QE2 To Be Relaunched. As a Luxury Hotel!

The Queen Elizabeth 2, one of the world’s most recognizable and famous luxury liners, is going condo. More specifically, the ocean liner’s career will come to an end in November 2008, when she’ll be decommissioned by current owner Cunard and delivered to her new owners.

Where will she reside? Why in Dubai, of course! Luxury hotel group Dubai World recently purchased her for 50 million pounds, or $99.4 million. After her refurbishing, she’ll be berthed at the Palm Jumeirah, the world’s largest man-made island.

Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, chairman of Dubai World, which owns the shipping company P&O, said the QE2 was "one of the wonders of the maritime world and easily the most famous serving liner in the world today."

Since the QE2 began service in 1969, she has done 25 circumnavigations, crossed the Atlantic more than 800 times, and carried more than 2.5 million passengers.

Lyman-Morse's Green Facility

On Memorial Day weekend, venerable Maine boatbuilder Lyman-Morse celebrated the grand opening of a new facility that incorporates some of the latest design, construction, and operation concepts as outlined in the construction-industry wide, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. The 22,400-square-foot Varco/Pruden (the VP) building—pictured above with Electra, a 94-foot Hunt yacht built by Lyman-Morse—is constructed of high-energy efficient foam core (SIPS): It’s a material that’s similar to a core-infused hull, with a polystyrene rigid-foam sandwiched between something called oriented strand board, which forms the interior and exterior sheathing. This results in much less construction debris and better insulation than wood frame construction.

Inside, several green systems work in concert to ensure that the VP building will be among the most environmentally responsible facilities of its type. A passive-solar panel system on its roof is designed to handle approximately 40 percent of the 22,400-square-foot building’s heating needs via an in-floor radiant heat system; four gas-fired boilers (rated at 92-perecent efficiency) will kick in as needed. Low E-rated, thermal windows provide ample light but do not allow for heat to escape in cooler weather. And all lighting is energy-efficient.

The facility was designed as a joint venture between Lyman-Morse and Reluminati, a Washington, D.C.-based company comprised of alternative-energy gurus and the workplace of Cabot and Heidi Lyman’s son Zach. Lyman-Morse is implementing an environmental bent across the board: The builder is working with Maine's Harvest Fuels to provide them with 20-percent biodiesel fuel—B20—to run its new 110-ton TravelLift and its other diesel equipment.

Green Ferries For Blue Highways

Fresh on the heels of solar-powered sun21's arrival in the Big Apple, New York-based ferry service Circle Line recently announced plans to update its Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island ferry with a solar-powered, hybrid trimaran vessel.

According to published reports, a focal point of Circle Line’s bid for the renewal of its contract with the National Park Service (who manage the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island) is the Miss Statue of Liberty. The 115-foot vessel would hold 600 passengers (she’s got a 42-foot beam) and is based on an existing ferry built by Australia’s Solar Sailor; Sydney’s harbor boasts an 80-passenger sightseeing vessel (built by Solar Sailor) that utilizes solar technology that’s been in service since 2000.

Some of the Miss Statue of Liberty’s features include: a 23- by 50-foot solar “wing” that captures sun and wind and is computer-controlled for optimum sun-wind capture; two bow thrusters and a total of seven bow, midship, and stern thrusters for close-quarters maneuvering and on- and offloading passengers; and twin diesel engines capable of burning low-sulfur fuel. In addition, the solar wing can mechanically fold down in high winds—in this guise, its photovoltaic panels are still active and it also serves as a hardtop to shade seating on her top deck. Top speed is said to be between 10 and 12 knots (up to 6 knots on solar-wind power alone), with construction costs estimated at $8 million dollars.

San Francisco’s Alcatraz Cruises is also planning to introduce a solar-powered Solar Sailor-built vessel on its route.

Downeast Diva

Hard by Maine's Somes Sound, John Williams Boat Company is one of several Mount Desert Island boatbuilders featured in the May 2007 PMY article “Boatbuilding, Downeast Style.” As the image above shows, the builder’s latest launch, Survivor, is a looker; she’s a Stanley 36, named for its designer Lyford Stanley. Her exterior is reminiscent of a lobster boat but with lots of teak: teak pilothouse sides, a teak trunk cabin, and teak grab rails on the pilothouse and foredeck all compliment her black hull. Also note the teak butterfly hatch on the foredeck.

She’s powered by a single 440-hp Yamnar diesel mated to an Evolution Company marine shaft system; according to Williams boat company, she's reportedly capable of a 18-knot (20.7 mph) cruise speed and a top end of 22 knots (25.3 mph). More info on Survivor is available on the company's Web site.

Lady Moura Runs Aground at Cannes

Lady Moura, a 344-foot yacht owned by Saudi billionaire Nasser al-Rashid, ran aground this past weekend off Cannes, France.

