Pocket Superyacht Blog Archives - Page 11 of 12

Sailing in a nation of sailors.

I have just spent two weeks sailing through Holland on a 100 year old classic yacht. Iduna is an 8 meter class designed by Johan Anker (famous for the Dragon class) and built at Anker & Jensen in Norway some time between 1912 and 1916. She is a Pocket Superyacht in her own right. Her interior is not much bigger than my pocket and she is super beautiful. Her restoration was completed in 2011 and executed with great attention to detail, bringing her back to her original glory. No expense was saved and no shortcuts were taken. Life on board S/Y Iduna is simple and dry when it doesn’t rain. Otherwise, the old lady always knows exactly where her owner sleeps. Water that leaks somewhere through the foredeck creeps its way underneath the Iroko deck planks to drip on Edward Balke’s pillow, midships. Edward has contacted Invisible Crew for the 4th consecutive year to provide him with a skilled sailor to assist him during his yearly holiday. This year I finally had the chance to go myself. (que: joke about skilled sailor.) Although I’m Belgian, the waters of Holland bring back memories from my early days of sailing and I appreciate their beauty now more […]

The Story of SY Iduna.

Not all yachting adventures happen on the water. This is the story of the classic yacht Iduna. The story of the classic yacht Iduna begins in 2007 when Edward Balke took a peek under a tarpaulin. It was hiding a tired wooden boat on the bank of the River Scheldt in Antwerp Belgium. Staring at the legendary pictures of Beken of Cowes was pretty much his only experience with classic yachts. But one doesn’t have to be an aficionado to be seduced by the sexy lines of a Johan Anker designed 8 metre class. He had indeed found a craft with serious pedigree and was about to save her life. “Twinkle” was how the local senior yachtsmen knew the yacht. She had won several local races in the 1960’s. Somehow she ended up in the wrong hands, or at least she was owned by someone who couldn’t afford quality repairs and maintenance. She was put on the hardstand, mothballed and neglected. One of the “quick fixes” she had received was a layer of glass fibre over the underwater-hull. The wood underneath couldn’t breathe and trapped moist. The boat was for sale for, what seemed to be, a low price but […]

Refit of Imagine Heaven completed.

A Pocket Superyacht refit requires a detailed approach. In the past we have brought new life to older Pocket Superyachts with a very hands-on approach. Due its scale, our role in the refit of “Imagine Heaven” shifted more towards project management without forgetting what made us successful in previous projects. The owner of the 65ft Yapluka Catamaran had initially contacted us with a request for crew. In our first meeting he mentioned that he was about to embark on a refit project of his 7 year old yacht. We explained him how we could assist. We understand that between the job description of the project manager and the planned work list of the yard, there are a few small but nonetheless important jobs that need doing. This requires a flexible and at times hands-on approach if you truly want to be the clients eyes and ears on site. This caught his attention as a Dutch company had refused the work just days before, stating that they don’t deal with yachts below 44 meters. They turned away a client who wanted to apply superyacht standards to his Pocket superyacht. The very busy but very enthusiastic client was clear in […]

5 reasons why Brexit is good for the industry.

Brexit offers opportunities for the Yachting industry. By no means am I an expert on the topic of Brexit so I am probably not qualified to write about it. But checking my Facebook today I felt sorry for all my British friends who are appalled by the outcome. From my observations it seems that Brits who live abroad, travel or have travelled extensively are all “remain” voters. So on this historical day I want to cheer up my disappointed British friends by sharing my creativity and showing the opportunities that this result offers. 1. More First Mate positions will open up. The great amount of yachts registered under the British ensign will need extra hands on deck. With every (European) port they enter, the Q-flag will have to be raised before checking in with the authorities. The Captain will not be able to do that, or the final bit of navigation himself. He will have to take the hour before arrival to organise crew lists and all other paperwork in addition to a yoga session. The yoga session is necessary to prepare for the frustrating challenge that lies ahead. During the 3 hours that the captain is gone to check in, the first […]

Value for money on board a Pocket Superyacht.

The reasoning behind value for money. How confusing it can be for crew to understand the spending behaviour of the Pocket Superyacht owner. The owner is obviously financially well off and spends money in a truly irrational way. On a yacht! To name but one example. But there is a difference between rational and emotional value for money. One day the captain finds himself in a huge yacht chandlery, a bit like a Toy’s Are Us for sea-going adults. He’s got the yacht’s credit card in his hand. He feels like he is holding a loaded gun and he is surrounded by targets. He has the opportunity to live his fantasy and buy everything he ever wanted. In his head he tries to justify what he wants to spend. Surely life is easier and the boat is safer if you have spare parts for… everything and the galley sink. The guests will surely love to use every toy that Budget Marine sells. Fishing will turn into catching if we have more than one carbon fibre rod and specific lures for every contour line on the chart. A week earlier, the owner was presented with three price quotations for a new mainsail. […]