Now that its first project, Big Fish, has completed about 10,000 nautical miles of her intended 30,000-nautical-mile inaugural journey, Aquos Yachts has unveiled more details about its second superyacht, Star Fish. She’ll have some of the same forward-thinking details that set the 45-meter (148-foot) Big Fish apart, along with a few novelties of her own.
Returning, for example, are the side and aft fold-down balconies, the sliding doors on both sides of the dining area, granite decking, and more than a dozen places to dine (either at existing dining tables or in areas where the crew can set one up quickly). Star Fish will also continue Aquos Yachts’ aim for eco-friendly expeditions. Already under construction at McMullen & Wing, the yacht will further be intended for long-range explorations and extended self-sufficiency.
The differences lie in what Richard Beattie, the owner of Big Fish, requested of Greg Marshall, the naval architect. As Marshall explains it, after Big Fish was launched, Beattie said, “‘That’s great, Greg—now I want Star Fish to be 50 percent better than Big Fish.’” They decided that because Big Fish allows owners and guests to do things that other yachts don’t, Star Fish would allow 50 percent better experiences.
One major idea: 21 places (yes, 21) to dine, representing three different spots over the course of a seven-day cruise or charter. These include everything from the dedicated dining area to the “pod,” a.k.a. the intimate flying bridge/crow’s nest. Star Fish will also feature a supernumerary cabin, for a naturalist to stay aboard whenever desired. Instead of the video wall that Big Fish has, Star Fish will have a video ceiling, for setting different atmospheric scenes: sunny or starry skies, even underwater footage, among other ideas.
But the two biggest differences are pretty eye-opening: a powered dock (above) that can detach from the transom, and a handful of firepits on the aft decks. The dock is designed to fulfill nearly as many needs as can be imagined. For example, it can be an extra transport to take guests to and from the beach, a separate floating swimming/diving platform, an extended toy tie-up area, even a floating dining platform. From a practical standpoint, it can even be used by the crew to clean the yacht; no need for trying to stay steady in a RIB or climbing into harnesses and hanging over the sides. As for the fire pits, while they might sound alarming, the classification society Germanischer Lloyd will permit them, fueled by controllable gas.
Overall, the goal of Star Fish is to up the ante on fun. In Marshall’s words, she’ll be “the ultimate bucket list,” a concept echoed by Jim Gilbert, Aquos Yachts’ marketing coordinator, who says she and Big Fish are both “yachts for a brave new world…to attract owners like Richard who couldn’t find what they wanted on the existing market.”
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