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Blue Guitar

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BLUE GUITAR yacht NOT for charter*

31.33m  /  102'9 | camper & nicholsons | 1967.

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The 31.33m/102'9" motor yacht 'Blue Guitar' (ex. Marivon) was built by Camper & Nicholsons in the United Kingdom at their Southampton shipyard. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Camper & Nicholsons.

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She is also capable of carrying up to 5 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Blue Guitar comfortably cruises at 10 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 12 knots. Her water tanks store around 10,000 Litres of fresh water.

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Motor yacht Blue Guitar is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

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Good Morning Gloucester

My View of Life on the Dock

Blue Guitar Yacht Visits Gloucester

My eye caught this beautiful yacht docked at Ocean Alliance. I noticed the British flag and the designation London and I wondered if they came all the way across the pond because London is so extra crowded this week. Maybe not. I did a little research and you can see some if it at this link. There are unsubstantiated rumors it belongs to Eric Clapton but no definitive ownership that I could find. Sure is pretty though! Welcome to Gloucester mates.

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One thought on “ Blue Guitar Yacht Visits Gloucester ”

Eric Clapton concert was at Boston Garden on 9/16/2022.

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BLUE GUITAR Camper & Nicholsons

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A General Description of Motor Yacht BLUE GUITAR

BLUE GUITAR was previously registered as project/yacht name 907; Marivon. This 31 metre (103 ft) luxury yacht was produced by Camper & Nicholsons in 1967. Motor Yacht BLUE GUITAR is a good sized superyacht. The naval architecture office responsible for her plans and general arangement for the yacht was Camper & Nicholsons. Luxury yacht BLUE GUITAR is a well crafted yacht that can accommodate a total of 7 guests on board and has around 5 professional crew.

Build & Design relating to Luxury Yacht BLUE GUITAR

Camper & Nicholsons Yacht Design was the naval architect firm involved in the professional vessel composition for BLUE GUITAR. Also the company Camper & Nicholsons expertly collaborated on this project. the United Kingdom is the country that Camper & Nicholsons built their new build motor yacht in. After her official launch in 1967 in Southampton she was thereafter passed over to the owner following sea trials. A reasonable feeling is manifested with a maximum beam (width) of 5.3 metres or 17.4 feet. With a 2.19m (7.2ft) draught (maximum depth) she is fairly shallow. The material steel was used in the building of the hull of the motor yacht. Her superstructure above deck is fashioned out of aluminium.

Engines & Speed For M/Y BLUE GUITAR:

The 8L3B engine installed in the motor yacht is made by GARDNER. She is driven by twin screw propellers. The engine of the ship produces 225 horse power (or 166 kilowatts). She is fitted with 2 engines. The sum output for the boat is thus 450 HP or 332 KW. As for stabalisers she was supplied with Vosper.

On board Superyacht BLUE GUITAR She has The Following Passenger Accommodation Capacity For:

Providing cabins for a maximum of 7 visiting passengers staying on board, the BLUE GUITAR accommodates everyone in luxury. This ship utilises approximately 5 able crew members to run.

A List of the Specifications of the BLUE GUITAR:

Miscellaneous yacht details.

This motor yacht has a teak deck.

BLUE GUITAR Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht BLUE GUITAR displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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Camper & Nicholsons became known for its fast, wooden racing sailing yachts, which included the famed J-Class sloops that competed in the America’s Cup Races of the early 20th century, including two J-Class boats commissioned by Sir Thomas Sopwith, Endeavour and Endeavour II.

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Wednesday, december 17, 2014, blue guitar - a quiz.

31 comments:

Blue Guitar was in Lymington a couple of year ago - could have been longer, there was a big guy aboard with a shaggy grey beard - certainly didn't look like Eric Clapton or the crew, but then again I might not recognise him in a crowd

Interesting. I don't think Mr. Clapton has sported a "shaggy" beard in recent years. Although he does seem to go through various stages of trying different styled of facial hear, generally favoring a neatly trimmed beard or designer stubble.

Well, I had a shot at it but couldn't devote much time to it. My conclusion was that Clapton owns Va Bene only. Mainly because of a CNN article and interview where they gave all sorts of details about the boat, Clapton's decision to buy it, the need to borrow money for first time, and then they visited the yacht. CNN seems a reliable source so I'd say he definitely owns that one (or did at one time). Also, I found something that said he makes it available for charter so I would assume that even if you see the boat, it doesn't mean he's on it. As to Blue Guitar, it seems you stumbled on a rumor that has been running for years. Those who say he owns it, do so without any real proof. However, alleged first hand accounts say, he chartered it once for two weeks, and people who allegedly worked on it say, it definitely isn't owned by him. No one seems to cite first hand knowledge of ownership. So multiple allegations of first hand knowledge that are in agreement trump unsubstantiated rumors. Numerous sites say Blue Guitar is owned by Lawrence Small and James Benensen. UK boat registrations and vessel locators don't provide any information. Oddly, they list Blue Guitar but don't show any movements or recent ports. Whereas, the multiple boats named Va Bene have recent movement. Also odd is that NPR reports that Lawrence Small resigned his post from the Smithsonian over allegations of excessive spending of tax dollars on a lavish lifestyle for his home and travel. I saw stuff about a million dollar housing allowance and chartered jets but nothing about a boat. Although I did see that Small has a passion for flamenco guitar. And I did see a UK company with a generic name (that doesn't seem to really exist) as the owner on a UK boat registry. I couldn't find a definitive source for ownership but more fingers were pointing away from Clapton than towards. So, it would seem that I trust official accounting sites (registrations, vessel locators), some news sources and then play the odds when reviewing other Internet sources and pay attention to the pieces that fit with the reliable sources.

