Swallow Yachts Association
Swallow Yachts Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Graham W on 13 Aug 2014, 14:32
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Continuing an occasional series of strange (and not necessarily very functional) boats that have caught my eye in the Ionian. This one was being built for Apple's Steve Jobs but he died before it was completed. The wedding marquee (or maybe Bedouin tent?) on the foredeck looks a bit out of place.
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Or how about this one? It looks like someone has winched a row of seaside kiosks on to the deck of a fairly unslippery hull.
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On the other hand, for a thing of true beauty (the boat not its owner), see below. Double-reefed in an F6 between Corfu and Albania.
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From the sublime to the ridiculous, this one is decorated by Jeff Koons. It's called 'Guilty' and features a large image of Iggy Pop on the top deck.
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I see someone has been reading up about ww1 "dazzle" camouflage!
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I'm not sure this qualifies as "odd looking" but it had me puzzled when I came across it off Portsmouth last week, mainly because it was wandering around with (apparently) no one on board! It turns out that "Halcyon" is a remotely controlled anti-mine measures craft. It attaches a detonator to the mine using an undersea ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and then retreats to a safe distance before blowing the mine up (just as you sail past?). There's a video at http://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/2013/10/video-thales-asv-saab-complete-unmanned-mine-countermeasures-exercise/ ,
Peter
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This one has either been past Halcyon when it was on active service or it's an early experiment with water ballast that didn't go entirely to plan.
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You see lots of interesting boats at Falmouth but this one was rather unusual - the first solar powered boat to go round the world. More information on this website: http://www.planetsolar.org/.
As you can see from the picture, that day their propulsion method was more effective than the BRe's sails!
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I suppose this counts as a boat.
Seen in Lakka Harbour 2013.
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Lateen outrigger canoes beached on Pemba Island, Tanzania.
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I was on Southampton Water on Saturday and I think this would count as an odd looking boat if we hadn’t already seen similar in the Americas Cup! The big photo is mine as it was just rising on the foils, inset is stolen from their video (http://benainslieracing.com/2014/10/time-fly/). My own photo of them foiling is blurred because I was laughing at the following VHF exchange (with [my comments] added):
“VTS [Southampton Port Control] this is Ben Ainslie Racing”
“Ben Ainslie Racing, [this is] VTS”
“VTS, BAR - we are at Weston Shelf [required radio reporting point] and will be in Empress Dock in about 3 minutes [implied speed 15 to 20 kts]”
“BAR, VTS - copied that, …be informed the speed limit at Weston Shelf is 6 knots”
…if he’s going to sail in Southampton he’d be better off with a Swallow Boat!
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Hi All,
this has been an interesting thread to follow. Now I have one for you which is particularly interesting. The Old Gaffers Association of Western Australia, of which I confess to being president, was invited aboard the Duyfken (Little Dove) in Perth last November. This is a replica of the original Duyfken in which Willem Janzoon discovered Australia (at least the first recorded landfall on Australian soil) in 1606. (Capt. Jim Cook came and did the job properly some 164 years later in 1770).
The Duyfken or The Little Dove is a replica of the 16th century Dutch jacht and was constructed and fitted out in Fremantle by the Duyfken Foundation based on plans drawn from accumulated knowledge of the Dutch jacht as there were no extant plans or exact images of the original Duyfken available, in fact she was probably built by eye rather than from plan.
Construction was of the “plank-first” method understood to have been used in the creation of the original. Timber used was European Oak from Latvia. Sails and rigging use natural flax and hemp. The Duyfken replica is as near an exact replica as possible given information available.
Some of the interesting features of the Duyfken include the elm pump for pumping the bilges, Dutch whipstaff steering system, the one and only cabin (captain’s cabin as the crew slept on deck), the galley in the forecastle, the hold which was dedicated to the sole purpose of storage of freight, rigging and sails (discussion on relative performance of natural vs synthetic fibres).
Future plans for the Duyfken which include relaying of the deck timbers and replacement of the ballast.
Some key facts for the Duyfken replica are:
LOA 24 metres
Displacement 140 tonnes
Crew 16-20 (on the original vessel)
The original Duyfken was built in 1596 for the Dutch East India Company or VOC and completed a return voyage to the East Indies and proved herself to be a fast and manouverable vessel.
On the second voyage in 1606 under Willem Janzoon, discovered Australia at the Gulf of Carpentaria.
In July 1608 Duyfken was condemned as beyond repair after being involved in a battle with larger Spanish ships.
Further information regarding the Duyfken replica and the original are contained in the following websites:
http://www.duyfken.com/ and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duyfken
A photo taken by Paul Ricketts the OGA of WA's esteemed photographer follows and have a look at http://www.gaffrigsailinginwa.org/blog/ for more photographic details of rigging and so on.