The Blohm + Voss-built boat, #10 on Power & Motoryacht’s World’s 100 Largest Yachts, reportedly hit a partially submerged rocky outcropping: Authorities quickly closed two nearby beaches, fearing that a fuel spill would reach shore. Lady Moura was later seen being pulled off the rocks by a tug or salvage boat, and two holes could seen in her bottom, according to news reports.

Regulations Threaten Mexico's Pelagic-Rich Waters

If you fish, have fished the waters off Baja California, or are at all concerned with worldwide pelagic populations, a recent e-mail that I received from Wayne Bisbee, founder of the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Bisbee’s Black & Blue Tournaments, will be of interest to you. It alerted me to a potentially tragic, harmful situation that threatens billfish and other game fish in the waters off Baja California.

Despite strong opposition from a number of groups, including the Billfish Foundation, Mexican officials approved Regulation NOM-029, or Shark Norma. Promoted as a way to stop the overexploitation of sharks and rays, the regulations can certainly do more harm than good. The Billfish Foundation points out the potential tragedies behind NOM-029:

Under current regulations no commercial fishing vessels are allowed to fish for or possess marlin, sailfish, dorado and other protected species within the 50 mile conservation zones. The only allowed fishing was under sportfishing bag limits. This law provided strong protection to a wide variety of marine life. Under NOM-029 these species can be targeted and retained. Commercial boats less than 30' can come within 10 miles of shore with longlines (section 4.2.1). Commercial longline boats between 30' and 89' can fish as near as 15 miles from the shore in the Sea of Cortez, and within 20 miles of the west coast of the Baja (4.7.3).

And this is the tip of the iceberg. What can you do to help? See the Billfish Foundation article on how to take action.

Boat Insurance Demystified

Stories of the sea are often deal with myths: Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, Moby Dick (although the Melville novel is based on a true, tragic event), and the yarn that many fisherman like to spin, the one that got away. Recently, Progressive Insurance surveyed more than 1,000 boat owners and found out that one of most wide reaching, on-the-water myths that many boaters share is about their boat insurance.

Some of these myths are the most basic, requiring policyholders to read the fine print on their policies:

“Our survey shows that many boaters aren’t aware of insurance coverage limitations, especially when it comes to location,” says Progressive’s boat product manager Dominic Mediate. “Some boat insurers define navigation limits on a policy, so it’s important for all boaters to clarify this with their insurance companies,” he adds.

Some other common myths among boaters that Progressive’s surveys revealed are:

•Boaters throughout the entire U.S. are NOT paying higher insurance premiums because of hurricanes. According to the survey, 74 percent believe that all boaters are paying more due to recent, damaging hurricanes.

•Homeowners insurance cannot offer the same protection policy that specialty boat insurance can. One-third of those surveyed (33 percent) mistakenly believe that by adding their boat as an endorsement on their homeowners policy, they would be covered no matter what occurs.

•Bundling policies don’t necessarily mean better rates. While 45 percent of those polled felt that this was the case (and it may be for them) it has been shown that shopping around can lead to better rates.

With dockage at a premium in many areas of the country and the hurricane season approaching, are you properly covered this season? Have you seen your boat insurance rates go up? Stay the same? Let us know here.

Solar-Powered Boat Arrives In The Big Apple

The sun21 slipped into New York City’s North Cove Marina emitting no discernable sound except the hollers and cheers from an enthusiastic crew who had sailed her across the pond in a 52-day, 3,500-NM trip. As reported here in an earlier post, the Sun21 is the first motorized vessel to cross the Atlantic under solar power exclusively. The photo below shows her eight 2'x5' photovoltaic panels on her roof that power her twin 8-kW Lemco lightweight, low-voltage D.C. motors. A 3,600-pound bank of batteries stores the power, so on days when there is less sun (or hardly any at all), the boat can still go along at approximately 3 knots.

It turns out that this project, spearheaded by Swiss shipbuilder Mark Wüst (who along with David Senn, Michel Thonney, Beat von Scarpatetti, and Martin Vosseler made the transatlantic voyage) is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to clean energy emerging from Switzerland. The Swiss meet 57 percent of their energy needs via hydropower, with wind, solar, and organic waste recycling delivering results in cities across the country.

With fuel prices predicted to approach $4.00/gallon at your local on-road gas station, how much do you think gasoline and diesel will be at your fuel dock this season? Is solar power feasible in private vessels? Tell us what you think here.

Your Boat Tips Wanted. Prizes Offered!

The smiling man you see above is Capt. Joe Barbara with his new Edson PowerKnob. Barbara was photographed by his wife at the helm of his 38-foot Ronin Sportfish just off Manalapan, Florida. He was the winner of Power & Motoryacht's monthly Tip of the Month Contest last February for recommending the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser as “the best small detail a boater needs to keep aboard.”

Want a chance to win this great product? Post your best tips here and send them to jeffrey.moser@primedia.com today.

