# Bizarre superyachts proposed **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 31, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873 "2009-07-31T15:15:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/1 "2009-07-31T15:15:59Z")
> **[Planned $95M superyacht looks like a killer whale - CNN.com](http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/07/29/yacht.killer.whale/index.html?iref=mpstoryview)** > > A spectacular superyacht has been designed by an internationally renowned urban planning architect in a very unusual shape. What the…? I suppose if you’re gonna drop that much dough, you want to stand out from all the other superyachts crowding the wharf in Monaco, Nassau or Palm Beach. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/2 "2009-07-31T15:40:47Z")
Well, if I had $95-mil sitting around, that’s probably not the first thing I’d spend it on, but it’s not awful, either. The blurb says the shape mimics the eye and open jaw of a killer whale. One of the pictures makes it clear that that’s the stern, so it’s a killer whale swimming backwards. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/3 "2009-07-31T15:45:11Z")
I’m fairly willing to bet that either or both of these will be bought by Larry Ellison of Oracle, or Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. Those two have been in a competition over who has the biggest toys for several years. These two new boats in that article are actually much smaller than Larry’s Rising Sun, which is so big at 454 feet, it actually can’t enter most marinas and has to anchor offshore, and passengers have to take a tender. Either of these new ones would be a perfect opportunity for him to get a small runabout with some style. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/4 "2009-07-31T16:10:54Z")
I’m in favor of all avant-garde design when it comes to boats. Yacht design, at least among motor-yachts, has become pretty uninteresting lately. The only recent yacht design I really like is the Gentry Eagle, and that’s on the smaller side. Ellison’s current yacht is probably very comfortable but I don’t think it’s all that cool looking. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/5 "2009-07-31T16:49:19Z")
To be completely honest, if i had the 95 million to burn, I sure as hell would buy that crap … I can remember seeing a 1920s vintage John Alden pilot house motor launch IIRC it was some 30 meters or so that had been used as the private launch of some admiral in WW2 that had just been restored and was on the market for something like $300KUS … I would much rather have a work of wooden art, with grace, beauty and a history than some fibreglass piece of shit. I have been rummaging around online looking for it, and have not been able to find it or anything like it yet =( ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/6 "2009-07-31T17:18:11Z")
It doesn’t look so much like a killer whale as much as a tuna. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/7 "2009-07-31T17:36:06Z")
Tunas get a bad rep for their “chicken of the sea” image. Tunas are beautiful and impressive creatures. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/8 "2009-07-31T18:00:14Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > Tunas get a bad rep for their “chicken of the sea” image. Tunas are beautiful and impressive creatures. [Word](http://subwaychatter.com/blog/images/parcells1.jpg). They’re also winners. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/9 "2009-07-31T18:11:07Z")
Based on [these pictures](http://www.superyachttimes.com/editorial/5/article/id/2006), the yacht does look like a whale - _swimming backwards._ 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/10 "2009-07-31T18:13:16Z")
I think it’s pretty damn cool. James Bond could have a great showdown with a supervillain on one of those things. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/11 "2009-07-31T18:16:15Z")
p.s. I think the Infinitus looks much cooler, of the two. More pictures [here](http://www.upscaleswagger.com/2009/06/23/infinitas-yacht-by-schopfer/). It looks like those are giant windows on the side? (Note the reflections) So that’s an indoor swimming pool in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2009, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/12 "2009-07-31T22:51:30Z")
Agree. Much cooler, even if it’s still the same awful white color. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/13 "2009-08-01T00:45:47Z")
Looks like a $300 basketball shoe to me. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/14 "2009-08-01T00:56:51Z")
What good is a boat if you can’t get wind and water in your face? Plus, you need to be able to anchor a boat and fish for a while. I wouldn’t give $95 million for either one of those boats; I’d rather have a few really flashy deck babes. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/15 "2009-08-01T01:11:38Z")
