eat that day.

World Class - Luxury Mediterranean Super-Yacht Cruise

Editor: for more info on 'Pure Bliss, go here and here.

Three-Masted Sailing Yacht Eos Catches Fire

Eos (Image from Wikipedia)

Luxury Yacht Catches Fire -- Views And News From Norway

An unusual three-masted sailing yacht, claimed to be one of the largest private sailing yachts in the world, caught fire in the inner Oslo Fjord during the weekend, setting off a major rescue effort. The yacht, registered in the Bahamas, had been tied up in Oslo for the past week.

The 90-meter-long vessel named Eos was lying just off the eastern side of Oslo’s harbour, near the islands of Malmøya and Ormøya, when the fire broke out on Saturday. Oslo’s fire-fighting and rescue service sent around 15 firefighters to the three-masted vessel.

Read more ....

Editor: Wikipedia has an entry on Eos. The link is here.