Well done /Pam. I tend to agree with your conclusions. All the reports linking Clapton and the Blue Guitar seem to be from ordinary folk posting on forums etc. with no citing of any authoritative source. It's hard to be sure but they do smell like one of those Internet rumors that are so good that they just keep feeding on themselves. Whereas, as you say, there are several reports from reliable journalistic sources linking Clapton and Va Bene, including authentic sounding details of his input into the design of modifications to the boat. And while I can't find an ultimate authentic source to verify that James Benenson and Lawrence Small own Blue Guitar, I can't imagine why anyone would make up a story like that or bother to gossip about it. They are apparently fairly successful American businessmen but not exactly household names. So it's not black and white. Just shades of gray. But isn't that exactly how we have to weigh information we find on the Internet these days? Who's the source? Do I know them? Is this story something that could be interesting enough to become an urban legend? Or boring enough that probably nobody would make it up? Anybody else have other perspectives on this?

Who is Eric Clapton?

And if the "Eric Clapton owns the Blue Guitar" story really is a false rumor, how did it start?

I did see one reference to Clapton having once owned Blue Guitar, but having traded up to Va Bene. I don't know if I'd put much of a bet down on that, although it would explain the rumor, but as far as the current situation? I was leaning towards Va Bene being Eric Clapton's current yacht, and not Blue Guitar. Pam did a much more thorough job than I did, I think I spent about five minutes on it between reports, but I saw a link to the CNN piece she mentions with clear references to Clapton owning Va Bene. That looked pretty legit, and then everywhere you saw Blue Guitar referred to as Clapton's yacht (forums a-flutter over a possible rock star in their anchorage) you would always have a couple of people saying "Calm down, that's not Mr. Clapton's boat".

This is one of the few places I can come on the internet and take what I read at face value. Well, this and InfoWars.com.

Don't be so trustful torrid. Another theme in the book I was reading was that every source is biased in some way. Maybe I am biased to trust scientists over snake oil merchants. Or to distrust any statements that begin with "I'm not a lawyer but…." But these are still biases.

Yes bonnie. I saw those forums where somebody would say it's not Clapton's yacht. That's one of the things that made me a bit skeptical and to start digging a bit deeper. But the myth (if it is a myth) does seem to have taken hold as word of mouth among people interested in boats and guitars, and on the Internet. In some ways it's a powerful meme that is almost perfect to go viral - why wouldn't Eric have a boat with this name?

I am on vacation in St Thoams USVI and I took a day boat tour over to the BVI. During the trip we saw Blue Guitar and one of the crew said "That is Eric Clapton's boat". So charter boat crews are one source of the rumor. It was fun to watch everyone run over to look and take pictures of the boat. Really the crew could have pointed to any big boat and said that is some famous person's boat and everyone would have believed them.

Interesting Anonymous 7:04 PM, December 18, 2014. One of the things I didn't mention in my posts is that many luxury yacht owners try to keep their identities secret (for understandable security and privacy reasons) so that it is almost impossible to get the crews of the yachts to reveal the identities of the owners of the boats on which they work. They are sworn to secrecy. And I think it's actually bad form to ask them who their employer is. Of course gossiping or even telling tall tales about other boats' owners is apparently fair game. Anyway, it sounds as if the St Thomas boat tour operators are partly responsible for perpetuating the Blue Guitar myth.

who really cares who's boat it is? anyone??

Anonymous, I think you meant, "Who really cares whose boat it is? Anyone?" The caps key can be found on the side of your keyboard. One really good use of it is for letters at the start of sentences. "Who's" means "who is." "Whose" is the word you should use when needing a word to define who owns something. You're welcome.

Blue Guitar currently anchored on the north shore of Vieques, PR. Nice boat whomever owns it. 5:05 pm, May 3, 2015

July 13,2015 Blue Guitar in Newport,RI

July 17. Spotted in Edgartown harbor.

July 21 Gloucester harbor, and Doyle Bramhall II is playing the Bull Run in Shirley MA. Maybe it's his!

July 21, Gloucester Harbor MA. And Doyle Bramhall II is playing in the area, maybe he got it from Clapton!

August 2, 2015 Blue Guitar yacht seen passing the bow of the Vinalhaven Maine ferry in Rockland, Maine.

Anchored in Belfast, ME today. Pretty yacht, no matter who owns it.

Saw Blue Guitar leave Belfast this morning, motoring east toward Northeast Harbor, Maine. Apparently she's available for charter. It's nice to think of Eric having once owned her, even if it isn't true.

...saw The Blue Guitar this morning some 200+ miles south of the last sighting posted here..moored in the same spot as last year at this time...can't reveal the exact location out of respect for Eric's privacy...(btw, the St. John's sightings are probably accurate, as Eric owns a home on St. Bart's)...

It is in Wellfleet, MA at the moment (as it is each August). Usually it is here the first week in August, so this year is a bit later. It has always been said that this is Clapton's boat, but I have never heard of anyone actually seeing him.