> [@UncleBill](#): > > Looks like a $300 basketball shoe to me. Aha! _That’s_ what was niggling at the back of my mind! ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/16 "2009-08-01T01:18:21Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I can remember seeing a 1920s vintage John Alden pilot house motor launch IIRC it was some 30 meters or so that had been used as the private launch of some admiral in WW2 that had just been restored and was on the market for something like $300KUS … I would much rather have a work of wooden art, with grace, beauty and a history than some fibreglass piece of shit. I couldn’t find an image of what you mentioned, but I did find [this.](http://www.boneyardboats.com/Archives/0043_Spring_2009/images/0043_Spring_2009_Boat_Faves/0042_1933_ALDEN_26_PG12_001.gif) Besides sails, this had a 20hp motor. The [page from which I plucked that](http://www.boneyardboats.com/) described it as: > [@](#): > > 1933 JOHN ALDEN CUTTER 26’ > > Hull is cypress over oak with mahogany cabin top. Decks are canvas over yellow pine. 4000 lbs of iron ballast. 8’ beam. Spruce boom and mast. Inboard 1934 Gray Marine 20hp gas engine. Owner says, “A husky and able cutter. Full Sunbrella all-season cover, 5 sails in excellent condition. In 2005, I installed new keel bolts, bulwarks, garboard planking… Is that what you had in mind? ---
**Author:** ![Sebastienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a698b9/32.png) [@Sebastienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sebastienne)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/17 "2009-08-01T01:20:49Z")
A lot of mega- and super-yachts are godawful ugly. This at least has some deliberate style, even if it’s oddball Star Trek-y style, and overall it’s a lot less goofy looking than I was expecting. That it looks like a whale if you look at it backwards is pretty cool, in my opinion. I was hoping they were building another ludicrous modernized square-rigger, but I guess there’s only one Maltese Falcon. ([http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/](http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/) for the curious. I think it takes all the fun out of sailing square, but what do I know of the rich.) ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/18 "2009-08-01T03:31:32Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Well, if I had $95-mil sitting around, that’s probably not the first thing I’d spend it on, but it’s not awful, either. The blurb says the shape mimics the eye and open jaw of a killer whale. One of the pictures makes it clear that that’s the stern, so it’s a killer whale swimming backwards. Yep, once I saw that they were picturing the boat ass-backwards, I realized that it’s not really any differently shaped from other ships. It just has more fancy panel designs (which probably increases the weight of the boat and blocks vision from inside.) I’ll personally guess that it’s going to flop. ETA: And who else looked at picture #4 and thought of the bridge of a Star Trek ship? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/19 "2009-08-01T06:10:01Z")
> [@Sebastienne](#): > > ([http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/](http://www.symaltesefalcon.com/) for the curious. I think it takes all the fun out of sailing square, but what do I know of the rich.) The cost of the boat is one thing, you don’t want to go broke paying the crew. It takes a lot of people to brace the yards if they’re doing it by hand. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2009, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873/20 "2009-08-01T11:44:24Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > I couldn’t find an image of what you mentioned, but I did find [this.](http://www.boneyardboats.com/Archives/0043_Spring_2009/images/0043_Spring_2009_Boat_Faves/0042_1933_ALDEN_26_PG12_001.gif) Besides sails, this had a 20hp motor. > > The [page from which I plucked that](http://www.boneyardboats.com/) described it as: > > Is that what you had in mind? Nope, more of [this](http://ads.boatboss.com/215_Portland/14344_45_Lake_Union_quot_Dreamboat_quot_Antique_Wooden_Bridgedeck_Cruiser_Portland_Yacht_Sales.html) Though the specific one I am thinking of was the conspicuous consumption luxury motor yacht of its day … the one I want specifically was built by John Alden in the 1920s and was strictly a motor yacht [most of the yards other stuff was sail, my grandfather had them build him a 39 foot yawl in 1936 that I learned to sail on called the Sea Gypsey.] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bizarre-superyachts-proposed/504873.md?page=2)