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Slab-sided tastelessness?
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Slab-sided tastelessness?
Undoubtedly!
On the other hand, doesn't it do your heart good to see the way folk can spread it around, spending money on expensive toys? (...keeping Pompey-based carbon fibre technicians etc in honest employment!)
It's an awkward fact that great art and innovative technology tend to be sponsored by super-rich egotists (not always noted for good taste) but I can't help wondering who suffered as the cash to finance it was accumulated.
What do you prefer? Well-fed peasants or the Taj Mahal ? Depends on your point of view - and whether or not you're one of the peasants in question!
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Here's another one http://www.vplp.fr/realisation/komorebi/58.html
I'm not sure about the practicality of the allotment at the back....
The slab-sided boat (two posts further up) is also being discussed over at Sailing Anarchy http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=166765&page=3. Most of the comments are unrepeatable on a polite forum such as ours but among the more amusing:
* How do you reef the hull when needed?
* It looks like it's half sunk already
* The bow seen from the front looks like the spout of a milk jug
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To bring this thread down to earth (or, I suppose, water) here are two I spotted while sailing earlier this week. One photo shows a cruiser belonging to that guy who got carried away by the electronics bargains available at this year's Southampton Boat Show. He bought so many that Raymarine gave him a free sticker. The other shows the youth training tall ship "Stavros S Niarchos", but my odd-looking boat entry is the ship to the right... "Blade Runner Two" which together with it's sister ship (no prizes for guessing the name) spends all it's time ferrying wind turbine blades from the factory on the Isle of Wight to Southampton. So... wind power old and new all in one photo!
With regard to the Komorebi (previous post)... isn't it good to be green by using wind power - while having a helicopter to save rowing to shore! ...or maybe the helicopter is to bring the gardener each day to water the plants.
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Being landlocked, there's not much of a seafaring tradition here in Ethiopia. The fishing dinghies on Lake Awassa in the Rift Valley all look fairly similar, appear to be fixed together with heavy-duty staples and are very leaky, judging from the amount of baling going on.
Most of them were bringing back good quantities of what looked like Tilapia (a bit like a cross between a Perch and a Bream) but those wading about with the Marabou Storks in the second photo were risking the dreaded Bilharzia.
The boat shape reminded me of a modern sailing boat design, possibly US self-build, but I can't think what. Nothing at all like Julian's beautiful new boat.
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Winner of the December Ullswater Freestyle Competition...
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Here's one I bet you haven't seen - it's a container ship.... without containers!
Peter
p.s. sorry, I realise it isn't actually a "boat"!
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I'm afraid it's another ship rather than a boat - at least I think it's a ship and not a floating block of flats. In Southampton now. The viewing capsule looks ideal for promoting sea sickness... it takes people to over 90m above the ocean - in comparison the ship's draft is less than 9m!
The first photo is mine (from Calshot Tower); the second picture was stolen from the web.
Peter
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Now that's an ugly block of flats, err ship. What's really nasty is that, judging from the second picture, even much of the top deck is enclosed by glass so they seem to have done as much as possible to remove the feeling that you're on a ship!
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I don't think many 'cruise-ers' are that bothered about the sensation of being on a ship.
There's another intriguing possible explanation for that glassed-in upper deck. It could be a belated attempt by cruise ship owners/designers to reduce the risk, or opportunity, of passengers disappearing, presumed overboard and drowned. There seems to be a relatively high incidence of disappearances from cruise ships. It's very difficult to get statistics, because 1) all those concerned deny there is an issue: 2) hilarious (black-humour-wise) buck-passing goes on about whose responsibility it is to investigate such an occurrence. Take your pick from the port (nationality) of registry of the vessel, the port (ditto) the vessel had sailed from, ditto it was sailing to, the waters in which the incident might have happened, the nationality of the victim: and probably some more.
So, if you have a tiresome relative to get rid of, and can afford it, you know what to do. Unless the upper deck is glassed in, of course
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I wonder when some cruise ship designer is going to fit a "london eye" style ferris wheel (axis along the centre line, naturally)......
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An Albanian hydrofoil crossing my stern.
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Graham,
That's interesting - when I was there last year that service had been suspended. We had to use the slow old ferry and chug our way to Corfu town. Perhaps it's the new people smuggling service run by the Albanian mafia!
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The hydrofoils seem busier than ever this year. This one (below) was much closer.
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This one is not so much odd as unusual, spotted far out in the Corfu Channel with nine crew on board. The photo isn't very good quality as it was taken through my binoculars.
Any ideas on what the rig might be described as? Double lateen? The boat was wooden, had fleur de lys-type symbols on its sails and was flying the Greek flag. Judging from its poor progress to windward, I'd say that it has a long shallow keel.
