Feadship: "Golden Rule" Question

Wondering if anyone knows who the current owner of the "Golden Rule" is? The 127ft. yacht was previously named the "Excellence", and was sold to the new owners in 2004. The yacht is registered in Kingstown, St. Vincent.

I live in Newburyport, MA and watched the very impressive Golden Rule pull into our tiny picturesque port today. I chatted with the owner for a while (the nicest guy you'd want to meet). He lives in Florida and has spent the last two summers cruising New England to escape the southern heat. He's spending 3 days here and says Newburyport is his favorite New England port of call. I took a few photos that I've attached. That's the owner you see in the blue shirt.

I didn't ask his name and haven't been able to find out who he might be on any internet searches. I apologize if this question breaks any rules of the forums (and please let me know if it does). Just curious about who he might be and what he does for a living.

Thanks

Thanks to you both for the quick responses.

I had a feeling that my inquiry was out-of-bounds...but I figured I'd give it a shot. I apologize again. Thanks for the Ken Bracewell tip...but I'd feel a little odd emailing him for such trivial info. I was just curious.

But as I mentioned earlier, the owner (seen in my first photo) was probably the most down to earth and friendly large yacht owner I've ever met. He said he purchased her 2 years ago and totally gutted the interior and started from scratch. I can't imagine what fun it must be to outfit a vessel like that from the ground up. And the money it must take...yikes. And as AMG said, he also painted the hull dark blue. Which in my opinion was a GREAT choice!

I've been interested in yachts ever since spending winter vacations as a kid with my grandparents in Ft. Lauderdale in the 80's. Some of those yachts seemed like cruiseliners to me back then. And this week's visit by the "Golden Rule" to Newburyport has piqued my interest again and I'm sure I'll be frequenting this site a lot more this summer.

Thanks!

Thanks for your response Ken!

Believe it or not, our little town of Newburyport, MA was so impressed with the "Golden Rule", that they decided to do a cover story in the Newburyport Daily News! Hope this is OK to post, since I'm only relaying a story from the newspaper.

Here is the link (that includes a photo) and the article is pasted below....
http://www.newburyportnews.com/

Yacht owner 'very comfortable' here in Port

Daily News of Newburyport
Published: July 13, 2006

NEWBURYPORT - The fourth deck of Philip Morgaman's yacht sits high atop the water overlooking the sail boats and fishing vessels that dot the Merrimack River.

"It often provides the best views in the marina," he said, looking across the river to Salisbury.

It isn't just the views, however, that make the deck impressive. A large hot tub, flat-screen television and padded lounging area also make it a prime relaxation spot - and the favorite of Morgaman's three children.

That, however, is just the top deck of the 130-foot-long yacht Golden Rule - and, by any estimation, the least glamorous. The large yacht, built in 1986 and then gutted and refurbished last year, features cherry wood furnishings that include walls, tables, a large bar top, furniture and nearly everything in the bridge - including the large, ornate steering wheel.

The yacht, which is attracting the attention of many people who walk Newburyport's boardwalk, is here because of a chance discovery by Morgaman. He said more than a dozen years ago, while cruising the coast on his former boat - the 62-foot-long Lady Sandra - he discovered the city.

"We stopped at this town we never heard of before, and I fell in love with it," the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native said. Now, he said, he comes back to Newburyport anytime he can. "The town makes you feel welcome."

Morgaman said he and his seven guests - his wife, daughter and business associates - along with his eight-member crew will be in port at least through today and maybe until tomorrow, depending on when dock space opens up in Boston, which is the next scheduled stop.

Sitting on the third deck of the yacht in a large area with a cozy wicker couch, two chairs and a coffee table - his favorite spot on the boat - Morgaman, dressed in comfortable yet dressy clothes, talked about the boat, his crew and his love of Newburyport.

The boat, he said between sips of iced tea, is registered in St. Vincent's in the Caribbean and titled in Fort Lauderdale. He said while many people think that is for tax purposes, it is actually so he can hire an international staff, rather than just Americans.

He employs 12 people, with eight on the boat at any one time, including a captain, first mate, engineer, deck hand, chef and three stewardesses, who can care for up to 13 passengers.

Morgaman described his business dealings as "eclectic." He is an attorney by profession - but has not practiced in years - and now owns and operates private schools in Florida. He said he is also involved with insurance and transportation.