The Blue Guitar Is in Connecticut, was in Newport, RI. He is on the boat and I did see him.

Passed Blue Guitar the morning of September 6th, 2015. I was headed up the Mystic River to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, and she was headed downriver. She may have been berthed at Mystic Seaport, as it is a nice, picturesque, and quiet, alternative to more commercial spots.

I know the man that works on Clapton's yacht. I will ask him, while he is still here, what the name of Eric's boat is and see what name come up! He is actually leaving in a few weeks to go to Spain for that purpose - to get Clapton's boat ready to sail.

About 16 years ago around 1999 and 2000 I saw Eric numerous times on his boat Blue Guitar anchored out in the basin in Annapolis. I was also a boat owner at the time and anchored next to him one night when he played his guitar on the back deck for a hour or so. I also said hi to him as he left the boat one day at City dock and the outfit he wore he wore the next day to play a concert in NY Central Park with Cheryl Crow. Saw on his boat in Oxford, MD and other ports. He use to spend a lot of time on the boat. If it was his, I don't know, but he was on it a LOT for two or three years.

Bob Gabele here (BoomSheet.com) We sailed into St. Michaels on the Chesapeake's Eastern shore around 2000. Blue Guitar was anchored . Curious, I anchored our Shannon 38 next to her. We saw Clapton often on deck. This prior to knowing whose boat it was. Upon entering town we verified that it was he who was on board. He cruises up the Bay periodically (at least at that time) to visit his favorite guitar maker who liives nearby . We remained on the hook next to Blue Guitar for the weekend. He was on deck a lot either playing guitar or just relaxing.

We anchored in next to Blue Guitar off Saba Rock in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda. Not sure of the year but it was about 2004 give or take. We saw Eric taking the dinghy into the resort hotel. I can't understand why it's so difficult for some to believe a stately yacht home ported in London called Blue Guitar would be owned by an English Blues guitarist. As for Va Bene, the is an article on its refurbishment that includes ample references to E.C. involvement complete with photos. That article can be found from the wiki article on Va Bene in the references section.

Clapton says in his autobiography that he bought his boat in 2005.

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Major repair at the fort lauderdale, usa, my blue guitar.

Overview report of works carried out on the Motor Yacht “Blue Guitar” at the Port of Fort Lauderdale, USA, and at our workshop at Immingham.

The Motor Yacht “Blue Guitar” was built in 1967 at Cowes, Isle of White at the Camper & Nicholson’s Shipyard. The vessel’s original name was “Marivon”. During one period the vessel was owned by the famous guitarist Eric Clapton, hence the name change! There is also a painting hanging in the vessel’s lounge featuring a portrait of the Blue Guitarist. The vessel was subsequently sold to an American businessman and the vessel crossed the Atlantic to spend its later life in the USA. The present owners’ ethos is to keep the vessel with its original fitments and machinery. The M Y “Blue Guitar” has always been powered by two Gardner 8L3B diesel engines through two Gardner 3UC reversing / reduction gearboxes. L. Gardner & Sons Ltd Diesel Engines were located at Patricroft, Manchester, England and were a large manufacturer in their time. Their engines were widely used in fishing vessels, buses, lorries and fair grounds for generating electricity.

Because Port Equipment Engineering possessed previous Gardner engine experience due to many years carrying out repairs on Gardner powered fishing vessels the company was asked to assist with various required repairs aboard the M Y “Blue Guitar”

List of works carried out at the Fort Lauderdale, USA and at our workshop at Immingham: Investigate the reported fault on the Portside Gardner 3UC gearbox, the gearbox was completely dismantled and all defective components itemised, obtained replacement components from England and Ireland, the gearbox was then rebuilt, and tested under load conditions

Both Gardner 8L3B main engine “Metalastik” rubber mountings were found to be defective and were replaced. This procedure involved the removal of all main engine foundation bolts then both main engines were raised with jacking screws to enable the “Metalastik” rubber mountings to be replaced.

Both Gardner 8L3B main engines were re-aligned with their respective propeller shafts.

The starboard Gardner 8L3B main engine fuel injection pump assembly was completely overhauled and re-calibrated.

The Port Gardner 8L3B main engine governor assembly was overhauled and all ball bearings etc renewed.

Both starter motors on the Port main engine were found to be defective and were transported back to the UK for major repairs. Various new components were installed into both starter motors

(contactors, copper winding, carbon brushes, armatures, drive pinions etc. The repaired starter motors were transported back to the USA then re-installed. At the completion of the above works sea trials were carried out along the coast between FortLauderdale and Miami.

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Was Eric Clapton’s Yacht Docked in Marion This Past Weekend?

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There was a buzz crackling across Marion this past weekend like the hum of an electric guitar vibrating through an amp, with the rumor that legendary rock and blues guitarist Eric Clapton was in town.

A yacht called Blue Guitar was spotted in the harbor over the weekend; for years, online reports wherever it shows up suggest that this yacht is owned by Clapton. It would make sense, after all, that a man with the love of both the blues and the guitar would name his yacht Blue Guitar . It also has a British Union Jack flag flying and is home ported in London, England.

It all adds up, right?

The Marion and Tri-Town Facebook groups had multiple posts pop up of people sharing photos of the yacht, and attempting to figure out if indeed "Slowhand" himself was on board and why he may be in town. Someone claimed he came to Marion for a wedding (surely, he would have had to perform "Wonderful Tonight" for the lucky bride and groom); others stated that his daughter, 17-year-old Sophie Belle Clapton, is a student at Tabor Academy.