The crew looked nervous when the megayacht 'Rising Sun' steamed past at around thirty knots, creating an enormous wake into which the hull disappeared from view several times, leaving just the sails visible. Some plutocrats have no sense of marine etiquette!
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A lateen schooner??? Whatever it is there appears to be at least 284 others!
Impressive photo given how it was taken!
Peter
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The floating seaside kiosks are back! The boat is called 'Never Mind', as in what were you thinking when you designed this?
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Military-style colouring seems to be the latest fashion. Here's an Italian-flagged tugboat yacht looking particularly menacing.
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This one is dividing opinion - my family like it (except for the bling interiors), I think it's quite ugly. It's called Eos and is owned by Barry Diller (Fox, Paramount, Expedia, etc etc).
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I am impressed graham that you got to see inside. Did you come up alongside and ask how many sails he can have up at once?
Cheers
Tim
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He has even more sails than me! On the other hand, I bet he uses his engines most of the time.
The Dillers (Barry and his wife Diane von Furstenberg) are entertaining the Rothschilds (our near neighbours) on board tonight. Unfortunately, we had a prior engagement.....
Here's the interior. Not that I've ever been there but is it based on the perfume hall in Harrods?
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This is much more like it - Germania Nova out in the Corfu Channel doing 4 knots in a very light breeze, just now. Yours for €80,000 per week, plus fuel, tips, food.
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We should perhaps start a new topic - Beautiful boats: Graham's picture belongs there. Nothing odd about it - absolutely gorgeous. You just have to ignore the price tag and enjoy the aesthetics. (Look in 'Classic Boat' if you have a few £million to spare. Fancy a barquentine or some such?)
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I finally found out what this lot were up to (below). They're Greek sea scouts, which explains the logo on both sails. I'd still be interested in the reason for their boat's unusual rig, which is similar to traditional rigs found on Lake Geneva, a whole world away.
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How about this for Raids? Could be a match for Craic or even Molly.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Sailing-Canoe-8-metre-Trimaran-Equipment-and-Trailer-gwo-/201679082277?hash=item2ef5029325:g:hWoAAOSwLF1X6BGq
I won't be giving up Gladys for this though.
Matthew
Gladys BR20
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I don't know about 'odd', Matthew: it looks rather formidable (give that word French pronunciation??) to me. Look at the speed they're going at. And, in its own way, rather elegant - I like the Canadian canoe shape of the main hull.
If multi-hullers really want to 'raid', won't they have to organise separate events? (Although come to think of it, there were a couple of sailing canoes with outriggers at the English Raid at Falmouth in 2014.)
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Here's something from "Faceache".
I sincerely hope it's fake or foreshortened with a long telephoto lens!
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Cracking picture Tony.. almost calls for a caption competition?
Something associated with your comment in a different thread on chemical lavatories perhaps... if indeed our greek friend in the picture had time for such niceties...!
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What happened next??
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Michael
I don't know what happened next. As I said, I stole it from Facebook. Only fair as I keep finding my stuff all over the place. I've only once been asked for permission to use a photograph and that was by Steffan Meyric Hughes, the guy who wrote "Circle Line". He wanted a picture of "Four Sisters" for his lecture tour as an example of something dryer to sleep on than a Storm 15! (Little does he know......!)
Andy
"Aν κλείσω τα μάτια μου και να κάνω μια ευχή ίσως θα πάει μακριά !"
.....and I stole THAT from Google Translate ......so it probably means something extremely offensive.
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My question was rhetorical, Tony!!
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My question was rhetorical, Tony!!
....Then you got more rhetoric than you bargained for, Michael!
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Huge stem on this "Luzzu" from Malta probably handy in short , steep seas when drift netting in the days when these boats were lateen rigged. This boat had just come into Marsalforn Harbour (N. Gozo) to drop off Lampuki (dorado) for the fish restaurant. They still use the old fishing technique - making a raft of palm leaves underwhich the Lampuki shelter, then circling it with nets and hauling in the shoal, leaves an' all!
Wooden Luzzu are still being built locally and a yard in Valletta is making Glassfibre versions, still with the high prow and the eye of Osiris painted on the "moustache" (different colours for different ports) but usually with a transom for an outboard instead of the traditional high double ended stern.
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There's a thread about micro-cruisers on the Sailing Anarchy forum with some eccentric or even plain bonkers ideas. See http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=159787. Attached my personal favourite, a cruising Optimist. The second photo shows a suggested way of banishing unreliable trailer misery.
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I agree with you about the Oppy, Graham - 7ft 9ins overall, what an excellent choice!
The other picture - where is that?? US? Australia? (but aren't they on the 'wrong' side of the road?) And where are the traffic police?!!
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Hi Michael,
The cat is in America. I read an article on it when they sailed it over to Cuba a few years ago. I will see if I can dig up the article!
