yacht starfish

Due for launch in 2012, superyacht Star Fish builds on the vision and philosophy so clearly demonstrated by the success of explorer yacht Big Fish. Motor yacht Star Fish will continue to expand the boundaries of the yachting experience, creating new yachts for a new age.

Expedition Yacht StarFish, which will be built based on the same Greg Marshall-designed hull plans as her sister ship, is expected to launch in late 2011. A variation of the Aquos Yachts concept for serious – but still luxurious – ocean-going yachts, she will use her extended length to provide additional load-carrying capacity, such as a seaplane or a submarine, and to provide an additional, sixth, stateroom.

Accommodation

• Tri-deck Passagemaker with full width owner’s stateroom located aft on the bridge deck.
Salon, Dining & Galley on main deck. 1 x VIP Guest stateroom on the main deck forward.
4 x Guest staterooms located on the Hull Deck with capability to convert to 2 x VIP full width staterooms.
Accommodation for 9 crew.

Exterior Features

• Extra-large swim platform aft.
Fold-down bulwarks amidships, allowing un-impeded views from inside.
Much of the deck area is covered with infused stone.

Interior Features

• Extra-large ‘floor-to-ceiling’ windows to “bring the outside in”.
LED lighting for reduced power consumption.
Full height atrium stairwell provides access from the lower hull deck all the way to the flybridge.

Built at McMullen & Wing in Auckland, NZ, explorer superyacht StarFish will benefit both from the renown quality of the award-winning shipyard, as well as from the low cost of the Kiwi dollar versus Euros and US currency. “We believe we offer the best of both worlds,” said, David Porter, who with his brother Terry own and run McMullen & Wing. “We offer the experience and quality of the best European and North American yacht builders at a fraction of their cost.”

Explorer Yacht STAR FISH

Specification of Superyacht STAR FISH:

Naval Architect Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architects
Builder McMullen & Wing Ltd
Construction Steel hull, aluminum superstructure
Length Overall (LOA) 49.95m (163′ 8″)
Beam 9.30m (30′ 6″)
GRT 498 tons Mega Yacht
Range 9200nm @ 8 knots
Classification Germanischer Lloyd
Main Engines Caterpillar 3508B DI-TA, 1050hp@1600rpm
Fuel tankage 98,600 litres
Stabilization Quantum Zero Speed Stabilizers
Safety & Security Night Navigator 3 system
Tender 21′ custom M&W tender
Accommodation 6 staterooms

Porter is excited at the prospect of building Motor Yacht Star Fish, which will be a rarity in yacht design and construction – a large, ocean-going, full-displacement yacht under the critical 500 gross registered tons threshold, exempting the vessel from international rules governing construction of commercial vessels such as cruise liners. “We worked very closely with Germanischer Lloyds to create the safest vessel possible under the existing rules,” Porter said.

Auckland, NZ – Steel has been ordered to start construction of a second luxury long-range cruising vessel by Aquos Yachts, which is expecting to take delivery of its first yacht, 45M Big Fish, in March at McMullen & Wing.

“We believe firmly and confidently that there is an expanding market for a new kind of yacht, one that is built to deliver safe, purposeful and comfortable all-oceans cruising rather than ego-based ostentatiousness,” said Jim Gilbert, who is heading up Aquos Yachts’ marketing effort. Gilbert, the founding editor and a former owner of ShowBoats International, said “It’s always struck me how little of the potential market for large yachts our industry has been able to penetrate. One reason for this is that we have virtually ignored that segment of the market that values the experiences a large yacht can give them more than the yacht itself. StarFish and Big Fish are an intentional effort to make owning a luxury yacht sensible, affordable and rational to a deep, untouched pool of potential owners who, truthfully, are put off by such things as expensive china, environmentally injurious teak decks, large crews, and fancy high-maintenance finishes.”

The Aquos Yachts team was assembled to streamline the process of building a large, complex vessel at a distance. The chairman of Aquos Yachts, a U.K. businessman who resides in Hong Kong, said, “When I set out to build Superyacht Big Fish I tried to put together the best team in the industry, people who shared my vision, my passion for innovation and creativity, and who would protect my interests. I didn’t really want to be a hands-on owner in the process,” he added, “but as I moved forward I realized the strength and professionalism of the people around me, and knew the support they provided would be attractive to other owners, as well.”

