As the world’s largest mega yacht, the Eclipse includes two helicopter pads, two swimming pools, several hot tubs, 24 guest cabins, and a disco hall. The security system is fitted with an intruder detection system and a German-built missile defense system. Also equipped is an anti-paparazzi laser system, which although it does not fire lasers at the paparazzi it does blind their cameras. This system is not always online, but is activated when a possible paparazzi is nearby.
Mega Yacht Protection
The mega yacht Eclipse has even more protection than mentioned previously. The master suite and bridge are both fitted with armor plating and with bulletproof windows to offer superior protection for its passengers. This, along with the intruder detection system and the missile defense system, makes the mega yacht Eclipse not only a wonder to look at but also a safe house on the water!
As you can see in the videos, this is a beautiful and exceptionally large mega yacht. Eclipse was launched in June of 2009 and arrived the following September in Denmark for testing. In December 2010 this mega yacht was delivered to its owner, Roman Abramovich, after all testing was completed. Starting February 2011 Eclipse was made available as a charter yacht through SuperYachtsMonaco, a yacht broker based out of Monaco.
You can also see that the paparazzi shield system is not always on, as the videos were possible to take. The system is enabled manually and will continue to function until disabled, which would be when the threat of paparazzi is gone.
Come and check out the upcoming Miami International Boat Show this February and see many mega yachts visiting us just for this show! Get your tickets now and join us at the show from February 14-18 and enjoy the yachts with us!
The occupancy levels at the Palm Beach docks are down this year with occupancy levels at only 89%, compared to last year’s 94%. The low occupancy is believed to be a mixture of the bad economy and hurricane Sandy’s timing.
Though there are many yachts for sale Captain Hipple doubts that the docks will have trouble filling spots.
The dock master, Kenny Kooyenga, believes that the occupancy will increase and that one of the reasons for there not being as many boats for this time of year is because of hurricane Sandy. He expects another half dozen to be arriving over the next few weeks that were held up due to the storm.
Yacht Bargains
The suffering economy is causing many yacht owners to sell their vessels, especially those new to the yachting world, and some are selling for a ridiculously low price. Captain Bill Hipple, captain of the Lady Kath, has personally seen yacht bargains where a yacht valued at $28 million is selling for just under $15 million.
A lot of long-established yachtsmen are buying brokered boats because of other yacht bargains like this, with many other sellers letting go of their yachts for prices much lower than what they’re valued at. You can even find some online yacht bargains pretty easily too!
Docking Your Yacht
An annual contract for a 50-foot slip at the Palm Beach docks is currently $18,270.08 after state sales tax, with the seasonal contract (Nov. 1 to April 30) going at $14,665.05.
These rates, according to the Director of Recreation, have increased 2% from last year. The rate increase came about after doing a market analysis that compared prices to other Palm Beach County Mega-Yacht marinas, which showed that they were below what the other marinas were charging.
Upgrades
The rate increase has been put towards several projects at the dock for upgrades and repairs. The Australian dock is currently upgrading the power supplies at 7 large slips, which should be concluded by June.
Repair work is currently being done on the Brazilian and Australian dock house foundations and is on schedule for the expected completion date. New shrubbery and sod are also being installed in the marina.
Another upgrade to look forward to is marina-wide Wi-Fi that will be free to clients and patrons of the marina.
Restrictions
Due to being located in Palm Beach there are only so many upgrades that can be done. Palm Beach’s strict codes and regulations make it difficult to make parking changes, cable and internet upgrades, and even wider docks.
Even with these restrictions boaters like Captain Hipple will stay in Palm Beach because of the community and lifestyle. “These people are going to stay here as long as their lifestyle stays the same.”