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The ultimate solution to getting central on your trailer - build it into the boat. This is a "Sealegs Amphibious Technology" vessel spotted fishing off Calshot. I've a feeling I would not be able to afford one!
Peter
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Not just a 'boat on a trailer' Peter. That beast has hydraulic motors on the rear wheels and can drive itself on land too!
They're used a lot up this neck of the woods too, quite impressive to see one coming in, then drive itself up the slip or beach ...
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I saw one of these at Newtown creek a few weeks ago.
Looks expensive.... and very beige!
He was chuffed with it though.
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I think this one's owner tried to copy the two previous boats but got a bit confused. Note also the washing machine porthole, unexploded Scud, Star of David window and psychedelic helipad. Spotted by Dylan Winter in Shoreham Harbour.
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Bloomberg reports that the slab-sided monstrosity in this posting (below) has been arrested in Gibraltar over an alleged $16m unpaid debt http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1016.msg8724.html#msg8724
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A propos another thread in this forum, this yacht is called Sailing Yacht A. Let's hope the owner has more inspiration by the time he gets to Z.
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The attached photo shows a BRe seen sailing at Calshot on Sunday!
peter
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I just love the doors!
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I can't work out what's going on with the stem of this inshore fishing boat. (Siracusa, Sicily.)
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I could write a whole essay on what's wrong with this boat (Corfu, Greece). My family think it's wonderful.
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Unusual rather than odd... in fact rather grand, and must go downwind well! Seen on Sunday from Calshot Tower.
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Apart from white, rather than tanned, sails, that is classic 19th - early 20th cent fishing lugger rig: dipping lug main, standing lug mizen. Unlike this boat, it was common for the mizen mast to be raked forward. The sternsprit was universal so that the mizen could be set out of the way of work with the nets. I would have to do some research to find in which coastal waters they also used a bowsprit and foresail.
Never mind downwind, that dipping lug would take her to windward like anything. The 'problem' was/is going about, which is a right palaver. Definitely not a rig for narrow winding channels
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This one's odd and somewhat inelegant - the Hreko prototype from the Netherlands. It features water ballast, electrical propulsion, an unusual sail plan and a dinghy that protrudes out of the stern to add waterline length. Is it me or is the last feature a bit disturbing? What happens in a large following sea? http://www.hreko.com.
There don't seem to be any reports yet on how it sails. I get the impression that the electrical propulsion is partly intended for the upwind bit. The threefold wind generators on an early model have disappeared and the sailing prototype doesn't seem to have solar panels. There's a video of the Croatian designer sailing the boat in quite strong winds and looking apprehensive https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cv5W0TmjnJc.
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Look what falls out when you shake the Ugly Tree.
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Look what falls out when you shake the Ugly Tree.
Add two more hulls and it looks disturbingly like a Mystery
Matthew
BR20 Gladys + M.....y
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Why are the crew all sailing incognito? The Mystery deepens.....
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Why are the crew all sailing incognito? The Mystery deepens.....
Because they are Mysterons!
Here are some Mysterons revealed.....
Matthew
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Surely with all those masts you could do with a few more sails I am sure Graham could help you out with ideas - would give the crew more to do as well!
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Surely with all those masts you could do with a few more sails I am sure Graham could help you out with ideas - would give the crew more to do as well!
Good point Tim, Mystery needs more/better sails. Has anyone got a spare BR20 or BR23 mast and sail?
Employing crew as galley slaves prevents idleness. See https://youtu.be/-71FVm1K9Kg
Matthew
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Best use for a caravan seen on the River Dee last weekend.
Matthew
BR20 Gladys
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Boat trailers done right!
These guys have given it some thought, I really like the look of the swinging cradle at 3' 30"
https://youtu.be/ratKBu2cRp0?t=219
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Or if your roof leaks how about this?
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Slab-sided tastelessness?
The hideous Sailing Yacht A (pictured below with its support vessel called Motor Yacht A) has just been seized by Italian police in Trieste as part of sanctions against Russia. It belongs to fertiliser billionaire Andrey Melnichenko.
Meanwhile, one of Roman Abramovich’s two superyachts has just taken refuge in Montenegro, where quite a number of other superyachts are enjoying a suspiciously out-of-season sojourn.
Abramovich’s other superyacht is currently motoring through the Strait of Gibraltar (keeping well to the south side) on its way east. It’s been moving at about half its normal cruising speed, perhaps to conserve fuel and avoid having to put into unfriendly waters. Its previous port of call was Philipsburg in Sint Maarten, in the Caribbean. The distance from there to Montenegro is almost exactly the same as the ship’s reported range of 6,000 nm.