Transatlantic Passagemaking, via Solar Power

When sun21 arrived in Martinique’s harbor on February 2, 2007, she became the first motorized vessel to cross the Atlantic under solar power exclusively; her 52-day, 3,500-NM trip began at Porto Sherry in Chipiona, Spain. sun21 is the brainchild of Mark Wüst, a Swiss shipbuilder whose goal was to prove that solar-powered technology was capable of providing sufficient energy for passagemaking. After extensive research a ship was built, and its maiden voyage was along the Rhine River from Basel, Switzerland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The 45-foot sun21’s solar power is collected via 48, 2'x5' photovoltaic panels on her roof that power twin 8-kW Lemco lightweight, low-voltage D.C. motors. During the 52-day trip, sun21 harvested 2,000-kWh of solar energy; the crew estimated that a similar-size and powered diesel yacht would’ve burned more than $4,700 of fuel during the same trip.

The sun21 is scheduled to arrive in New York City’s North Cove Marina on May 8th; stay tuned as PMY will certainly cover her arrival. For more information on the sun21, or to read the captain's log documenting the journey, go to the sun21 Web site.

Embrace Your Inner James Bond

Searching for a modern-looking tender for your megayacht or a one-of-a-kind dayboat? The slick, modern lines of the Fearless 28 is the result of a partnership between industrial- and product-design gurus Porsche Design and emerging boatbuilder Fearless Yachts. Her deep-V hull is built utilizing fiberglass sandwich construction techniques reinforced with carbon fiber. The 28 purportedly reaches speeds of more than 80 mph with her standard twin 525-hp Mercury gasoline stern drives. Care for more giddy-up? Ilmor Marine’s marinized version of the 550-hp powerplant that’s under the hood of the Dodge Viper are also available. The builder plans on expanding the line of Fearless Yachts with 44-, 68-, 125-, and 150-foot models over the next three years, with the 68 slated to premiere in 2008. The 68 will reportedly be equipped with standard twin 1,550-hp MTU 10V 2000 diesels mated to Rolls-Royce KaMeWa waterjets.

Marlow Yachts' New 86-footer

Scheduled to debut sometime later this year is the largest offering from Marlow Yachts’ Explorer line, the 86 Cockpit Motor Yacht. Marlow had previously delivered an 82-foot model that combined long-range capability—PMY's test on the 82 produced a 2,599-NM range at 10 knots—with an extended cockpit for sportfishing enthusiasts. Like all of its models, the 86CMY is being built at Marlow’s Norsemen Shipyard in Xiamen, China; the facility has earned a Green Environmental Award from the International Superyacht Society. The 86 will utilize the same cutting-edge methods as the rest of the Marlows, including: Nidacore honeycomb interior bulkheads, Kevlar- and carbon fiber-reinforced hulls, and Core-Cell foam coring. She will be powered by standard twin 835-mhp Caterpillar C15 diesel inboards. For more details, contact Marlow Yachts.

Azimut's S Range Flagship To Premiere at Dubai

This weekend at the XV International Dubai Boat Show, Italian builder Azimut Yachts will launch the newest and largest model in its Open S Range: the 103S. Like the 43-,62-,68-,and 86-foot models in the S Range, the 103S is a Stefano Righini design with an interior by Carlo Galeazzi. She is the first model in the S Range to be equipped with a flying bridge. Preliminary reports are incomplete, but power is said to be provided by twin 2,434-hp MAN V16 2000 M93 diesels coupled to Rolls Royce KaMeWa waterjets.


PMY European editor Alan Harper will be covering the 103S for an upcoming issue, so keep reading. Look for a review of the 43S in PMY's May 2007 issue by yours truly.

MAN's Newest Common-Rail Engine

As seen at the 2007 Miami International Boat Show, MAN has added to its line of common-rail diesels with the R6-550. The six-cylinder, 550-hp powerplant is the smallest in MAN's line of common-rail power that extends to 1,550-hp. Preliminary data supplied by MAN list the R6-550 at 1,984 pounds; that's an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 3.6 lbs/hp.

Like the rest of the MAN family of common-rails, electronic engine control is supplied by MMDS (MAN monitoring and diagnostics system): The 6.3-, 10-, or 15-inch TFT diagnostic-system displays show speed, oil pressure, boost pressure, temperature levels of coolant and oil, and calculate gph and other relevant operating numbers. MAN developed the world's first diesel engine between 1893 and 1897 with Rudolf Diesel, when they were known as Maschinenfabrik Augsburg.

The Largest Four-Stroke Outboard Yet

One of the big announcements at the 2007 Miami International Boat Show last week was made by Yamaha when the company premiered the largest four-stroke outboard available in the industry: a 350-hp V8. The 5.3-liter, 60-degree, dual-overhead cam, 32-valve powerplant has a 1.73:1 gear ratio, weighs 804 pounds, and can be used in single-, double-, and triple-engine configurations. It is available with 25- or 30-inch shaft lengths and with right-hand or left-hand rotation.

According to Yamaha, the outboard-powered market for boats more than 26 feet LOA has grown 40 percent over the last four years and this powerplant will help fill the niche for more power.