An Expedition Yacht Can Take You Almost Anywhere

We all know what a motoryacht is, and also a superyacht. But today there is a gradually growing new level of yachts for the high net worth individuals who can afford them, and that is the explorer yacht or expedition yacht. 

It is quite one thing owning a motoryacht or superyacht that can cruise up and down the Mediterranean and occasionally take a trip to the Caribbean if the weather looks fair, but most of these boats are not built for serious world exploration which is becoming more of a requirement among those who want to go, not where no man has been before, but where few have been before.

In the past, those who have sought such travel have made do by converting a former fishing vessel or perhaps marine research boat or former military ship, but there is only so much you can do when seeking luxury and long-distance abilities at the same time. This is not the same thing as designing your own boat from scratch when you can basically have whatever you want, rather than what the vessel will allow.

Today there is a new breed of explorers who want to travel the world and see far-flung places in luxury and comfort while at the same time enjoying the style of a floating palace that is safe under any conditions that the weather can throw at it. This is why there are now explorer yachts/expedition yachts being designed from the ground up that can literally go anywhere with the possible exceptions of the poles.

One such project is currently underway at a yard in Norway and is a 400 foot expedition yacht for a gentleman who already owns a smaller 350 foot motoryacht designed for exploration, but obviously desired something that would provide even more space and amenities than his present boat. One might look at such an owner with jealousy, but then again, if you can afford it, why not? We all only have one life on this planet and it is not really all that long, so we might as well get to see as much of it as we can.  

The Thrill Of Purchasing Your First Cruiser Comes With Responsibilities

There is nothing quite like the thrill of taking delivery of your first motor cruiser. Not everyone can afford to purchase a cruiser, so if it gives you a sense of one-upmanship that’s fair enough. You have worked hard to get to where you are, and you deserve the rewards. 

However, in much the same way that you had to learn to drive a car, you have to learn to “drive” a cruiser – or in nautical terms skipper it and be the helmsman. It comes to the same thing really. But you can’t just jump into the cockpit and take off out to sea. You need some motor boat training.

If you go on holiday to the Norfolk Broads, as many people love to do, you probably get around half an hour’s training of handling the boat and showing you where to fill up with fuel and arrange for a “pump-out”. You can also find lots of FAQ’s on Google. However, on the Norfolk Broads you are normally travelling at around 4 mph top speed, so even if you hit anything you won’t do a lot of damage.

It is a completely different kettle of fish when you have a seagoing cruiser that can do 25 knots! This is why you need to spend some time on motor boat training so that you can handle your new purchase safely. In this case, a half hour will teach you nothing at all. You need at least a two-day training course just to cover the basics. That will get you going, but you still need further motor boat training if you want to expand your skills.

For instance, you may want to be able to handle your boat at night, and that is a very different proposition from operating in daylight. It is one thing travelling on the Broads where you can’t really get lost, but when you are at sea you need to know navigation and seamanship as well as how to handle your new toy. Some of these more advanced courses take a week or more but are well worth it for your own safety and those around you.

The Seaward 42 is a top of the range ocean-going Motor Yacht

The Seaward 42 is based on the Seaward Nelson 42 pilot boat hull design and is an RCD Category A ocean-going motor yacht at the top of the Seaward range. Typically, they are custom built to the owner’s requirements with a wide choice of layouts. The hull is the same as the well-proven all-weather Nelson pilot boats in use professionally around the world but with the addition of an integral stern platform to maximise the running length of the hull and contribute to ease of trim, handling, and sea kindliness.

The standard twin propulsion engines and drives are a pair of Yanmar 8LVs diesel engines rated at 370hp, but there are other options. These include the Cummins QSB 6.7’s rated at 425hp and the Yanmar 6LY-CRs, rated at 440hp. The engines are controlled by an electronic shift and monitoring system. The port and starboard gearboxes are arranged for handed rotation, driving outward turning 2” shafts and Seaward’s optimised 24″ 5 blade propellers, reducing noise and vibration and increasing efficiency. The large rudders are heavy-duty and the same as used on the pilot boats. They are of aerofoil section in cast bronze controlled through an hydraulic steering system.