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Let's hope we've "detained" or arrested this thing, not "seized" it..... it's going to be difficult (and expensive!) to move it on secondhand!
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eBay? Gumtree?
Abramovich’s superyacht ‘Solaris’ has just left Montenegro and is now on its way to Istanbul, according to its passage plan. Perhaps Turkey is thought to be safer from sanctions. The Montenegrins have only recently joined NATO and are keen to join the EU. Turkey is also a member of NATO but doesn’t seem very attached to it these days.
Abramovich’s even larger ‘Eclipse’ turned off its AIS once it had transited the Strait of Gibraltar. It’s probably safe to assume that it won’t be visiting any of its usual haunts on its way east but should reach the other end of the Med by the weekend.
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Update: ‘Solaris’ reports that it is no longer destined for Istanbul but is “awaiting orders”. It is still steaming slowly but steadily south and is now between the heel of Italy and the coast of Albania. Istanbul it is, then?
‘Eclipse’ has briefly activated and then switched off its AIS several times during the night. It is now 50nm north of Algeria and continues to move slowly eastwards. There are no vessels transmitting AIS signals in its vicinity, not even refuelling tankers.
Meanwhile, today’s Times reports that yesterday Mr A flew from Tel Aviv to Istanbul in a private jet. Following the lead of the BBC, it also reports that he was a little over-enthusiastic in the 1990’s about the privatisation of ex-USSR state assets. In other shock developments, bears have been spotted behaving unhygenically in the woods and one-legged ducks have been discovered to swim in circles……
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Abramovich has been sanctioned by the EU today with a freeze on his assets. That means that his superyachts are unlikely to be able to reach Istanbul through Greek waters. It is possible to get there without leaving Turkish waters but some Greek islands are only a couple of miles off the Turkish mainland, so the route taken would be very meandering and scenic.
Alternative destinations are ports like Antalya in southern Turkey, Haifa in Israel or that favourite refuge of financial ne’er-do-wells, Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. They could also exit the Med via the Suez Canal or double back through the Strait of Gibraltar. Suez would probably be the best option.
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Cyprus has long-attracted dodgy Russians, at least since "peristroika" etc freed a variety of "businessmen" to move assets about..was that late 80s, early 90s?
Many weird old cargo ships, with ludicrously large crews (sometimes three times the manpower of equivalent N European ships), that were once the original Sovcomflot fleet seemed to migrate to the Cyprus register....old ships built for river/inland sea trades started appearing in W European seas... and some Cyprus based ship managers would only recruit Russian speaking management staff.
You may remember the stories about the crews buying all sorts of old cars (Volvos and Ladas were particularly sought after) and other junk for export "home".
It was certainly a thing hereabouts on the china clay trade coasters.
I recall trying to buy from them a Russian copy of a British Seagull outboard. It was about twice the size of ours, and had a large red star embossed on the fuel tank, which appeared to have been fashioned from some sort of used/surplus munition - magnificent!
I was outbid....
This must be topical.
Coincidentally, a local expert (credit to P Walkey) has today posted several 90s phots of Russian coasters in Fowey for clay, with a deck cargo of Ladas!
The "hog" in the first vessels sheer line is very probably NOT an optical illusion. They were many structural issues with these ships...
The second (pictured in Par) has a car on top of the accommodation, and the hammer and sickle funnel is visible. Not Cyprus registerd tho!
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Many weird old cargo ships, with ludicrously large crews (sometimes three times the manpower of equivalent N European ships), that were once the original Sovcomflot fleet seemed to migrate to the Cyprus register....old ships built for river/inland sea trades started appearing in W European seas... and some Cyprus based ship managers would only recruit Russian speaking management staff.
These strange activities must have been quite common back in the day. I knew someone who purchased a fleet of Russian fishing rust buckets in the 1990’s. They were nominally based in Vladivostok but it was much too dangerous to go back there. So they hoovered up vast amounts of squid in the southern oceans and only ever landed them in South Korea. He made a fortune and he wasn’t even Russian.
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Abramovich’s superyacht ‘Eclipse’ has had its AIS turned off for over 24 hours now but is almost certainly the unidentified ‘yacht’ following Eclipse’s previous heading that occasionally updates its position via satellite. In which case it is midway between Tunisia and Sardinia and still proceeding very slowly (about 6kn) eastwards.
His other superyacht ‘Solaris’ is still broadcasting its AIS. It continues to head south, also at 6kn, and is “awaiting orders”, as before. It is currently about 20nm off the SW coast of Greece, opposite the island of Zakynthos.
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Having skirted southern Sicily, kleptoyacht ‘Eclipse’ continues eastwards into the Ionian Sea, having passed north of Malta. It looks like it is headed towards Crete and is now motoring slightly faster than before at 8 knots.