However, there is no definitive proof, at least anything found online, that proves that Clapton is the owner of the 103-foot yacht that was built in 1967. Almost all of the connections between the rock god and the yacht are anecdotal, as any stories about the Blue Guitar spotted in a particular port are followed in the comments sections with people claiming to moor their own yachts near it and seeing Clapton on the deck, strumming a guitar.

Even this 2013 YouTube video of the Blue Guitar sailing through the Cape Cod Canal suggests it belongs to Clapton:

We can prove, however, that Clapton does own at least one yacht, one far larger and more luxurious than the Blue Guitar – not that the Blue Guitar is anything to shake a Strat at.

According to BoatInternational.com , Clapton owns a superyacht, the Va Bene . Reportedly, Clapton purchased the superyacht in 2005, and now has it listed for sale for $7.5 million. He reportedly auctioned it off in November of 2020 with an expected bid of $10 million, but it’s not clear if anyone bid and took it off his hands. The site also says that Clapton "reportedly" owns the Blue Guitar .

It may be likely that Clapton did at one time own the Blue Guitar , and maybe he sold it to someone else. Since it was built in 1967, he could have purchased it just as he started to hit it big with the Yardbirds or later on with Cream. A listing on the photo website Alamy suggests that Blue Guitar is owned by James Benenson and Lawrence Small, so perhaps Clapton sold it to them when he purchased the bigger, better Va Bene ?

Whether he was in Marion or not, Clapton has been a controversial figure in recent years. First, he had to fight off claims that he was an anti-vax conspiracy theorist over his outspoken comments about the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccine. Then, a racist rant from a 1976 concert resurfaced , in which he lamented Jamaican immigrants coming to the UK and declared, “Keep Britain White!”

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Blue Guitar

• Thread starter pipes
• Start date Aug 28, 2008
• Aug 28, 2008

Anyone here know anything about a boat named Blue Guitar? I live in CT and I was on the water yestarday (8-27) at Essex, and there was this beautiful boat. I went to the bar down the road after docking the boat, rumor has it it's Claptons. Anyone one know for sure?  

CATransplant

Re: Blue Guitar Probably not Clapton's. Look here: http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html Of course, if it's not a US-based documented vessel, that would be a different story. But Blue Guitar brings up just one documented vessel, and that's not Clapton's.  

Re: Blue Guitar http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/st1/CoastGuard/VesselByName.html You can look up documented vessels here. Blue Guitar shows up, but not with Clapton as the owner.  

SnappingTurtle

Re: Blue Guitar Thanks for all your feedback. The boat on the back says London, so i'm almost sure its not a U.S. vessel. It also flies a British flag. I went to google and it directed me to som web site. There are actually people following this boat around and saying where it has been. They really seem to think it's his. I don't think I or we will ever know! It also mentions the Va Bene, that looks like a pretty one! Well thanks again!  

Chief Petty Officer

Re: Blue Guitar Probably more like a Cayman flag.  

• BLUE GUITAR

Yacht, IMO 1000980

• VesselFinder
• Miscellaneous

The vessel BLUE GUITAR (IMO 1000980) is a Yacht built in 1967 (57 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Unknown .

Vessel Particulars

BLUE GUITAR current position and history of port calls are received by AIS. Technical specifications, tonnages and management details are derived from VesselFinder database. The data is for informational purposes only and VesselFinder is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of BLUE GUITAR data.

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Was That Eric Clapton’s Boat In Casco Bay This Past Sunday?

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There has been a slew of celebrity sightings in Maine this summer. Vacationland has seen its reputation trending upward for a really great place to stay for a few days. But while celebrities have been spotted at airports and eateries, there haven't been any sightings on the sea...until now.

Shared on Facebook by Jeff Grundy , the luxury yacht named "Blue Guitar" was spotted in Casco Bay on Sunday. According to Boat International , the yacht belongs to legendary guitarist Eric Clapton. To be fair, there's plenty of dispute on the internet as to whether Clapton has sold that boat or not. No concrete proof can be found.

The boat itself is still a marvel even though it was built more than 50 years ago. The 103 foot yacht was designed to accommodate seven people luxuriously, and clearly is still in terrific condition today.

So perhaps this still belongs to Eric Clapton and perhaps Mr. Clapton spent a day or two enjoying all that Portland, Maine has to offer. Perhaps this has a new owner and decided to hold onto the name that Clapton gave the boat.

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The yachts owned by celebrities

How can someone who is recognised everywhere get away from it all? On a superyacht, of course. Yachts owned by celebrities range in style and size, but one thing that unite these vessels is their owner's love for the sea. Our round-up features the famous faces of British footballer David Beckham, tennis superstar Rafael Nadal, martial artist Conor McGregor and fashion designer Giorgio Armani. 

Seven owned by David Beckham

Ex-England football star and Inter Miami owner David Beckham has been revealed as the owner of a 28 metre Riva Argo 90 . Named after Beckham's iconic football shirt number, Seven was launched in October 2021 and constructed in GRP. Studio Officina Italiana Design penned the yacht both inside and out, while Ferretti Engineering Department oversaw her naval architecture. Stand out design features include the sun lounging space on the foredeck, while twin MTU diesel engines power her to a top speed of 30 knots. 

Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 owned by Conor McGregor

UFC fighter Conor McGregor has been revealed as the owner of a recently completed Tecnomar For Lamborghini 63 yacht . The 19.2 metre yacht is a crossover of the two brands and designed to satisfy owners who enjoy superyachts and supercars. McGregor’s yacht features a distinctive gold hull paint and will feature the same materials as a Lamborghini supercar. Inspired by Lamborghini’s Siàn FKP 37 model, Tecnomar For Lamborghini features an aerodynamic profile and special “carbon skin”.

Viva a Vida owned by Tom Brady

NFL superstar Tom Brady took delivery of a 16 metre custom cruiser from Dutch builder Wajer towards the end of 2020 after signing a $50 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The quarterback is clearly a keen fan of the Wajer yachts after he recently announced he had commissioned a larger mode, the Wajer 77. The Wajer 55S, christened Viva a Vida , sports a baby blue hull and is powered by three 435hp Volvo Penta engines guaranteeing a wild ride with speeds in excess of 40 knots. A walkaround centre console allows guests to make the most of the deck space available with stowage for SeaBobs and other toys concealed beneath the aft stairway. Below deck, the Wajer 55S offers accommodation for four. Other cool features include push-button fenders and an extendable swim platform. The 55S is the souped-up version of its older sibling, the Wajer 55 , and comes from the boards of Dutch design studio Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design . 

Great White owned by Rafael Nadal

Tennis ace  Rafael Nadal  is the proud new owner of a Sunreef 80 Power superyacht , which was delivered in June 2020. Nadal commissioned the catamaran after previously chartering a number of Sunreef catamarans and meeting yard founder and president Francis Lapp at the 2018 Cannes Yachting Festival. This is not his first foray into yachting however. Nadal previously owned a  Monte Carlo Yachts  76 named  Beethoven  which he bought in 2016. Nadal has spoken openly about his love of yachting and his decision to invest in a yacht, telling  Boat International , "Because I have a yacht, I am able to forget about everything and get away from that tiring stress. I do have a real passion for [superyachts]. It is rare that I see a superyacht from a distance and I don’t know its name. I know them all!"

Vendetta owned by Billy Joel

The modern classic commuter yacht Vendetta is just one of the many yachts that Billy Joel has owned. The "Piano Man" is a yacht fanatic, to the extent that he's even a celebrity yacht designer . Designed by Doug Zurn, the 17 metre Vendetta was created to be a true replica of the classic gentleman's commuter launches that were popularised in the 1920s for their quick speed to run down the Long Island Sound and into New York City. True to the intended form of the vessels, Billy Joel told BOAT International  that he has used the yacht to run from his home in Long Island to the City to perform in a concert. At one point, Billy Joel owned five yachts, including 29 metre Inace explorer yacht Audacious (re-named Miss Sarah J ) ,  which he converted to house a few of his motorcycles. Fresh from a refit, Vendetta has recently joined the brokerage market and is listed for sale with Fraser .

Freedom owned by Roberto Cavalli

Much secrecy surrounded the construction of fashion designer Roberto Cavalli’s yacht until it was delivered in 2018. Built by Italian shipyard Cerri Cantieri Navali , the 27-metre Freedom was designed by Tommaso Spadolini in collaboration with her owner. According to Cavalli, the inspiration for the yacht’s design was the aesthetic of batman’s superhero batmobile. This explains the severe lines, jet black exterior and tinted windows which make up the yacht’s distinctive appearance. on board, Cavalli’s signature animal-print furnishings adorn the cabins and saloons. Freedom can accommodate six guests and three crew members and has two dining areas on board. Powered by three water jet engines, Freedom’s moderate size means that she can reach a top speed of 40 knots.

Eos owned by Diane von Furstenburg

Launched by  Lürssen in 2006, 93 metre sailing yacht Eos was bought by fashion designer Diane von Furstenburg and her husband IAC Chairman Barry Diller in 2009. The schooner features exterior design by Bill Langan and interior design by Francois Catroux with accommodation for 16 guests and 21 crew. Diller and von Furstenburg often use the yacht to host a star-studded group of friends with Bravo host Andy Cohen the latest celebrity spotted on this superyacht .

Astoria owned by David Gilmour

While rather more sedate and old-fashioned than some of the world's largest superyachts , the 27 metre Astoria has certainly seen its fair share of rock and roll behaviour. Owned by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, the houseboat was built in 1911 for Fred Karno and designed so a 90-piece orchestra could play on its deck.

Gilmour bought Astoria in 1986 and converted it into a recording studio complete with three cabins, a kitchen, bathroom and large main saloon. Parts of Pink Floyd's last three albums, along with many of Gilmour's solo releases, were recorded on board and the boat is permanently anchored on the River Thames at Hampton in Greater London.

Necker Belle formerly owned by Richard Branson

For famous entrepreneur Richard Branson, his yacht and Caribbean island is where he gets away from the stresses of business life. The 32 metre catamaran superyacht Necker Belle  was named after his island hideaway, Necker Island, in the B.V.I., which is one of the most exclusive private islands owned by celebrities . Built by CMN and launched in 2003, Necker Belle  was sold by Branson to an undisclosed buyer in August 2018. The yacht is designed for partying with a huge sundeck for entertaining, lots of water toys and ample accommodations for guests and was also used to provide aid to those affected by hurricanes Irma and Maria .

