2259 replies to this topic

[aastra]

This sort of thing?

Picture from http://www.boatingsf...oto=1287&co=375


Or this?

Picture from http://www.palmbaymiami.com/marina.htm


Or this?
http://travel.websho...98415qkGHUkpkjP


Or this?

Picture from http://www.worldtrav...ice-France.html

These big boats do tend to look very similar to one another. I wouldn't want to look at a parking lot full of white Hummers so why should I want to look at at a bunch of identical white yachts? And, of course, the Songhees buildings right behind this marina are white. I'm really not sure what I think about this one.

[aastra]

Is the scale out of whack? If not, I suppose it would be okay after all.

[G-Man]

The boats will be much bigger than the first pic.

[amor de cosmos]

maybe not as big as Roman Abramovich's though:

The Russian billionaire owns a fleet of yachts, nicknamed "Abramovich's navy". His super-yacht, the 377ft Pelorus, has a staff of 40, a helicopter, helipad and a cinema. Worth £100m, it is usually moored in Malta – Abramovich prefers to keep his boats in the Mediterranean, although he can sometimes be spotted in the Caribbean. His other yachts include the Sussurro and Ecstasea, while in 2006 he gave Le Grand Bleu to a business associate. According to reports, he will soon add the world's largest private yacht to his fleet, the 550ft, £200m Eclipse, which is said to have two helipads, six guest suites, five VIP suites and a 5,000 sq ft owner's cabin, as well as an aquarium, a disco, a spa and a half-indoor, half-outdoor pool.

Abramovich is also reported to own not one but two submarines. His first, a 118ft Seattle 1000, commissioned from the leading manufacturer US Submarines, cost £13m to buy and a further £1m a year to run. With two deck levels, separate living areas for guests and crew, dining rooms and staterooms, the boat is capable of diving to a depth of 1,000ft and can remain submerged for two weeks. He is said to have a second sub on order from US Submarines, a smaller 65ft Nomad 1000, which cost £3m and will dock on the Eclipse.

http://www.independe...ons-830582.html

I think that's what people buy when they have more money than they know what to do with.

[gumgum]

There's an article in the front page of the business section in the TC today. Can someone post it please?

[Caramia]

Seabed tests begin for Songhees yacht marina

Steel pilings will be driven to help prepare the final design


Carla Wilson, Times Colonist

Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Heavy-duty equipment is expected to start driving the first steel test pilings into the seabed at 8 a.m. today for a proposed mega-yacht marina at Songhees in Victoria harbour.

[gumgum]

thanks again Caramia!

[Caramia]

No prob

[Ms. B. Havin]

From today's T-C Business section:

Songhees marina seabed tests finished
Carla Wilson, Times Colonist
Published: Saturday, June 14, 2008

Seabed testing for a proposed 48-berth luxury marina in Victoria harbour was completed yesterday.

The seabed was deeper than expected in some areas, where pilings went to depths of 90 and 100 feet, said developer Bob Evans, a partner in a planned $20 million marina targeting large yachts. He hopes to open the marina in front of the Songhees this time next year. (more...)

[Baro]

You know what's starting to drive me absolutely crazy? The word "luxury". It's become the "terrorism" of Victoria's development fear mongering language. Does the word luxury really need to be added when speaking about a marina for huge yachts? In this case it's superfluous but at least applies,but can anyone find even a single article about any new project in victoria that didn't bandy around "luxury" like some racial slur? Maybe I'm being unfair but I'm so sick of the word being used to describe every building. a 300,000 condo is luxury and a 8 million dollar yacht is luxury? That's quite a range, by the definition every single house, condo, and townhome in victoria is 'luxury' and if that is the case the word has lost all meaning.

[gumgum]

There guys seem pretty sure of themselves that this thing is going to happen. There appears to be no "if"s in their mind at all. They must have some pretty heavy hitters backing them behind closed doors.

[D.L.]

Baro I completely agree.

[aastra]

...by the definition every single house, condo, and townhome in victoria is 'luxury' and if that is the case the word has lost all meaning.

Only if it's new. There's nothing luxurious about a 1200 square foot penthouse condo in an older building in Harris Green or James Bay. Or a $2 million house in Fairfield or Oak Bay or Broadmead. Especially so if you've owned the place since before 1999 or so. That's not luxury, that's roughin' it.

[integracious]

Mr. Evans appears to have been doing his homework to date to get this fiasco to the point he has even been allowed to pile down in the sea bed to find out where to anchor this half witted Key West proposition. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't the city sued by this same developer for 1.08 million in 2004, when he was denied the marine project component of the development? I am sure this group wants to get this project completely approved by all 3 levels of Government and that is not even including the other level of Government (Songhees) that also has an interest in the area. What will the developer do if he doesn't have approval by the time the next Vic City council is sworn in? I predict we will have a much more left of Center on our next council. This could kill the project and frankly I think most Victorians will be happy with this. The Mega Yachts could find a place out where the Cruise Ships dock. The Songhees MacArchitecture that is one of the first sights our American visitors see when they come in on the Coho. Putting up a mega Yacht terminal isn't going to do much to improve the viewscape and sends the message that we support big oil. Mostly we don't.

[G-Man]

^ Not sure if this is a fiasco except if you mean how the city approved something and then pulled out of the signed deal.

IMO anything that blocks my view of the older buildings at Songhees is a good thing. Thankgod the Shutters went in there and livened it up today.

Also on the big oil thing. Pretty much everything anyone does is an example of the control of big oil. Grocery Stores, almost all housing, transit, styling your hair, using a computer.

Until all petrochemical products come from alternate source and we are all building our own cob cities there is little we can do.

Perhaps there will be some sail powered mega-luxury yachts using the marina. Would that be ok?

[Baro]

Speak for your self, most people I talk to in Victoria (and most of my friends are the born and raised here sort) are pretty excited, and we're all NDP voting pinkos. It's purely anecdotal evidence but everyone I knows thinks that whole area is bland and lifeless, like you said "MacArchitecture". A cool modern marina full of interesting marine activity plus a restaurant is a benefit to the community. The yacht's will bring in a lot of money and the restaurant and harbour center will be a breath of life along a dead and underused stretch of waterfront land that belongs to the whole city, not just a few rich retirees.
I find owning such huge yacht's to be an almost offensive excess by the selfish idle rich, but some community is going to reap the employment and income from these lumbering symbols of greed so why not make it ours? And if squeezing some cash out of these yachts results in a more active and interesting waterfront for everyone, that's a bonus.

[Nparker]

Well put Baro.

[jklymak]

A waterside restaurant there would be great, particularly if it was reasonably priced and had a nice patio.

[gumgum]

A waterslide restaurnt would be better.

[Koru]

I think Baro has hit it on the money.