Blue Book of Boats

The world’s largest aluminum luxury motor yacht NOMAD (ex Floridian and Aussie Rules) was featured in the movie “Killers” starring Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl. Nomad was built in 2003 by OceanFast of Australia, and has undergone a superb refit in mid 2005. Designed for long range exploration and comfortable cruising, it has a cruising range of 8,000 nautical miles. She is one of the most impressive and famous yachts available for charter with a massive collection of toys, tenders, fishing and dive equipment; in addition to swimming pool, wet bar, cinema and a helicopter landing pad.

In the movie Killers, there is a scene showing Spencer Aimes (Ashton Kutcher) sneaking onto a boat (The Nomad), putting a time bomb on the bottom of a helicopter, then taking out a guard. He then swims back and goes on the date with Jen (Katherine Heigl). (Photo on left shows Spencer (Ashton Kutcher) getting out of the boat through the anchor hawsepipe by grabbing hold of the anchor chain.

For technical data and interior photos on the yacht Nomad, check out Blue Book of Boat Listing. Charter rate for this yacht – ball park figures around $490,000 to $650,000 US dollars per week depending on hi or low season.

Imagine James Bond in the movie Casino Royale, sailing on the Spirit 54, entering the canal of Venice with glamour Bond girl Vesper Lynd played by Eva Green. Charter vacationers can now share this fantasy of hot sun and turquoise water because the Spirit 54 is now available for charter in Marmaris, Turkey. At a charter rate of approx. US$5700 a week may be pricey, but the Spirit 54 has two cabins and a salon, and can easily accommodate six guests, likely four adults and two youngsters who can camp on the salon.

Surrounded by seas on 3 sides, Black Sea to the North, Aegean Sea to the West and Mediterranean Sea to the South Turkey is becoming a popular sailing charter destination.

Geographically, it has Russia to the North, Central Asia to the East, European Union to the West and the Middle East to the South.

Sailing in Turkey is smooth because there is no open sea, and no tides or currents to contend with. The sailing season starts from April and ends in October. July and August tends to get very hot.

Read more about the Spirit 54 and view photo images of James Bond and Versper Lynd aboard the Spirit 54.

What do Jack Nicholson and James Bond have in common? They both driven the Monte Carlo 30. Built by Riva, the Italian yacht builder in the 80’s and 90’s, the Monte Carlo 30 Offshore is very popular in Europe. With a maximum cruising speed of 55 knots, it is easy to scoot in and out of popular destinations.

Here is Jack Nicholson having fun with his guests. As shown on the photo, the cockpit deck is large and can easily accommodate up to 8 guests. The master cabin offers overnight accommodation for two people. With the right weather, and the right company, small boats can be just as much fun. Price tag for this boat, around $50,000 to $60,000.

Developed together with Bob Hopps and Cal Connell, the Monte Carlo offshorer 27 (70’s), 30 (80’s) and 32 (early 90’s) was built out of fiber glass and was the first production runabout with a “stepped” hull to improve ride and stability. The engines and fittings were mostly the same as those used on Rivas at the time. Most of the Monte Carlo 30 offshorer used 2 crusader 454 bringing them up to 55 knots in standard configuration (faster engines were BPMs while a slower diesel BMW engine set was also offered). The boats were built by R.A.M. – the maintenance part of the former Riva company, still owned by the Riva family.

About 400 hulls of the Monte Carlo 30 were built and they mostly replaced aquarama specials (built by the Italian yachtbuilder Riva from 1992-1996) on the riviera or were used as yacht tenders.

A Monte Carlo 30 offshorer was the speedboat driven by James Bond during the helicopter chase in the movie Goldeneye.For more information and photos about the boat, click here.

Ellen Degeneres, Michelle Williams are some of the famous movie stars who join other famous kayakers. Abraham Lincoln and Mao Tse Tung seem unlikely kayakers, but they were trailblazers in what has become a very popular sport. Kayakers divide into the whitewater variety, sea-kayakers, surf kayakers and general recreation kayakers – with many sub-sets below. Kayaks are fitted out to purpose. There are many companies who offer kayak courses and expeditions – though some of the best whitewater kayaking, for example, is found in the more remote regions of the world.

Photo on the right shows Ellen Degeneres in an low quality inflatable kayak. Likely she was just out for a quick trial run. There are advantages of an inflatable kayak over a hardshell kayak. Inflatables are easier to store, transport and enjoy. One of the main advantages of inflatable kayaks is price. While hardshell kayaks can run into the thousands of US dollars (USD), you can find good-quality inflatable kayaks for as little as 150 USD. Although many factors, such as size and brand name, affect the price of an inflatable kayak, it’s still possible to find something that is both affordable and long-lasting. Portability is another advantage of inflatable kayaks. They can be folded to the size of a suitcase and stored almost anywhere, as long as there are no extremes of temperature and humidity in the area.

Good-quality inflatable kayaks have multiple air chambers, as opposed to a single chamber in the cheaper models. This guarantees the raft will stay afloat even when punctured. The most important sign of quality in an inflatable boat, however, is the quality of workmanship. Strong, firm seams are the sign of an inflatable kayak that can stand the abuse of both long voyages and Class IV whitewater. Good quality can also be recognized by the presence of accessories, such as fabric floors and carrying cases. While not necessary, they add to the user’s comfort and can help extend the life of the kayak.