Is there a lack of trendy, posh, luxury boats?

[Kazulin Boats]

Hi,

I enjoyed reading your comment about a market that we actively pursue;

"I also found out that there's a serious market segment, consisting of young wealthy individuals who want a more unique style, and newer designs for show boats. Just imagine a young "new money" millionaire who wants to have his own show boat to be seen with in a Southern European marina. He needs a dandy boat. And he doesn't have a lot of options: either it's a race-car like power boat, or a luxury yacht (which is not what he wants, for yachts are for old people), or a dull white power boat of which there are hundreds which all look the same."

I'd greatly enjoy hearing your opinion about our boats and how you feel they would fit into the market in Europe. We have done fairly well in North America and Japan and now we'd like to work on Europe. Here's our website, www.kazulinboats.com. Write me back at jweber5@optonline.net and I'll send you some more photos of various boats that we have built. I am looking forward to hearing from you!

Regards,

Jim Weber, Long Island, New York

[icetreader]

Originally Posted by Dandyboat

...Anyway, does anyone know of any transparent polycarbon hulls? I've never seen any.

There is a production canoe-kayak made from this material.
The problem I see with this material is hiding dirt and scratches.

[RThompson]

I know the discussion seems to regard smaller power boats -however:

http://wallyyachts.net/ have a mentality similiar to what you are thinking about. No one could say they conform to whatever is trendy at the time.
Indeed, their avante garde shapes/ideas of the '90's are now mainstream - wally's more recent boats are way out there in styling and ideas (or you could say 10 years behind or in front)

As far as being exclusive I know they were vehemently against any Wally being in charter service because that would mean _anybody_ could be seen on one. Although that has now changed.
An advantage Bassani (Wally yachts owner) has over a lot of other designers is that he has the fiscal capacity to go ahead and build a $30 mil concept boat with whatever ideas he dreamed up. - as a hobby.
tough life for some...

Rob

[Sander Rave]

Dandy,

I think you hit the bulls eye with your remarks about todays high end market. Wally's a exception though... I join Tad in this one. Don't let your dreams be stopped bij conservatism. You do not plan to build a fishing/work boat. Ever thought of laminated glass as a construction material in stead of PC ;-) (not for the whole hull, dust a teaser)

Go ahead, build that porno-pimp-salon boat (I have my doubts on the pink sofa though...) but please keep it exclusive...

Kazulin/Strand-craft, this is the opposite of what Dandy has in mind. I don't know for the onther continents, but the hype of retro style is exit in Europe. Sure some will make a very good living out of it, but it's not the big wave in design anymore.

[CCJ Johnson]

I don't want to put the dampers on the use of new materials, but I would have thought that a hull in polycarb would abrade and then discolour very quickly when being pushed through the water.
I know of a new yacht design that has a transparent swim platform (so you can admire your surface drives), but even if this is toughened glass I can't believe it would look good for very long.
Even the water in a fish tank needs filtering and conditioning to keep the glass clear. So anyone who's vain enough to want to be 'seen' in a 'see-through' boat is not going to look at their best through a film of micro-organisms - however it would spare us the sight of someone on the toilet.

[SC1]

The innovative and imaginative thinking on a "Dandyboat" could be done all styles from classy retro to futuristic designs.
SC 50 Miss Sweden is designed with futuristic style but you could also see the heritage from when pleasure powerboating started in the 20-ies.
This mix in combination with the latest technics with advanced composite constructions in Kevlar/Carbonfibres and Jet turbines/surface drives this will be "Dandyboat" No:1

[Sander Rave]

CCJ, it's just an example. (I hope ;-) of not taking the paved path. A lot is possible if you have specific demands. Innovations often occure when a hand full of craftsman and an ignorant designer or stylist push the limits together.

[CCJ Johnson]

Sander.
Pushing the limits - thinking outside of the box - call it what you like, I love the innovative use of materials and technologies, but good design is Form and Function in equal measure.
The original poster suggested a transparent polycarbonate hull - this would have great form, but hardly any function.

[SailDesign]

CCJ, there would be plenty of function - everyone would be able to see how much crud there was in your bilges
Steve

[yokebutt]

In my experience, a product doesn't have to be all that unusual to be considered a unique personal statement, it just needs to have right kind of image, and that's mostly a function of slick marketing. (playing on various insecurities, really) Seriously, when did you give an average 911 a second glance last?

That's why I prefer racing boats, (or cars, for that matter) no BS, just efficient and elegant structures suited to their purpose without un-neccessary gee-gaws, doo-hickeys or whatnots.

Yoke.

P.S. Just my personal opinion mind you, and yer' dang strait, I'm entitled to it.

[waveless]

Hi,

High-Speed Waveless Boat can be designed as BMW look like, because it's body, fore and tail is the same width. It will be a revolutional design.

[CCJ Johnson]

Yokebutt you're so right - marketing does play a big part in the way a product is perceived, and I think in the luxury boat sector this is especially so as the price tag increases. Slick marketing will (in the short term at least) get you around weakness in design, when you're selling into the 'see and be seen' world of toys.
I have only one question - what's a gee-gaw and a doo-hickey ?

Regards
Colin

[Willallison]

I seem to recall that there was a tender built with a big polycarb window in the bottom of it.... but as others have eluded to, the fact that they're not tied to the back of everyones boat suggests other manufacturers aren't likely to leap in and give the idea a go.
I like Tad's sense of the adventurous, but at the end of the day designers not only have a responsibility to be innovative, but also practical. The Wally 118 Power is a prime example of form over function. At speed, the helmsman is unable to sight the horizon! Azimut's brave new 68ss is not that dissimilar - though not to anything like the same extent. It shares the Wally's interior styling somewhat - straight lines and sharp corners abound, just waiting to gouge chunks from the shins of a stumbling crew member.
Now don't get me wrong - I love both these boats... just don't ever untie them from the dock!

[Sander Rave]

OK Will,

1-0

form should follow function in my humble opinion

[Tad]

My point was that we need innovators, rather than imitators. Yes, form should indeed follow function, and I recommend everyone go and buy a Honda Element.....NOT!!

In the late 1980's I was involved in the design of a 100' sailing yacht called Signe. Joe Artese was the interior designer and stylist. He came up with the concept of a skylight around the mizzen mast, in the owner's cabin. The owner's loved it, no reasonable yacht designer or naval architect or marine engineer would have ever suggested such a thing. But Joe did, and after much iteration we came up with a way to make it work. It's awesome. Tad