{"id":3313,"date":"2014-08-27T11:22:29","date_gmt":"2014-08-27T11:22:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=3313"},"modified":"2014-08-27T11:22:29","modified_gmt":"2014-08-27T11:22:29","slug":"marie-thats-two-off-my-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/?p=3313","title":{"rendered":"Marie: That’s two off my “bucket list”"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s Wednesday morning, 3AM. \u00a0actually, that’s “3<\/strong>-days-A<\/strong>fter-M<\/strong>arie”.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of talk about “bucket lists”. \u00a0 You know, the list of things that you are supposed to do before you die? \u00a0I understand that some folks get a bit crazy about making their list and then checking these items off.<\/p>\n

Perhaps I am missing something but I don’t actually have a formal list. \u00a0However, I am a pretty practical guy and there are plenty of things I’d like to do but would never put on my list even if I had one, knowing that \u00a0I would be unlikely to be able to achieve them anyway. \u00a0Well, being in a race on one of the largest sailing yachts in the world is one of those things that I would hesitate to put on that list. as I frankly, “wasn’t expecting that” as being something that I’d ever do anyway. \u00a0Thanks to Ed, owner of the superyacht Marie, I was able to \u00a0quickly put that on my list and, just as quickly, checked it off.<\/span><\/p>\n

Bucket list: \u00a0Sail on a super yacht. \u00a0Check… \u00a0Sail in a regatta for super yachts. \u00a0Check… Spend three days on the BIGGEST yacht in Newport Harbor. \u00a0Check… Do it all in one weekend. \u00a0Who knew? \u00a0A bucket Marathon? \u00a0Perhaps. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now that I think about it, there are plenty of things that I can put on my Bucket List but not a lot like these. \u00a0Sail to the Bahamas on my own boat. \u00a0Check… Sail to the Caribbean? \u00a0Sail across the Atlantic to the Med? Hmm… \u00a0I’ll have to think about those. \u00a0 Sail around the world? \u00a0Not likely.<\/span><\/p>\n

As I told a friend about our weekend of sailing on Marie, his response was simply, “Bob, how are you going to top this?” \u00a0Not sure I can, actually. However, I’ll sure try.<\/p>\n

Marie is the “superyacht” Marie and Brenda and I just got back from three amazing days sailing aboard her in Newport over the weekend. \u00a0 Marie, for those who might have missed the many posts that I have done that have mentioned her over the last year, is a 181′ Dutch built ketch from the Vitter’s Yard. \u00a0 She is a remarkable yacht and built to exacting standards. Her owner Ed, made an interesting comment to me over the weekend when he remarked, about the quality of the work that went into Marie, “if it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much”. \u00a0Well, I don’t have a lot to compare her to but my take on the whole thing is that Ed is accurate in his statement. \u00a0 And, if that’s a true statement then Marie is perhaps the “fairest Dutch girl in the land”. <\/span><\/p>\n

I have tried to describe Marie to some of my boating friends as I have shared our experience with and am finding myself at a bit of a loss. \u00a0Even when I tell them her length, 181′ I am pretty sure that they have no real clue about what that means. \u00a0 And what’s more, the level of care that went into her design and construction, setting aside the ongoing up-keep, isn’t something that most can relate to. \u00a0Perhaps the closest comparison would be to compare her to a fine Swiss watch, and a 600,000+ pound one at that. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It took some four years from start to finish to build Marie. \u00a0And I am sure that probably way understates the magnitude of the project. \u00a0However, when you look at her details first hand, you begin to understand. \u00a0While I didn’t see every corner of the boat, ship, yacht, I saw plenty and here are a few details to consider. <\/span><\/p>\n

