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I am in love / Information required

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Daniel, Jun 14, 2004.

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  1. Daniel

    Daniel New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Montreal
    I'm a resident of Montreal, Canada and I can say I basically falled in love with a Blue Moon (by Feadship) from Georgetown which is here for a few days. I've spent time on many yachts, I have friends who own them but altohough I know nothing about it I never saw something so beautiful, so equilibrated and so well... seductive. After much thinking, I believe I'm ready for it and I am an impulsive buyer. I can devote the budget and the next year or so to it.

    I have a few questions regarding the Blue Moon:

    1) I understand from the web that those (?) were made in 2000-2002. First off, is there such thing as those or is that Blue Moon unique?

    2) If it's a model "in production", does Feadship still make it or did they stop in 2002?

    3) If yes, would it be lunatic to think I can get one now or would I have to wait for them to produce it upon an order? And if so... how long it would take?

    4) How much? (perhaps some vague figures if nobody knows)

    5) How many crew members does it required to sail safely (I mean technical/operational only, not staff).

    6) How difficult is it to find a crew?

    7) Is it possible to take the place of the captain say within a year or less? I'd like to get accreditations, courses, int'l (north american) permits, whatever it takes to take the helm.

    Please bear in mind that I know a big fat zero about yachts. I would highly appreciate if experts here will not make fun of this.

    Here is what I'm talking about: http://www.yachtandcrew.com/Gallery_files/Blue Moon.htm http://www.***********/yachts/bluemoon/bluemoon.html
  2. Henrik

    Henrik New Member

    Joined:
    May 6, 2004
    Messages:
    20
    Location:
    Hamburg / Germany
    Hi Daniel .....

    ... let's get your dream come true! :)

    1.- / 2.- / 3.- Blue Moon is unique. Feadship build their boats only on request to the owners wishes. They will be designed from zero.... so you and the designers will start on an empty paper. At first you have to think of the size of your future boat, your future destinations, how many guests you want to carry with you... and so on.
    So from first meeting with the yard and the designers to your first trip with the new yacht you will have to wait .... hmmmm.... depends on your specifications and how often you will change em :rolleyes: So the overall design and construction time will be around 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 years. Maybe shorter if they can use existing plans... but I didn't think that Feadship will do something like this.

    If you want to buy an unused Feadship there's an offer on hull 667 (think that's the right number), because the original owner died before the yacht was finished. With the right amount of money - and if you like the interior - you can start immediately.

    4.- I think BLue Moon will cost around US $ 30millions to 35millions .... didn't know exactly. But if you think about buying a megayacht the last in mind has to be the money. The running cost's will be around 10% -per year- of the building costs. And don't forget the harbour - fees ... and bunkering 76 tons of fuel

    5.- 12 to 15 crew ... you need more to ceep the ship clean, than to operate it....

    6.- no idea, because I don't like to get any crew with me.... so I only buy smaller yachts which I can handle alone with my family. But there are many crew agencies out there....

    7.-- no idea


    urghs.... hope my english is understandable.... :confused: but I'm only a bloody german :D
  3. Bob Scott

    Bob Scott Guest


    answers....
    1. blue moon is feadships new production line. there will be many of them.
    2. see answer #1
    3. just call feadship, go take a test ride, and you will be good to go.
    4. not many people are buying 150' yachts these days which is driving the prices down. expect to pay about 2-3 million for the blue moon line.
    5. 1...a captain, until you get trained.
    6. great crew are everywhere, and work for dirt cheap in exchange for having a great job. many will crew for room and board!
    7. a year? if you have any aptitude, you should be ready in 6 months or less. pretty much, once you learn what all the levers and buttons are you are good to go. depending on your insurance, you may need a license, but don't worry the u.s. coast guard gives them away(serious!), and i know a dinner cruise dj turned captain, and jet skier turned captain to prove it!

    good luck with your new yacht, and let us know how it goes!
  4. Daniel

    Daniel New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Montreal
    To sum it up...

    So are you sure I can get around with one person: the captain? I'm talking strictly about sailing, I do realize that such a yacht requires a whole lot of maintenance implying more people... but for short trips (less than half a day), can one person be enough (for navigation only)? Consider that one and a half... I'll help around, I'm sure I'll love it and I want to learn absolutely everything. Is it humanly possible and safe or is the mark of 10 a necessity?