Kleptoyacht ‘Solaris’ has slowed down to 3 knots and is hanging around outside the territorial waters of Greece’s southernmost island of Gavdos, south of Crete. By astonishing coincidence, a small Russian-registered oil products tanker, the ‘Vyazma’, has come out of Cypriot Limassol and is loitering only 5nm away. They both may be genuinely “awaiting orders”, as they declare on their AIS systems. Or they could be waiting to rendezvous with ‘Eclipse’, which at current relative speeds would take more than three days.
If you wanted people to stop snooping on your kleptoyacht’s position and heading, what would you do? Dismantle your AIS system and bribe a passing fishing boat to take it with them? I doubt that this is what has happened but given Abramovich’s colourful financial history and the value of his kleptoyachts (probably together a lot more than £1bn), perhaps nothing should be ruled out.
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Even commercial AIS systems are easily "tampered with", turned off or removed/transferred
Therefore, imo, if we can "see" them, then these guys are playing with us all?
Fuel.
There is a long-established commercial bunkering station off Kaloi Limenes in SW Crete (Mikronisi - you can see the tank farm on google earth); I've been there.
Really is the middle of nowhere, but Handy for Libya, Suez etc...
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There are several ships that have been doing slow speed zig zags into the NNW to NNE winds in international waters just off Simon’s Cretan bunkering station. Kleptoyacht Solaris was dawdling very close by and one of the ships (track below) was a Russian general cargo ship, the Maliy BS. Any idea what might have been going on? Transfers by helicopter or ship’s launch? Solaris has a large helipad and several launches.
The Russian oil products tanker Vyazma may have done something similar in close proximity to Solaris yesterday but turned off its AIS for four hours, so there was no track to follow during the relevant period. When it turned its AIS back on, it was heading east at full speed, leaving Solaris astern.
Supposing that ship to ship transfers could be proven to have taken place (very unlikely), would this be a breach of sanctions given the flags of the participants and the fact that it was in international waters? When it’s stopped messing about off Crete, Maliy BS is due in Antwerp with a cargo from India. I wonder what sort of reception the Belgians will give it?
Whatever has been going on, it seems to have given Solaris renewed vigour. It has finally stopped dawdling and is now heading east at 9kn. That would seem to rule out Suez.
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Fascinating GW. Thanks!
Vyazma fits my definition of an "odd" soviet ship. Built 40 years ago, her proportions are "wrong" for pure commercial use. A lot of ship, for not much oil cargo.
Lots of accommodation. Fine entry for speed...hull resembles a container ship rather than a tanker.
Summary...she looks rather like a miniature RFA "fleet oiler", and so could perhaps be suitable as an explorer yacht support tender?
Ship to ship transfers easily achieved in that area of the med. Men and materials.
Other. I see Solaris is Bermudan registered, and therefore as Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory she will be sailing under the Red Ensign, albeit a defaced one.
Shameful.
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According to a UK naval historian, Vyazma (now heading towards Syria) is one of the Russian Northern Fleet's tankers and has been replenishing two Russian warships that have recently been relocated from the Barents Sea to the Med. That would account for its non-commercial shape. An interesting use of state military assets if it has also been replenishing kleptoyacht Solaris.
Solaris is currently on course for SW Turkey. If it ends up in Göcek, it will find Russian superyacht Polaris already there. This belongs to Maxim Shubarev, who made his money in construction and property in Putin’s old stamping ground, St Petersburg. He purchased citizenship of Malta in 2018 and in common with other Russians with new Maltese passports, he is not yet on the sanctions list. Despite this, he moved Polaris from Malta to Turkey in early March.
Meanwhile kleptoyacht Eclipse has had its AIS switched off since it passed north of Malta. However, satellite signals seem to indicate that it is midway between Crete and Libya, still heading east.
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I see "Eclipse" is also registered in Hamilton, Bermuda - so is also under a Red Ensign...
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In 2018 Panama revoked the registration of a ship in entirely different circumstances https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45622431. Last week Bermuda revoked the certificates of airworthiness of a large number of Russian jets registered there, on the grounds that sanctions denied them access to the spare parts needed to keep them in the air. The island’s government is under pressure to do something similar with registrations of Russian-owned ships.
If its registration is revoked, a ship is not permitted to sail without a new registration in a different country. Unfortunately there are several countries that are even less fussy than Bermuda about who they take on. Including, and you couldn’t make it up, landlocked Mongolia.
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Kleptoyacht Solaris has started threading its way north up the Turkish coast, avoiding the territorial waters of numerous Greek islands sometimes only a few hundred metres to port (see track below). The skipper is evidently pleased to have reached what he considers to be safety, as he has changed his AIS passage description to a cheeky “scenic cruising”.