Read more at twin propulsion engines and drives

A History of Mani Frers Yacht Designs

Germán ‘Mani’ Frers is the third generation of a family of yacht designers all bearing the same name. His grandfather began designing yachts back in the 1920’s and by 1930 the Frers yard employed 60 boat builders, mostly constructing his own designs.

Germán Frers Snr began by designing and building Colin Archer styled double-enders in Buenos Aires back in 1926 and went on to draw more than 600 boats ranging from plywood day sailers like the Yachting World Light Crest to a range of motor yachts, and a series of very successful ocean racing yachts.

Read more at motor yachts

The Birth Of The Seaward Nelson Pilot Boat

The Seaward Nelson pilot boat range is one of the best known pilot boat series in the world. For example, over 300 of the Nelson 40 pilot boat have been produced and are in service day in, day out around the world. all day and every day. They have an exceptionally soft ride and are easy to handle in rough sea conditions and when boarding ship.

The story of Nelson pilot boats goes back to 1864 when Sir John Thornycroft built a steam launch on the River Thames. Two years later, in 1866, his father bought some land next to Chiswick Church and this was the beginning of the shipyard of John I. Thornycroft and Company. Ten years after that, Thornycroft built the first torpedo boat for the British Navy, HMS Lightning. The company remained in the Thornycroft family until 1965 when it became part of Vosper, Thornycroft Group.

Read more at Seaward Nelson pilot boat

What To Look For When Choosing A Broker To Sell Your Motor Yacht

If you are going to sell your motor yacht, which is something that most owners do every few years, you might be considering selling it yourself. However, there is quite a lot of work involved so you are probably far better off instructing a motor yacht broker.

However, how do you choose a reliable broker to sell it for you? There are some very good brokers, and there are also some “here today, gone tomorrow” types.

First and foremost, it may be an obvious thing to say, but you really want to use a broker that has been in business for several years. You naturally want to sell your motor yacht in the shortest amount of time possible so you need a broker that has been round the block a few times and has the right sort of contacts. Any broker can put your boat on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) but not all brokers have the expertise, budget, and technology to advertise effectively.

You need a broker that can use a variety of tactics such as search engine marketing, email campaigns, and direct mail. Social media marketing is another outlet, and online chat can find a lot of buyers that might not see your boat advertised elsewhere. You also need a broker that has the ability to take some stunning photos of your boat, and preferably video as well. Videos can be uploaded to YouTube and adverts can direct potential buyers to them so that they can see your boat in action.

You also need a brokerage that has a website which loads quickly and is responsive to mobile. More and more people access the internet from their mobile or tablet when they are searching, so the website must accommodate this.

Another thing to take note of is the commission rate charged by the broker. The standard rate in the industry is 10%, which is fair enough for the work and expenses involved, but if the company that you are looking at has a lower commission rate you might want to ask yourself why this should be. 

Why Use A Broker to Sell Your Motor Cruiser?

If you are planning to sell your motor cruiser you might be tempted to advertise it yourself. After all, you will save paying a motor boat brokerage a commission, so why not do it yourself? It’s not much different from selling your car, is it? 

Well, yes and no. There is actually quite a bit of difference between selling a car and selling a boat. Just to begin with, there are far fewer people looking to buy a boat than there are looking to buy a car, so your audience is considerably smaller. You might find a buyer for your car in the next street, but it is highly unlikely that you would find a buyer for your boat there. In fact, somebody who is looking for the sort of boat that you have may well live at the other end of the country, so it is not just a matter of putting an ad in your local paper.

A motor boat brokerage on the other hand knows the right sort of places to advertise your boat, so you are more likely to make a quick sale than trying the DIY route. Furthermore, depending on the arrangement that you have with the brokerage, it is usually the broker who pays for the cost of the advertising, so it is in the broker’s own interest to sell your boat for you. This is the opposite of certain online estate agents who offer to sell your house for no commission. No, you don’t pay them a commission, you pay them a fee. If your home proves difficult to sell, what possible incentive is there for them to keep advertising it?

Furthermore, you are going to need some high quality photographs of your boat, and a motor boat brokerage will handle all this for you as well. In addition there is quite a bit of paperwork involved, as selling a boat is more like selling a home than just selling a second hand car.

Yes, you pay a commission which is usually 10%, but considering what is involved it is money well spent.