September 9, 2025

Launching a typical cottage boat, or a fishing boat at the ramp, you may hear someone shout, “Did you remember the drain plug?” These are famous last words but you would not expect to hear them at the launch of a brand-new super yacht. Apparently, at a yard in Turkey, the launch of a new superyacht, with the owner onboard, must have had a major drain plug problem. Have a look.

I don’t have any more details, but what could anyone say after seeing this? That no one was hurt would be good I suppose. That the owner will get his money back would be expected. I guess there must be big money in super yachts. Elsewhere, I read that Azimut Benetti, a famous Italian builder of super yachts, has just reported great sales results.

Apparently the Azimut-Benetti Group expects to close the 2024/2025 nautical season with revenues of €1.5bn, a 15 per cent increase over the previous year. Better than that, the company reports an order backlog of €2.5bn, extending into 2029. Betting on the ultra-rich seems like a great idea. Speaking about the ultra-rich, I read that if Elon Musk and Tesla hit some (admittedly lofty) sales levels in the coming months, he may soon become the worlds first trillionaire. If I ever decide to run for political office, I know who I’m going to call.

Musk also has Starlink, the global low earth orbit internet system that is powering more and more users all around the world. We have heard from many cruisers who have added Starlink to their boats and found that they have great connections just about everywhere.

With Starlink, your home office could be a super yacht and no one would know you were calling it in from the Mediterranean. At least, that’s what I dream about. Life is short. Go whole hog if you can.

I wonder if we will start to see more and more super yachts here in the Great Lakes, or in Georgian Bay? I have not been to British Columbia in quite a while but there have been super yachts cruising the breath-taking Pacific North West for years now.

Changing demographics and the changing politics in America may also be partly behind the apparent rise in super yacht ownership. Are there really more individuals buying what are to me, personal ships? I find it a challenge to wrap my head around what it must cost to own and operate a “boat” that is one-hundred feet long or bigger. That would be a whole different world from the boating world that I love but reports from around the world indicate a strong market for super yachts.

This fall, I look forward to attending the Boating Ontario Conference and also the Boating BC Conference. Will there be discussions of super yacht market? I’m interested to learn more about the scene on the West Coast. I know there have long been yards building and servicing super yachts there. These yachts certainly need crew of course. What about crew training? This hasn’t been a focus for the Canadian pleasure craft market but that would surely change with more super yachts. I’m sure being crew is far more complicated than just remembering to check the drain plug before casting off. Then again…

Well, back to reality, here’s hoping your 2025 summer was profitable and positive. I’m looking forward to a solid year in 2026. ‘Hope I see you at the Conference!

Andy Adams – Editor