First, she’s massive. \u00a0Did I say that she’s big? \u00a0 She weighs in at over 600,000 lbs. \u00a0Her main mast is a soaring 210′ tall. \u00a0 She’s nearly 40′ wide. \u00a0Well, again, it’s hard to fathom what all this means. \u00a0 \u00a0Here’s a shot of her main mast with sails up.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/span>Every day someone goes up the mast to be sure that all her rigging is in perfect shape. \u00a0It’s hard to see but there is someone up there in this shot. <\/span>\"\"<\/a>Here’s a closeup. \u00a0 Must be some view from up there. \u00a0Me, I’d have my eyes screwed shut clutching to the mast.<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Her winches… There are plenty and most are big enough to be a comfortable seat. \u00a0Here I am sitting on one that controls the running back stays for the main mast. \u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Here’s a crew member setting the running backstays under sail. \u00a0They have to be reset every time the boat tacks.\u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/a>And the huge masts have to be supported by massive hardware. \u00a0Here’s a turnbuckle. \u00a0It must weigh several hundred pounds. \u00a0Notice the stereo speaker at it’s base. \u00a0 They blast rousing music before the race to get everyone in the mood. \u00a0I recall Michael Jackson’s Beat It as one of the more memorable tunes. It seemed just right.<\/span>\"\"<\/a>The masts and rigging, all made of carbon fiber, were made in New Zealand and shipped all the way to the\u00a0<\/span>Netherlands. \u00a0I understand that each shroud is carbon fiber and every one was fabricated to size as a single piece using a single thread run back and forth dozens of times in a continuous loop to complete the shroud. \u00a0No cutting the wire for the rig from a spool of wire for Marie. \u00a0This is Custom-Custom. \u00a0 Bespoke actually, again, like a fine watch.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The gooseneck, that connects the main boom to the\u00a0<\/span>magnificent\u00a0piece of work.<\/span>\"\"<\/a>The main mast is spare in some ways and amazingly complex in others. \u00a0It’s beautiful in it’s simplicity or complex. \u00a0Art actually. \u00a0 Nice mast boot. \u00a0 Pandora has a mast boot. \u00a0Well, that’s about where the similarities begin and end.\u00a0\"\"<\/a>Speaking of art, these are Dorade vents on Marie to let fresh air down below. However, the AC was running the whole time so perhaps they feed air to the engine compartment. \u00a0 Whatever they are they are certainly a feast for the eyes.\u00a0<\/span>\"\"<\/a>Down below is light an airy with plenty of outside light streaming down through skylights port and starboard. \u00a0Theye are\u00a0<\/span>magnificent. \u00a0Notice the detailing in the teak decking surrounding them. \u00a0And, in spite of their delicate beauty, they are tough enough to withstand tons of seawater crashing down in a storm. \u00a0Amazing varnish.\u00a0\"\"<\/a>The spinnaker is a massive 16,000 square feet. \u00a0Heck, Pandora’s entire sailplan is 1\/16th the size of that one sail. \u00a0I was told that pressure sensors on the rig show loads of near 70,000 lbs on the backstay.\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/span>The engine room is beautiful. \u00a0I was given an hour long tour by Rich the engineer. \u00a0I’ll save the details for another post but the main engine is a whopping 1,100 HP. \u00a0What a magnificent piece of machinery. \u00a0The engine room is large and just packed from end to end with all sorts of gear. \u00a0Note the red flasher above the engine. \u00a0It’s so loud in there that the only way to know if there is an emergency is with a rotating flasher to get your attention. \u00a0 Amazingly, in spite of all the noise, when you close the door to the engine room room, latch it and step outside, it’s suddenly completely silent. \u00a0You can’t even tell when the engine is on beyond a very subtle vibration in the decks. \u00a0More to come on the engine room in a future post. \u00a0So much to say, so little time…<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The level of detail in the living areas of Marie is really something. \u00a0There’s even a baby grand Steinway piano. \u00a0And it plays itself if needed. \u00a0I am sure that Brenda would have loved to give it a try. \u00a0 She didn’t.\"\"<\/a>The main salon, quite a spot. \u00a0Note the stair rails. \u00a0They are all gold plated to avoid tarnishing. \u00a0Of course, why didn’t I think of that?\"\"<\/a>Nice spot to sit and enjoy a quiet moment. \u00a0Yes, works for me. \u00a0I’ll take another Gin and Tonic please.\u00a0\"\"<\/a>Ed collects antique weapons and there is a miniature coat of armor in the aft hallway. \u00a0Not a great shot but I just had to include it. \u00a0\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0Beyond is the owner’s cabin protected by a brace of antique cannons. \u00a0His cabin leads to a private cockpit. \u00a0Off limits to all but a chosen few. \u00a0Alas… I didn’t see… \u00a0Beautiful carpets everywhere. Not exactly what you’d expect to see out at sea. \u00a0Note the red leather lined shelving and the great floor lighting. \u00a0\"\"<\/a>Speaking of cannons, there are two aft on deck that are fired regularly. \u00a0The engineer, Rich took time to show me exactly how they are prepared for firing. \u00a0I’ll save that for a future post. \u00a0For now, just a look at them. \u00a0I believe that they are from the 1600s. Beautiful pieces of art.\"\"<\/a>Let’s just agree that Marie is magnificent in ways that defy description. \u00a0 \u00a0I could go on all day about her but I have to stop somewhere. \u00a0I have lots more to say than you probably have the patience to read.<\/p>\n

Tough luck. \u00a0It’s my blog and I am going to write more although perhaps not today. \u00a0Besides, I need to get back to reality and the yard needs tending. Believe me, yard work is definitely NOT in my bucket list.<\/p>\n

Alas, real life beckons…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s Wednesday morning, 3AM. \u00a0actually, that’s “3-days-After-Marie”. There is plenty of talk about “bucket lists”. \u00a0 You know, the list of things that you are supposed to do before you die? \u00a0I understand that some folks get a bit crazy about making their list and then checking these items off. Perhaps I am missing something […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3313","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3313"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3337,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3313\/revisions\/3337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3313"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3313"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailpandora.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3313"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}