Cyan owned by U2's The Edge

Believe the tabloids, and you might think that it's U2's frontman Bono that owns this yacht. But it's actually U2's The Edge who owns superyacht Cyan . The 48.71 metre motor yacht was launched by Italian builder Codecasa in 1997 but has been kept in like new condition and is now available to charter with Burgess . The yacht's crew have very cool uniforms befitting a rockstar's boat, and Cyan is also known to have one of the best outdoor cinemas found on a superyacht . She accommodates 10 guests in a Franco & Anna Della Role interior.

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Blue Guitar

Motor Yacht

Blue Guitar is a custom motor yacht launched in 1967 by Camper & Nicholsons Yachts.

Blue Guitar measures 31.33 metres in length, with a max draft of 2.19 metres and a beam of 5.30 metres. She has a gross tonnage of 131 tonnes.

Blue Guitar has a steel hull.

Blue Guitar also features naval architecture by Camper & Nicholsons Yachts.

Performance and Capabilities

Blue Guitar has a top speed of 12 knots. She is powered by a twin screw propulsion system.

Blue Guitar has a fuel capacity of 11,500 litres, and a water capacity of 10,000 litres.

Accommodation

Blue Guitar accommodates up to 7 guests . She also houses room for up to 5 crew members.

Other Specifications

Blue Guitar has a hull NB of 907.

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Music Reviews

On beth gibbons' 'lives outgrown,' the portishead singer invites us in.

Grayson Haver Currin

On Lives Outgrown , her first solo album, Beth Gibbons has never appeared so unguarded, so free of mystery's shroud. Eva Vermandel/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

On Lives Outgrown , her first solo album, Beth Gibbons has never appeared so unguarded, so free of mystery's shroud.

Even at the height of Portishead 's fame, singer Beth Gibbons seemed in self-selected exile from usual music-industry machinations. For 30 years, or ever since the Bristol trio stumbled into surprising stardom and helped usher in trip-hop as a genre, Gibbons barely participated in the promotional hubbub around infrequent releases. A 2019 tally suggested she'd done just two brief interviews ever. In one , from 1995, she mostly smiles, laughs and pantomimes uncomfortably; in the other , she stands shivering by a boat, then waffles about whether she wants to do press at all.

She seemed to know, however, exactly what to do with the ostensible windfall: Where others, like Jack White or J. Cole or even Neil Young turned major-label cache and earnings into their own eccentric empires, Gibbons made something much more familiar — an almost entirely private life. Aside from the occasional charity single , Grammy-winning guest appearance , symphonic turn or very rare candid photo , Gibbons receded into the ordinary work of just being an adult.

It was stunning, then, when she seemed to fling open the doors to her home in early May, a week before the release of her solo debut, Lives Outgrown , at least for a frame. In a photograph posted to her Instagram account, Gibbons sat at a live-edge desk , turning upward to smile at the camera as she signed small white postcards to be mailed with her record's deluxe edition. "Final touches before my [album's] released," Gibbons wrote, signing off with a red heart. There is math homework shoved to one side of the desk, tins crammed with colored pencils to the other. Outside, through closed windows, the yard is a wash of triumphal springtime green.

The snapshot is a fittingly interior image for Lives Outgrown , where Gibbons eschews the complicated electronic textures and percussive snap-and-sway of her famous band for the sort of softer sounds one might get in a living room as Saturday night stretches into Sunday afternoon. The drum kit, after all, consisted of a paella dish and a cowhide water bottle. There is bowed saw and hammered dulcimer, baritone viola and pedal steel.

What's more, Gibbons first hinted at Lives Outgrown in 2013, nearing the edge of 50. She is releasing it now at the precipice of 60. Gibbons' lyrics — delivered alternately with a velveteen softness or a tensile strength, her generational voice having gained grain while losing little flexibility — are suffused with the stuff that comes during any such transitional decade: talk of time, encounters with ache, hems of horizons. "Moon time will linger / through the melody / of life's shortening, longing view," she patiently sings during the closing pastoral, "Whispering Love."

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As time advances, Lives Outgrown affirms, all we've ever known recedes a little more each day. Gibbons has never appeared so unguarded, so free of mystery's shroud. In Portishead, she always seemed to be summoning some unseen energy; it is surprising, reassuring, inspiring even how lyrically familiar Lives Outgrown seems, the testament of an uncanny singer simply making it through each day. It feels as if she's invited us over to sit a spell.

Indeed, Gibbons announced Lives Outgrown with a handwritten letter , the first sign she was letting the faithful into her bubble, at least briefly. "My 50's have brought forward a new yet older horizon," she offered. "It has been a time of farewells to family, friends, and even to who I was before." In the first 90 seconds of the album, she summons abandonment and self-doubt, crowning herself "a lonely love." Exhaustion and even a trace of aged callousness creep into the anxious "Burden of Life," an elegy for the energy and optimism we've had. "The time's never right," she concludes, her voice fading over the barbs of a baritone guitar, "when you're losing your soul." There is the abiding feeling that the party, if not already over, is soon ending: "Fooled ovulation, but no babe in me," Gibbons manages with a gasp, as if surprised at the starkness of her own confession.

