what makes a yacht a white elephant/rogue

from a builders perspective I suggest you can go one of two ways, either buy a marketable yacht or build the most outrageous boat and bask in the glory. DO you want to indulge yourself or recoup your investment. Its all rather simple.

Very good question. Hope some brokers chime in here

Kelly Cook

two very different yachts

heres one that drew a crowd

Eyeball is now Silent WIngs... white hull, minor modifications and she doesn't look so "oddball" anymore.

You can't build the EveryYacht that suits the EveryMan. It is just impossible; Particularly in one-off custom yachts. One mans trash is another man's treasure.

Same reason why Ferrari owners drive Ferrari. Porsche owners drive Porsche. Rolls Owners.... well you get the point.

LC.....

As I proceed through my own learning plans (curves) preparing for an eventual design and then build, I have thought the same thing.

I remember my first ever visit to Trinity Yachts. While there, I met a well known interior designer. That person started in on me about this affects resale and that affects resale to the point I came close to getting really pissed off.

I started thinking a bit about that person's tirade. I do know that it is important to consider possible features that may affect resale value, but to let it totally dominate your thought/design process is not a good thing (I decided that some time ago) and can really take the fun out of the process. I know..it almost did that to me...until I realized that you can never please all the people all the time.

SO..BUILD what YOU want and to "the lowest depths of Sheol" with the naysayers. I always figured if I got tired of my yacht someday then I will try and sell it. No takers?? Well, donate it to Woods Hole or some other well deserving research organization and get a screaming write off....still no takers??? Okay, strip it, make it environmentally safe, and use it to create an artificial reef!!!!

All the negative stuff about this and that affecting resale was so **** negative. I thought that it compared somewhat to a groom beating is future bride over the head with a pre nup agreement...you know...."honey, I really do love you (the yacht), but I am not optimistic it will ever last (sail) for long, so please sign this so if we DO breakup (want to sell), you will not take me to the cleaners (get financially raped)"...maybe too simplistic????

Cheers,

Mark

silent wings.... now there is a vision. Dream or Nightmare is up to you...

On Eyeball/Silent Wings, you have a perfect example of destroying a concept...

As grey she was standing out, with the boxy and utilitarian design. I love the yacht as she used to look. Then I heard some yacht brokers saying she would be much better in white, like "normal" yachts, and suddenly she appeared in white.

I don´t know who took the decision and why, but in my eyes she is now only looking half as good. Just as if Skat should be bright white instead of grey...

But at the bargain price she is offered, she can afford to be painted grey and get her former glory back again...

Got a picture of Silent Wings for you.
All gray "Navy Style" is gone...

BIG DIFFERENCE

While I am no fan of gray, I agree that the white monochrome doesn't work for this art deco theme either. Really needs color or at least contrasting trim.

Kelly Cook

I would LOVE to see one of the Big Boys do a collosal build that is really cutting edge, totally environmentally friendly, then paint it as OBNOXIOUS as possible.... because they can! Maybe Day-Glow Pink or cammoflage? Imagine a 300' Pink mammoth pulling into Monaco with the Star Wars Theme blaring and echoing in the harbor, and put a huge set of retractable 30' steer horns on the bow... just because you can!

It is about as practical as a pyramid, but I bet people would get a kick out of it!

Ladies Choice.
I have the distinct impression that we could sit down and regale each other with stories about what we have been told can't be done and then how we went ahead and did it anyway.
As has been pointed out it comes down to your own personal reality. If you are fortunate enough to be in a position where resale is not an issue then sit down with AMG and build what you want. If resale is potentially an issue then either find something that is a compromise that you can live with or modify an existing vessel.
The observation deck that AMG showed for you wouldn't make it a rogue as far as I can see. Good balanced design will always be appreciated by a part of the market.
At the end of the day, can you live with the compromises or will you be on your vessel, perpetually looking upwards and wondering where your observation deck is?

Making a custom color isn't all that hard, I had US Paint mix up a custom color for me a few years ago. They did say they could replicate the color anytime in the future, which I am skeptical of. I ordered an extra gallon for future touch-up, but when the time comes for repaint we will be starting all over again I am sure.

As far as the idea of designing a yacht for "resale value", well I think it is important to design the boat that you want to have, as long as you are making it safe and seaworthy. You will not be happy once you realize you have compromised what you want, and the money that you will have saved by "ensuring resale value" will seem inconsequential.

For color choices go to your auto body shop or any auto store that mixes paint and look at their paint chip book. It will have samples of every car color. The guys who mix paint will have a book with every shade of a color and can mix anything in between in addition to a chip book. Paint is mixed by a receipe of different base colors and toners. It is measured out by weight on a accurate scale. The problem with color matching is the paint tint depends on a lot, the mix and even on the color of primer and how much it is thinned.Always remember black is black,but white is not always white. What I mean by that is gloss black is all the same but there is a infinete number of white shades. white is one of the hardest colors to match.

Back to the question..."what makes a yacht a white elephant..."
Pretty much anything out of the "norm". While it may be fun to build some extreme design and bask in the glory, for most owners there comes a time when they want to sell their yacht and move up, down or out. When that time comes what seemed like a great idea (like a 150 foot yacht with only two staterooms or some radical style statement) becomes almost impossible to sell. If money is no object and you don't care if about recouping your "investment" then go nuts.
On the other hand if you would like to get most of your money back out of the yacht a few years down the road, go for a more conventional design by a known designer and proven yard. If you own the only example of a yacht by Joe's Boat and Lawnchair Company chances are you won't be getting much of your money back on resale.

Dave

what makes...white elephant

a view from the marketing side?

- a change of the sensation into a somehow predictable market! If i got an outstanding object and want to handle it from beginning on as a wihite elephant (WE) then i need parallel an applicant person (someone inside my view, my interests, who appraises it as i do). Then i can buy it as a WE, handle it appropriate and sell it as WE. If there is noone in reach of such kind, i can make a good pr-campaign (like the owner of the TIARA did with some magazins) and wait untill such one comes along.
Perhaps some nice pictures in the golf-gazettes can help, too.
And if i had to redesign the vessel to make it sell-able i would try to avoid general categories like WE and search for a buyer who likes to improove his know how and sense of style in upgrading such a yacht (perhaps to make it a WE - maybe, who knows?).