David Darwent, Aquos Yachts’ project supervisor, has managed large, high-profile yacht projects around the world. “Our philosophy is to combine imaginative, owner-inspired innovations with tested and proven systems and design,” he said. “We invested heavily and worked tirelessly with Greg Marshal and his team to design a superb, efficient, full-volume hull incorporating time-honored systems. On top of this hull we are adding features never seen before in yachting, such as the first granite deck to replace traditional, expensive, high-maintenance teak, unique tender storage options, and a stadium-size video wall.”

A model of yacht Big Fish plus renderings, general arrangement plans and specifications for the StarFish yacht will be available at the McMullen & Wing booth in the New Zealand Pavilion at the Fort Lauderdale International Boats Show.

Auckland, New Zealand – Responding to considerable market interest in Big Fish, a unique 45M exploration/adventure yacht under construction at McMullen & Wing, the vessel’s Hong Kong-based owner has established Aquos Yachts to develop a line of similar high-volume, ecologically-focused world cruising vessels.

A second Aquos Yachts 45M steel hull, code-named Superyacht Star Fish, will be started shortly at McMullen & Wing, which has rights to build a range of steel-hull Aquos Yachts from 35M to 55M. Big Fish and its sister yachts were designed by Greg C. Marshall Naval Architects, Inc. of Victoria, BC. Aquos Yachts will provide complete project support for its clients, including contracting, financing, preliminary design, project management and supervision.

Expedition yacht Big Fish has captured world attention for its imaginative, innovative, and ecological features. These include the world’s first use of maintenance-free, ecologically responsible and virtually indestructible granite decking, opening hull platforms, large-volume bow storage for tenders and toys, extended cruising range, marine research instrumentation, exceptionally low fuel and electrical consumption, and extraordinary water access from a transformer-style swim platform. The yacht will also feature the world’s most sophisticated night navigation equipment from BC-based Current Corporation.

“I am committed to making the process of designing and building a yacht both enjoyable and transparent,” said Aquos Yachts’ chairman, a Hong Kong-based businessman from the UK. “I wanted a boat to explore far-off waters in relaxed comfort, complete safety and full security,” he said. “I was surprised by the profound enjoyment I derived from the creative process of developing my yacht. As a businessman I realized that between my substantial investment in design, engineering and my visionary team, that we had something new both in substance and in process to offer the yachting world.”

David Porter, co-owner of award-winning yacht builder McMullen & Wing with his brother, Terry, said his company is delighted with its relationship with Aquos Yachts. “Building Big Fish has been a great pleasure for us,” he said. “We have developed an exceptional reputation of building imaginative and innovative yachts to world-class standards,” he said, “and we believe we can add to this reputation by providing Aquos Yachts and its clients the same quality. We are honored to have been selected by Aquos Yachts to continue the remarkable program they have started and applaud their commitment to enhancing the pleasure of the construction process.”

A model of Big Fish will be on display at the Monaco Yacht Show and the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show at the McMullen & Wing booths. In addition, clients are welcome to see samples of the new granite decking on display from Stone Decking Systems.

Jim Gilbert, former editor-in-chief and president of ShowBoats International magazine, has agreed to join the Aquos Yacht team. “I became involved with the Big Fish project because her owner and I shared a very similar vision about the future of luxury yachting. My personal belief is that in focusing so heavily on sheer size and opulent glamour the industry has lost sight of the true mainstream of yachting, which has more to do with the quality of experience one can enjoy aboard a yacht, as apart from the more single-minded focus on the yacht itself.

“I have long wondered why so few people with the means to build or buy a large yacht do so. I think one answer is that the vast majority of potential yacht owners are more interested in the wonderful things they could do on a yacht than on the boat itself. Big Fish and future Aquos Yachts projects will showcase the extraordinary capacity large, well-conceived and exquisitely-built yachts to bring their owners and charter guests to the farthest, most fascinating places on earth without sacrificing any creature comfort or security.”

Luxury Explorer or expedition yachts like StarFish & Big Fish make wonderful charter yachts because they are especially designed for luxurious comfort in exotic out of the way locations, whilst offering a large range of peripheral water toys and yacht amenities. CharterWorld has a range of explorer yachts available for luxury yacht charters so please either select one from the website or contact us for more information.