All this talk of aging, things lost, nice desks piled with chores and crafts: Lives Outgrown probably suggests some precious domestic folk affair by now, all acoustic finery and coddled vocals. And to an extent, sure. Gibbons' pick-and-slide guitar during opener "Tell Me Who You Are Today" is a loping wonder, as are her pensive vocals, which feel forever like an exhalation. But the album's true majesty stems from arrangements that are simultaneously grand and intimate, as if Gibbons has tucked an entire symphony into her living room only to bend it at her command.

Though the London collective Orchestrate, led by Bridget Samuels, does appear on two tracks, much of Lives Outgrown is played by a tiny crew: Gibbons, former Talk Talk drummer Lee Harris and producer James Ford, whose multi-instrumental facility gives this music its breadth and gravity. (On two tracks, Ford musters 14 instruments himself, from the humble recorder to a panoply of keyboards.) The plangent strings and questioning clarinet during "Rewind," the noctilucent long tones and ominous whooshes beneath "Oceans," the percussive pulses and cobwebbed background vocals during "For Sale": These are meticulously composed songs, their nested layers having more to do with, say, the later works of Robert Wyatt than the revival of Vashti Bunyan .

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These instruments are forever responding to Gibbons, too, whether mapping the depravity and confusion of "Rewind" or ferrying along her sense of existential drift in "Floating on a Moment." End to end, this record is a response to Gibbons' personal testimony — no misdirection or guile, just an opening to an interior.

Lives Outgrown follows the release of another long-anticipated solo debut from someone else in an iconic act: André 3000 's New Blue Sun . No, Gibbons' heartfelt songs do not equal the hard left turn of that masterful rapper's "flute"-bound ascent into spiritual jazz. They do, however, represent the considered results of a similar retreat from the public eye, from making music, from meeting the demands of creative commerce.

This record, like New Blue Sun , feels like a concession to no one except oneself. It is a document of a life lived, a candid transmission from the many years that have passed since Gibbons' last songs. Just as André 3000's improvisations didn't absolutely sate all OutKast fans, Gibbons' inward acoustic hymns may miss some of Portishead's adherents. No matter: Lives Outgrown , where Gibbons molts any shell of expectation, is better for it, a little unexpected gift for which we've long been waiting.

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In London, a Houseboat Used to Be the Affordable Option. Not Anymore.

With land-based home prices increasingly out of reach, more Londoners are taking to the water. But as the canals fill up, even this affordable living option is becoming less attainable.

By Ben West

When you walk along the towpaths lining London’s 100-mile network of canals, a life on the water can appear idyllic. The boats dotting the winding banks look impossibly charming, romantic, colorful. Even better, they’re cheap to acquire compared with buying a conventional land-based house or apartment in the city.

“It’s so peaceful here,” said David Ros, a freelance sound designer who has been living on the London waterways for 15 years. “I wake up in the morning and open the side door looking out over the river, and the ducks are waiting for me to feed them. It’s just a really nice way to live.”

Mr. Ros, 62, took to the water all those years ago after his marriage broke up and his mother fell ill with cancer. “At the end of that, I didn’t really have much money as I hadn’t been able to work for quite a while,” he said. “I just had enough to buy a boat, so I got one.”

As he spoke, a kingfisher flew by and the sun cascaded through the windows of his 43-foot-long Dutch barge. He bought his current houseboat about six years ago for £30,000 ($38,000). It was a “complete wreck,” he said, so he did extensive renovations. Dating from 1940, the barge has an open kitchen/saloon in the bow, a bathroom with a shower and toilet, and a double bedroom in the stern. It’s a nice setup, if a bit cramped. “The headroom is one of the main disadvantages,” he said.

Mr. Ros says he’ll never live on dry land again, as he prefers being “surrounded by nature.” But the reality is, he probably couldn’t afford a place he wanted, anyway. Home prices remain out of reach for many in London, with an average sale price of about 508,000 British pounds ($636,000), a 50 percent increase over the past 10 years. Meanwhile, a two-bedroom Dutch barge houseboat in the area will now run you around £190,000 ($238,000).

The option is almost too appealing — a new wave of residential boaters is stretching London’s canal support system past its limits. “It’s changed dramatically in the last few years,” Mr. Ros said. “There’s probably three times the number of boats, four times the number of boats than there were 10 years ago. And the demographic has changed; there are a lot more young people.”

Boaters have been living on Britain’s canals since the industrial revolution. But according to the Canal & River Trust, which looks after the nation’s waterways system, the number of residential boats in London has ballooned by 86 percent over the past decade, to more than 4,000. Boats without home moorings — that is, a legal place to stay put — have more than tripled.

“I think it is fair to say that the large increase in people living on boats in the capital is driven by the housing crisis and cost of living in London,” said Jonathan Ludford, the national communications manager for the Canal & River Trust.

With all the new boats on the water, even this affordable living option is becoming less attainable. Mr. Ros’s winter coal supply costs £22 ($29) per bag, and he needs at least 20 bags for the season. Prices for diesel and gas are also up about 50 percent, and the basic price of a boat license is rising.

Even so, the Canal & River Trust is not taking action to limit the number of boats, said Fran Read, the organization’s national press officer. “There is plenty of room, even in hot spots like London, where boat numbers are more concentrated,” Ms. Read said. “But there is a finite amount of canal, with some places very busy already. So if a boater doesn’t have a permanent mooring, they may not be able to find a mooring space just where they’d like.”