Kleptoyacht Eclipse has switched its AIS back on after three days, probably having refuelled at sea somewhere north of Libya. Now SE of Crete and heading for SW Turkey, it looks like the intention is to follow Solaris.
There’s a long article in the Times this morning about how oligarchs are hiding their yachts out of reach of sanctions, some having “gone dark” and several now in the Seychelles and Maldives. It’s not very well researched, as according to its author Eclipse is cruising off the coast of Italy and Solaris is headed for Israel.
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It now shows Solaris stationary just SSE of Bodrum, near to Kumbahce.
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Refueling at sea is going to become a necessity for many of those not yet seized, for a while I suspect!
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With kleptoyacht Solaris tucked up alongside a cruise liner berth in Bodrum, kleptoyacht Eclipse has now moored against similar facilities a few bays to the south in Marmaris.
Unlike Russia’s staunchest allies, Turkey has supported Ukraine’s independence and declared the invasion by Russia to be a war. This means that it technically has the right to close the Bosphorus to all naval vessels. In other ways it is sitting on the fence and is less likely to impose sanctions, so Solaris and Eclipse (and several other kleptoyachts) are fairly safe where they are for the time being.
Longer term, these vessels will not be able to earn their keep by chartering out in traditional areas like the West Indies and the Med (Libya anyone?) and paying for their huge crews will be increasingly problematic. Insurance may be unobtainable. And they will not be able to get spares to maintain their huge engines, electronics and other vital systems. Obtaining fuel will eventually become the least of their problems.
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Refueling at sea is going to become a necessity for many of those not yet seized, for a while I suspect!
Summer at sea in the S Med is going to be very uncomfortable on a 40 yo tanker that has been based in the Arctic.
Given their "dirty work" and apparently servicing kleptoyachts - I hope so!
As to the yachts, ship-to-ship (STS) transfers can be more difficult than you might think, I've some past experience of that ...its going to take them a lot of very good fendering!
At least we can hope for some significant cosmetic damages, if only as evidence :)
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With kleptoyacht Solaris tucked up alongside a cruise liner berth in Bodrum, kleptoyacht Eclipse has now moored against similar facilities a few bays to the south in Marmaris.
Longer term, these vessels will not be able to earn their keep by chartering out in traditional areas like the West Indies and the Med (Libya anyone?) and paying for their huge crews will be increasingly problematic. Insurance may be unobtainable. And they will not be able to get spares to maintain their huge engines, electronics and other vital systems. Obtaining fuel will eventually become the least of their problems.
Interesting that these two sister yachts have to some degree split up. Much harder to coordinate arrest/detention at two locations simultaneously.
I think you are right GW, in that fuel will (hopefully) soon be the least of their worries.
Insurance (if indeed they are insured) will likely be thru London.
I doubt that there is much Russian machinery/equipment onboard, hence spares should become an issue.
As to crews, they can cut the numbers of hotel staff quickly and easily, while retaining only the marine core-crew...and if you can truly "afford" these sorts of toys, then a few months wages doesn't really amount to much!
Bear in mind the headline figures for costs that we see are very much the tip of the iceberg (rather like some of us might tell our wives about our "yachting" expenses?)
I have a pal who is a Chief Engineer on these sorts of things; he once told me that they had an orginal Picasso, and a Matisse onboard his yacht. So, interiors and "objet"worth several more tens of millions....and then there is the vault.
Apparently millions of pounds worth of watches and jewelry...and other "investments".
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Insurance (if indeed they are insured) will likely be thru London.
Yes, it was London. I suspect that sabotage may become an increasing risk, judging by Solaris's reception in Bodrum yesterday and in Barcelona previously. Of course they have exceptional security but that also costs lots of money.
....and then there is the vault.
Apparently millions of pounds worth of watches and jewelry...and other "investments".
And in some cases industrial quantities of recreational drugs.
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Peace broker?
Well, It's now clear why these yachts are in Turkey!
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Abramovich allegedly has eight vessels of varying sizes in his fleet, some of which may be large launches. The Financial Times this morning claims to have uncovered a third large vessel, the Bermudan-flagged support tug ‘Garçon’ (below, showing where some of the rest of the fleet may be stowed). The original title of this thread was odd-looking boats and it certainly qualifies as one of those. It is currently stuck in Antigua, having apparently been left behind when ‘Eclipse’ fled the West Indies in February. It is under threat of seizure by Antigua’s government.
As Simon mentions above, Abramovich is currently trying to make himself useful by acting as a go-between in the Ukraine peace talks in Turkey. Given the almost total lack of trust in anything that the Putin regime says, it remains to be seen whether this will do his reputation much good. However, the US has so far held off from sanctioning him.
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Odd looking bow, but technically/scientifically proven to have very effective sea keeping properties, and consequently to improve crew comfort and economy/emissions.
