life onboard

Capt. Eric Knott has spent 35 years on the water. A native of England, he followed his father into commercial fishing in the North Sea, Irish Sea, English Channel and environs. He is now unofficially leading another generation into a life on or around the salt.

Fashion house Versace is putting its touch on the soon-to-open Palazzo Versace Dubai. Also, Marina Mill, creators of the Extex marine fabrics has released a new line that lights up the night.

Built by Burger in 1967, Zerlina fell into disrepair and was on the verge of being abandoned. At least, until it was found by Fugl and Polito and a seven-month restoration process began, after which she began the longest journey of her 44 years.

The first Oyster Rally’s participants set sail from Antigua in January of 2013, but Oyster is looking forward to its second event, slated for 2016-2017 with 15 yachts already scheduled to take part.

A Master Sommelier on the staff of Yachts International and a new brand of high-end vodka well worth checking out. In this issue, Yachts International gets spirited!

Exploring the world on a long-range cruiser is the dream of many. Few will live that dream, at least in the way that the 26 yachts participating in the Oyster World Rally are. The journey began in Antigua in early January. We received a report from the Oyster team, after the fleet made it across the Panama Canal and into the Pacific.

Plotting the best way to get where you're going is almost as important as what to do when you get there. In this issue, we have companies who may be able to help you with both!

Sharing time on the water is one of the things that makes it so enjoyable. These products will help you make the most of your family's time onboard.

Editor’s note: This part two of an article, which first appeared in OCEAN Management’s Pilot Magazine, Issue 15. It has been edited for style and length and is reprinted with permission.

Have yacht owners become too reliant on their boat’s sophisticated systems? Don Hyde, CEO of Vessel Vanguard, a company that offers a maintenance-reminder system, thinks so. At the same time, they have precious little choice.

If there were any doubt that the owner of Percheron—the second Darwin 86 from Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)—really intended to use his expedition yacht for long-range cruising, there should not be any now. Percheron was launched in time for the 2012 Cannes Boat Show where I had a chance to get aboard. It was mid-September and she was already raring to go.

Vanilla Ice, the rapper best known for his mega hit Ice Ice Baby has changed his tune to Lights Lights Baby. Ice (aka Rob Van Winkle) appeared at the Yachts International’s Pavilion at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, promoting a product remote from his rapper image. He sang, played the piano and posed for fan pictures while promoting his new sophisticated lighting collection for Capitol Lighting.

At the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Westport will display examples of one of its successful series, the Westport 112. What makes it so successful? We invite you to take a closer look.

In 2011, we walked around the Vitruvius 73’s huge metal structure at Perini Navi’s Yildiz yard in Turkey. A year later, a trip to La Spezia gave us an opportunity to see all the progress that had been made on a yacht is shaping up to be an exceptional new entry in the superyacht world.

After the Great Depression, designers “cleaned up” Art Déco. Pure lines suggesting motion and speed upstaged embellishments in architecture. The new style was known as Streamline Moderne, which perfectly defines Smeralda.

The SL94, first, has elegance. Francesco Paszkowski Design—also responsible for the edgier Sanlorenzo Alloy series—penned this tasteful flybridge yacht in the Sanlorenzo tradition, built in composite in Ameglia, Italy. No matter what interior style owners may decide to go for, this envelope offers a great canvas on which to express one’s creativity.

The Protector Targa 30, launched earlier in 2012, is fast becoming the tender of choice in San Francisco Bay. Its large cabin and tough demeanor are perfect for the bay’s sunny but cool days and often windy conditions. The Protector’s performance has received high commendation from the organizers of the Louis Vuitton Cup and participants of America’s Cup.

As he began laying out his tools and gauges in preparation for a recent trial run of the just-launched Ocean Alexander 120 tri-deck, a technician observed, “In terms of its systems alone, it’s a lot more like a 50-meter yacht.”

No designer would disagree that shaping a custom motoryacht is a complex and daunting task. Throw in the compounding dimension of also meeting the diverse preferences of the worldwide charter market, and it quickly becomes a project decidedly not for the faint of heart. Delta’s newest creation offers an attractive choice for charter clients while meeting the purely custom requirements of her owners.

You know only captains and crew could have come up with this: a compact, sturdy and inflatable platform that allows doing some hull maintenance without taking a swim or having to unload the tender. It’s called VersilFloat and it is a versatile tool for work or play.

Peters & May Global Boat Transport is offering incentives to owners and captains who book early for the 2012-2013 season. Discounted rates and possibly even free birthing at an IGY marina may be available on certain transports.

Playing a new course during a yacht holiday is always a special pleasure. For golfers afloat, keeping a spare set of clubs on board is a given. But what if you had a private coach on board, who brought along a swing machine and worked with you on your short game on the aft deck and performed video analysis in the screening room at the end of the day?

If you're looking for the next advancement, from Raymarine, wait no longer. Also, in this issue see FLIR's new high-res thermal night vision unit with color camera, an affordable weather monitoring system, and how Perini Navi is reaching out to captains and crew.

A new company in the yachting equipment marketplace, Bristol Yacht Components, has introduced its premier product line: Bristol Boarding Stairs. Bristol Boarding Stairs are made of carbon fiber to provide a durable, lightweight, easy-to-deploy access system with an aesthetic design to enhance the look of any motoryacht or sailing vessel.