The yacht's study, which is equipped with a large desk, high-speed Internet, fax machines, computers and all other office-like equipment, allows him to conduct business at sea, he said. "It has all the things to keep us connected to the world."

The yacht also features a large living room, a dining room, a bar, a study area, two outdoor living areas, a master bedroom, five state rooms that sleep 11 guests, a kitchen, rooms for the crew and a crew lounge area. It also has a large bow that stores two kayaks, room for two wave runners on the third deck and a cockpit area in the rear of the boat, which includes two white leather chairs used for fishing.

He also tows along a 32-foot, center-console boat used for diving, fishing and as transportation to get from the yacht to land. The boat's name is Exception - as in Exception to the Golden Rule.

The large living room is complete with plush couches and chairs, a plasma flat-screen television hidden inside a cabinet when not in use, a humidifier for Morgaman's cigars and an electric baby grand piano.

It is this extravagance that presumably attracts passers-by to the yacht, something that Morgaman says adds to Newburyport's charm. He said he will often talk with people who pass by; he even gave a tour of the boat to a group of young people earlier this week.

While in town, he said he walks through Newburyport, eats at the restaurants and shops with his wife in the shops, much like anyone else who visits the town. He said he will also sit on public benches, smoke cigars and engage people in conversation. Like many people familiar with the city, he said he is very impressed by the restoration the town went through during the past decade or so.

Morgaman said one of his favorite aspects is the location of the docks in the city. He said from his deck he can see much of what is going on - at the park and at The Firehouse Center.

"You're basically docking in the middle of town," he said. "It makes it a very comfortable place to be."

Before docking in Newburyport yesterday, however, Morgaman and his guest were out in the ocean, participating in one of his favorite activities: shooting clay pigeons - launched by a machine built into the boat - with specially made anti-rusting shotguns. He said they came into land as lightning hit the water just 200 yards from the boat.

By the time the boat arrived in port, the rain and hail that pounded the area in the midweek storm welcomed him into town.

"It was not the prettiest welcome to Newburyport I've ever seen," he said.

But, he said, he'll take it.

"You have to understand, we are south Florida natives, and getting away from the heat and humidity is a big priority for us," he said. "It may seem hot and warm for you here, but this is January for us."

The Golden Rule

Length: 130 feet

Levels: Four

Gas tank: 12,000 gallons

Range: 6,000 miles

Engines: (2) 700 horse power

Built: 1986

Other watercraft: 32-foot-long tender, two kayaks, two wave runners

Crew: 12 members, with rotation of eight onboard at all times

Yep, great sense of humor and just an all-around nice guy. I was down at the dock again today (I'm on vacation this week) and the owner was chatting with a few people. Overheard him saying that he and the "Golden Rule" will be leaving Newburyport tomorrow for Boston. They'll stay there for a few days and the rest of the itinerary includes Provincetown, MA; Hyannisport, MA; and Newport, RI. Then they'll fly back to Florida.

Also overheard that the yacht was brought up directly from Florida to Bar Harbor, Maine by the crew via a non-stop, 4-day cruise. The owner and his family flew up to Maine and met them for the start of their cruise.

I captured a few more photos tonite. It was low tide and I was able to get really nice views since the yacht was below the boardwalk. Notice the built-in flat screen TV near the hot tub on the top deck. Also the giant aquarium is what you see glowing in the middle of the living room on the mid-deck (in the 3rd photo). It's two-sided and is visible from the livingroom and dining room. And you gotta LOVE the underwater lights at the stern!

Thanks

I just wanted to cap-off this thread on the Golden Rule's visit to Newburyport with some photos of her departure yesterday. We don't see many yachts of her size here, so it definitely was a treat. The owner and his wife came out on deck to thank everyone for their hospitality and said they'd be back again next year.

In the foreground of the 1st photo you can see the 32ft. Intruder named "Exception" - as in the Exception to the Golden Rule. They tow her behind for fishing and tendering. And in the 5th photo you can see the Golden Rule maneuvering around one of the many fishing vessels in our local fleet...on her way to the mouth of the Merrimac River.

I also posted a thread about Newburyport in the "Marinas and Waypoints" section of the site. I included a couple photos of our downtown area that I took yesterday.
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/m...uryport-ma-great-new-england-destination.html