    Secondly, there is a huge difference in price. I have to say that what seduced me is the immaculate state of the Blue Moon. I want to get there and this has to be in the top of the check list... so what are we talking here? Less than 5yr old I suppose? Are you sure I can pick up a used, yet immaculate one for under 2M?

    Budget won't be a problem either way, be it for the yacht itself or for personnel. I have a considerable wealth and I'm ready for this but I never liked the idea of personnel. As this is some change in a lifestyle, I'd like to keep it to the minimum. I want to cook on the yacht, I want to deploy deck furniture myself, I don't want anyone do it for me... I don't want TV up there, in fact I don't want anything precise up there. Anything resonably equipped will do, so I don't care about customizing. I won't go to Feadship because 1) I want it this year 2) I don't have any wish list and I'm sure that most thing on the used market will satisfy me. Nonetheless, I'll contact them for some contacts for used ones.

    Bottom line: 150 ft, give or take, ASAP (this summer) therefore used and not older than 2000. W/o learning further about it yet, I don't want to compromise on anything technology-wise (modern navigation equip, mechanics etc) so this has to be there. As for interior, I couldn't care less. ... 2M or 30M ?

    I realize I sound like a 16-yr old about to buy his first car :) Please bear with my ignorance.


    BTW, I will have some pictures here of the Blue Moon in the port of Montreal this week.
  5. John B

    John B Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2004
    Messages:
    94
    Location:
    New York
    Here are quite a few to purchase: www.**************. Search on Feadship. 1997 158' is listed at $26 million.

    The $2 million reply to you was a sarcastic response. I think Henrik is probably very close on price for a new one.

    My recmmendation to you, assuming you are a serious buyer, is probably to hire a reputable yacht broker to represent you as well as a surveyor. Trying to limit your crew probably isn't the best idea if you're jumping straiht into a boat of this size. An experienced captain could probably help you as well.

    Perhaps you should consult your friends who have similar vessels and they can fill you in on what ownership is like and what's involved in purchasing.
  6. Daniel

    Daniel New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 14, 2004
    Messages:
    3
    Location:
    Montreal
    I'm not trying to limit the crew, I will devote all the resources necessary but right now I'm trying to make a mental image of what's needed and after two messages I was completely confused. Right now, I'm a fascinated kid ready to jump. After all, sailing with the captain alone seemed perfect plausible to my mind :) I consider myself a man of action, I love to get involved. I'll want to learn about every screw and bolt of the yacht. The services of a broker will certainly be the required, but I want to "pass the exams" before I go there and give a clear mandate. Unfortunately, people I know who own yachts are clueless and desire to remain that way. This whole personal research is a lot of fun for me and exchanging with passioned owners even more so.

    So I'll stick with the first and broaden my search among other manufacturers in the 150 range. Oceanco for instance cought my attention as well, and they're clearly a different syle. I obviously didn't realize that the whole thing was sarcastic which shows one again how unknowledgeable I am. Thank you for not siding with the "making fun of" crowd and for your much needed clarification.

    Up to now, the 2002 164' Benetti cought my attention. It,s very comparable to what I want. 156' Broward Cathedral even more so, but that's a draft. I believe I can see age and style from small pictures. Am I wrong? There is a "boaty" ugliness in a lot of them. The Blue Moon didn't have that, not does the Benetti here. This is what I'm looking for. I know it's very superficial up to now, but I want to stick with the unexplainable style that made the Blue Moon seductive. I certainly hope that my lack of vocabulary doesn't prohibit nice people from delivering meaningful opinions.

    Any further comments and suggestions are more than welcomed.
    Thank you all.
  7. CaptPKilbride

    CaptPKilbride Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 16, 2004
    Messages:
    586
    Location:
    On the water
    If it Floats, your better off renting it

    I might suggest that you try chartering a large yacht before jumping in feet first. You will be exposed to the yachts and the lifestyle for quite a lot less investment of capital.
    The idea of moving a 150 ft yacht around with just a captain and owner aboard, and no other crew, is a dangerous one.
    I think that your insurance underwiter would have a fit if he learned that was your intention.
    I applaud your desire to learn as much as you can beforehand, an informed consumer is a powerful consumer.
    But, you really should be using a broker.
    Good Luck with it, I hope your yachting experience is a happy and long-lived one