Residential boaters in London have two options: One is a permanent mooring, maybe in a marina or along the towpath, with an electric hookup for everyday functions. In inner London, permanent moorings are just about at capacity. The other option, more affordable but less stable, is to “continuously cruise,” whereby the boat has to move into what is essentially a parking spot at least every 14 days.

To ease congestion, the Trust is cracking down on rogue mariners. “If you don’t have a mooring, they move you on, just like a parking attendant,” said Mr. Ros, who has a permanent mooring for around £7,000 ($8,800) a year — a lot less than the typical amount in the area. “They have these people on bicycles controlling each area, logging how long each boat is there. You get fined £25 a day if you overstay.”

Ms. Read confirmed that boat living in London can be “considerably cheaper” than living on land, though it comes with unique challenges and isn’t for everyone. “We support any boater who is struggling wherever possible,” she said, “including directing them toward benefits that are often available for those living afloat on low incomes.”

Boaters on residential moorings can claim housing benefits the same as land-based residents. And the Canal & River Trust lobbied for boaters without home moorings to be included in the government’s Energy Support Scheme last year.

Mark Knightley, 41, and his partner, Tessa Roberts, 37, bought their first London houseboat about eight years ago after realizing that it was their best chance of living together.

“We were renting two separate places, living miles apart,” Mr. Knightley said. “And I’m an actor, while Tessa is a researcher, so we don’t have a lot of money. And the cheapest way of living together was to buy a boat.”

For five years, the couple lived on the 36-foot-long narrow boat in Hackney, east London, which they bought for about £35,000 ($45,000). “It had a bed that would fold out every night, and the floor space was about two square feet,” Mr. Knightley said. “But it was on a beautiful marina on the River Lea.”

Three years ago, shortly before their daughter was born, the couple upgraded to a 70-foot-long Dutch barge with a permanent mooring at South Dock Marina, by the Thames in Rotherhithe, southeast London, for around £200,000.

Mr. Knightley glowed about the community around them — “like nothing that we’d find anywhere else in London,” he said. “There’s a lot of creative people, and loads of history with the dock and the boats that are here.”

Still, it’s a schlep to the supermarket, and ordering food gets complicated when delivery drivers don’t understand your address. And of course, raising a child on a barge comes with its own challenges. In the winter, power outages are a problem, “which can be scary for a young child when she’s in the bath and we’re suddenly plunged into pitch-black darkness,” Mr. Knightley said.

“People assume we must be terrified about her safety all the time because of the water,” Ms. Roberts said. “But I think it’s the same as living near a road: You teach them to be careful around it and you don’t leave them unsupervised outside.”

But the couple’s biggest challenge recently has been the spike in costs. Boat license fees rose by 4 percent beginning in April 2022, and the Canal & River Trust has also phased in additional pricing bands for boats wider than 7-foot-1. Fees for boats more than 10-foot-7 wide are subject to an additional 5 percent.

Houseboats in the River Trust’s jurisdiction require a Boat Safety Scheme certificate, which must be renewed every four years. And for boaters with a permanent mooring, there are mooring fees, paid monthly or annually to the marina owners; the fee that Ms. Roberts and Mr. Knightley pay rose by 11 percent this year, to £10,000 ($12,500).

“The maintenance costs are large when the size of the boat goes up,” Mr. Knightley said. “For our barge it cost £13,000, although the work done to make it legally safe will probably last 10 years. The last time this boat came out of the water, they had to extensively replace the steel, and it cost £40,000. You should also do an engine service every five years or so.”

In their area of London, higher fees are part of a plan by the Southwark borough council to redevelop the marina, at a cost of £6 million. The goal is to address health and safety issues on the water and on the docks, create new wash facilities and a cafe, and replace old workshops that are currently in shipping containers with new purpose-built ones.

The plan, said Catherine Rose, a Southwark Council member for neighborhoods, leisure and parks, “will address urgent health and safety issues to help maintain a working marina and enhance the boat yard environment.”

To help ease the transition, she said, the council is offering a discount for boat-repair shops and staggering the rent increase over a three-year period for all existing boatyard businesses.

But boaters like Mr. Knightley and Ms. Roberts see the move as a way to replace lower-income boaters with more commercial interests. “There’s a lot of concern at the moment with the community here about how the council are essentially trying to force people out,” Mr. Knightley said. “The housing situation in London is horrendous anyway; they’re just making it even worse.”

The boaters tend to agree, though, that safety and security are urgent matters. The Metropolitan Police Service does not keep separate data on water crimes, but boaters say that crime at marinas, and even on boats, has long been a problem.

“I’d never live on a boat again,” said Janusz Konarski, 56, who did just that in London’s Little Venice from 1983 to 1995, before returning to land. “I didn’t ever feel secure. There was a bloke trying to steal my bike. Then we had a glue sniffer undoing the moorings because he was mentally ill. He pulled a knife on me, although the police got him.”

These days, Mr. Ros said, “it feels like there’s a lot of crime around. There’s a lot more breaking in, there’s a lot more general thievery going on. It’s desperate times here, and boats are an easy target.”

And earlier version of this article misidentified a London waterway. It is the River Lea, not Lee.

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With land-based home prices increasingly out of reach, more Londoners are taking to the water . But as the canals fill up, even this affordable living option is becoming less attainable.