Very popular design feature for the latest offshore supply/support boats, work boats etc.
Google Axe bow, or X-Bow offshore for info...
This article gives a very readable explanation, focussed on yachts rather than commercial offshore.
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/10489610/axe-bow-damens-sea-axe-amels
On this craft, the fore mast (pressumably a requirement for COLREGS?) Rather spoils the look, imo.
Practical, unlike the very odd looking "Sailing Vessel A", as but one example!
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The FT weekend edition may have tracked down another three kleptoyachts in Abramovich’s fleet of eight (photos below):
Halo, which like the support tug Garçon is languishing in Antigua and under threat of seizure by the island’s government.
Sussurro, which is in La Ciotat in France, probably in the dockyard there. It was claimed to have been given to one of Abramovich’s ex-wives but this appears not to have happened and he may still own it, in which case it’s toast.
Le Grand Bleu, which Abramovich allegedly gifted to an associate, as one does. Despite this gift, beneficial ownership appears to lie with Abramovich’s current (for the time being) wife. Anyway, the associate has also now been sanctioned. Le Grand Bleu left Puerto Rico a few days ago and has swiched off its AIS.
I’m surprised that Prince Andrew hasn’t yet made a guest appearance in all of this.
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Three of Abramovich’s fleet may not yet have been identified in the newspapers - they’re still talking about there being “only” five. Meanwhile, Solaris has been forced to leave by the nervous owner of the Turkish marina in Bodrum - it’s now at anchor in a bay around the corner. And Abramovich is trying to borrow money from oligarchs who have not yet been sanctioned in order to keep paying the salaries of his various crews.
Kleptoyachts that have been seized are causing headaches for the authorities. The Italian Government is having difficulty insuring Sailing Yacht A and it’s not clear who is now responsible for huge marina and maintenance fees of vessels seized in France.
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Let's hope we've "detained" or arrested this thing, not "seized" it..... it's going to be difficult (and expensive!) to move it on secondhand!
The "expenses" situation you mention GW, is common enough, and would have been widely anticipated by marine lawyers...if only for the additional litigation to come!
Ultimately, I've seen several marine "basket cases" where the owners just walked away, as liabilities plus costs of obtaining release exceeds vessel value. Ultimately the tax payer pays...
Not saying that's the case here....but.. perhaps slightly "on topic" the value of the various types of "unique craft" on this post must be "variable" to say the least?
Let's hope tax payers don't get stung for all this too?
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This (below) popped up in my list of free downloadable magazines on my library app. The cover photo is of a Playcraft Powertoon with twin 450hp engines, which can be had for US$270k. It reminds me of the utilitarian craft used to ferry sheep between the islands of Scotland. Except that this one has a claimed top speed of over 65 knots.
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Ever since the Belgrano, it’s been considered bad form to celebrate the sinking of a hostile warship. And we may never know (although we can suspect) what caused the fatal damage to the Russian Black Sea flagship Moskva - a Ukrainian cruise missile or a self-inflicted fire on board that set off munitions. Perhaps it was some of both.
What doesn’t ring true is the part of the story that involves the weather. It was claimed by the Russians that “stormy seas” initially prevented rescue efforts of the 500+ crew and in addition sank the Moskva when she was allegedly under tow on her way back to Sevastopol for repairs. Historical wind speed and wave height for a particular sea area are a matter of record and can be found on several websites. So unless there was a freak occurrence in the area off Odesa and Sevastopol at the time, the wind stayed at a fairly constant F3 or less and waves never exceeded two metres in height. I’m surprised that this morning’s papers haven’t performed this simple reality check.
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Abramovich must have access to cash from somewhere. Yesterday his largest kleptoyacht, Eclipse, moved from Marmaris to anchor off Göcek, a short distance to the South. Before doing so, according to the Turkish press, he had the fuel tanks filled up at a cost of £1.6m. I had to check that this was physically possible - apparently Eclipse can hold 1 million litres of fuel.
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1M litres = 1000m3. So maybe 800 T ish...seems reasonable, given the size of the kleptoyacht, and it's likely fuel consumption?
As to how it's paid for.....
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If Eclipse ‘only’ took 800,000 litres of fuel in Marmaris, given that it had motored all the way from the West Indies without officially refuelling, then it looks like it may have partially refuelled on the sly somewhere along the way. The most likely time for this would have been when it went dark for three days last month off the coast of Libya while on its voyage eastwards. Either that or Abramovich couldn’t afford full tanks.
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Either that or Abramovich couldn’t afford full tanks.
Ah poor man. Maybe we should club together and buy him a Swallow. With a 2 1/2 hp Suzuki.
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As a tender to a tender to a support vessel to Eclipse? The anti-missile systems might be a bit of a tight squeeze but I’m sure that he’d have more fun.