Grace-full video

It looks a like nice classical bird, also it is a replica, Karo. A few things are missing to the perfect classic look. Things like the missing teak deck and the masts look displaced and out of proportion (in regard to the bowspriet). But from distance and from most of the pictures, a nice looking boat. But that is exactly was Nero was too (or still is), a nice looking boat - from distance!!!

But in general, those little replica steamers, below 50 meter LOD, can turne out as real beauties. But this beauty can really quickly be destroyed by wrong proportions, to much visible modern equipment (like Sat domes) and most of all wrong paint sheme, all together called bad tast and lack of historical knowledge.
The step from art to gimcrackery is very short.

Sorry but that is my neck of the wood.

Hi Karo, as far as classical boats are concerned, we both have an almost congruent taste .

Also I make my living of commercial ships, my occupation are classical boats. Both sailing ships/boats and steamers. I am an active member and benefactor of several non-profit associations and foundations for the preservation of historical ships. And we manage to keep all historical boats on the water and do cruises with them. I sometimes have the honour of being voluntary skipper (without payment) of some great old wooden schooners, cutters and coal powered steam ships made of good old riveted steel.

Will say, preserving museum ships, is a great occupation but having such an oldtimer as a personal yacht, would be a nightmare.

For personal use, I always would prefer a replica. Classical look down to the smallest possible detail, perfectly styled interior, classical looking deck hardware like winches, davits, aerators, a classical laid teckdeck, high gloss cap rails and things like this, will make a real beauty. But below deck and below the waterline only modern machinery and modern materials.

But it is much easier to design a classical looking sailboat, especially a schooner or staysail kutter, than a steamer. Meteor and Borkumriff IV are most likely some of the best examples.

I am not talking about the big steamers of the JP Morgan aera like Savarona, Nahlin or other royal yachts. I am talking of something with the idea behind Nero but with a great designer and naval architect and done by a high quality yard. A perfectly designed steamer replica with perfectly styled exterior and interior of the JP Morgan style and aera.

There are only a very few designers and naval architects available in world, some of them guilty of creating marbles like Athena, Meteor, Borkumriff I to IV, Foftein, Jessica or even the schooner Atlantic. And there are not very many yards out there, capable and willing to build a replica steamer, because they are so difficult to design and build perfectly. A standard "sharpened container" is far easier to build than an all curved classic. I am afraid, one has to go to the Netherlands to have something designed and built like this.