Dave's Vicem Report

Greetings from Planet Vicem!

For new readers of this blog, I’d like to introduce you to an insider’s phrase: Whenever we sell a brokerage or stock boat, I send out an email entitled “You Snooze, You Lose!”  (Snoozagram for short). So whether this is your first Snoozagram or your twentieth, you can read all about our latest sale below.

But first, I’d like to [re-] introduce myself, and this blog, to you – I have been with Vicem for eight years, handling the bulk of US sales (some 20 yachts to date).  Vicem has just asked me to take on management of the entire sales process for the US, and I am pleased to do so.

The boats and their owners are always more important than the people, but you can find the full press release at:

PRESS RELEASE – Vicem Yachts

So kick back and take what you will from this blog.  It is published every two or three weeks, and I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to comment at any time. I will make sure your communications make it directly to the correct Vicem broker. And of course feel free to scroll back through all the previous postings.  There is a lot of valuable content here, if I do say so myself….

Dave in Monaco

So, let’s dive in, shall we?

I. YOU SNOOZE, YOU LOSE!

I am pleased to report the sale of our Vicem 72 Flybridge, shown here on the cover of Southern Boating this month:

SOLD!

She will be living in Miami. But fear not, for we have another V72 “on the shelf” waiting for you. You can read the full review of this fine yacht at:

Southern Boating Review

II. Dave’s Book Review

When I was 12 years old (and Richard Nixon was President), I first read “The Strange last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst.” This terribly powerful and sad  story has not always been in print, but it is currently available on Amazon.

Crowhurst was one of four entrants in the first ever around-the-world solo sailboat race.  The race left from England, but Crowhurst and his badly built trimaran, the Teignmouth Electric, never left the south Atlantic. Rather, her radioed in false positions, depicting a fraudulent journey around the globe.

When his competitors re-arrived in the south Atlantic, legitimately, Crowhurst re-joined the race for the final leg, to claim victory. His long diary entries make clear thought that the pressure of his lies, and of drifting alone for five months, caused him to lose his mind.  In the end, he simply walked off the back of his boat.  The empty boat was found 10 days later, along with the truthful logs and diaries he intentionally left behind. I can’t imagine a boater who wouldn’t be totally captivated by this book.

I re-read it when I was 30, and then again a few month ago. With each passing era in my life I find I understand the story differently.  Jonathan Raban, the Booker Prize author who wrote the preface to the last edition, says that he has read this book once a year over his entire life.  It is that compelling, exciting, and instructive.

Recently I was shocked to hear that now, 40+ years later, the Teignmouth Electric is still around.  She washed up on a Grand Cayman beach in a 1970 hurricane. I was able to find her on Google Earth (zoom in on the exact center of the satellite photo, after clicking below):

Trimaran

Last week I was compelled to go down to see her in person (I am using the story and her current status in my novel). Here are some pictures:

First sight, peaking out from dunes.

Like the proverbial elephant in a boneyard, it was hard to pull myself away from this wreck of a life and of a boat. It haunts me.

By the way, if you haven’t been to the Cayman’s in a while, I highly recommend the quiet East End.  The diving was spectacular.  Here is a video of an awesome wreck dive (and no, it is not a Vicem. But check out the huge grouper at the end of the dive):

III. An Amazing Video

Our Vulcan 46M (that’s 151 feet) is almost done. She will splash in April, and will be debuted in Istanbul in June (feel free to come with me for the party). Here is a video of her construction that left me speechless (particularly the scenes of flipping over the mold!).

I am so proud of my people, my company, and my boats:

IV. A Haiti Update

Long time readers are familiar with my efforts to build a new school in the mountains of eastern Haiti.  In fact, Vicem and my clients have provided the majority of the funds to help make this a reality.  At our second annual fundraiser in NYC last month I am so pleased to say that we raised $23,000. This puts within $50,000 of finishing the entire school. Videos explaining the project are below. If you would like to help, just launch a flare.

The Old School

The New School

V. A Price Reduction

Vanderbilt, our 2007 Vicem 58 brokerage listing, has just undergone a dramatic $200,000 price reduction, to $1,300,000!

Price reduced for quick sale!

She will be displayed at the Miami Boat Show this February, should she still be on the market.  You can see the complete listing at:

Vicem 58 Vanderbilt listing

VI. Our latest listing

We have taken in a pristine 2008 Vicem 52 trade.  It is hard to overstate how perfect she is, with just 340 hours. Here are some amazing pix:

Someone is going to steal this yacht. It should be you! The full listing can be seen at:

Vicem 52 Listing

VII. Vicem Cruiser 107 Model

I am going to Turkey next week to inspect our next splash, the 107 Cruiser. If you have seen the 78 and 92 Cruiser’s, you’ll understand how excited I am to see this one.

Clients I have taken to the factory always comment on the way-cool model shop up on the second floor. We have a full time model builder, and we do keep him busy.  This morning I received these photos of the just launched [model] yacht:

The full specifications and plans can be found here (although it is entitled the 100 Cruiser.  It grew!):

Vicem Cruiser Booklet

Well, loyal readers, that should do it for this week.  If you have any question, comments or observations, just launch a flare.  I will make it sure it gets to the right person.

Thanks, and enjoy!

Quite a lot to report on this week, so pull up a chair.

I. What exactly happened to our 78 Cruiser?

A good question. You may recall my report that she sold and went to the Middle East. A wonderful article has just been published about her new owner and why he bought this wonderful yacht, and how he plans to use her. You can click on it below:

EAU_Yachts Emirates Nov-Dic 2011[1]

II. Brokerage Boat Upgrades

At the Fort Lauderdale show I caught up with two owners who’s yachts are on our brokerage list. Both are in the midst of some very nice upgrades:

Summer Nights, our 2002 Vicem 51, is getting new electronics (Garmin’s, I believe).

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/Vicem-Classic-2151289/Charlevoix/MI/United-States

And Three Belles, our Vicem 54 Flybridge (3 Cabin) has just had a paint job:

Three Belles - V54 FB 3 Cabin

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-54-2255867/Fort-Lauderdale/FL/United-States

Please call me if you have any questions about the scope of work on either of these Vicems.

III. Yachtworld Feature Boat

The above Yachtworld listings remind me to remind you to check out the Yachtworld home page. We usually occupy some fine real estate there – One of their six featured boats. This week is it Ruthie B, our 2007 Vicem Flybridge.  You can see what I mean at:

http://www.yachtworld.com/

IV. A Chance Encounter?

Chance, the Vicem 72 Flybridge with the varnished wooden coachroof that graces the heading of every posting of The Vicem – Newport Blog, is now on her way south.

Chance, Vicem 72 FB

She left Annapolis the other day, and will be in Fort Lauderdale next week. She is a truly exceptional 72, and I know her like the back of my hand. If you have any questions about her, or would like to see her, just let me know.

V. Dave’s Book Review

I figure if Oprah can have a book club, so can I. And anyone who spends as much time as I on the road and sea will have read a bunch of books.  So every now and again I will recommend a book for my loyal readers.

This week it is “Hemingway’s Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934 -1961, by Paul Hendrickson. As the title makes clear, it tries to gain an understanding of the man through his relationship with his boat (lots of scholars have gotten nowhere trying to gain an understanding of the man through his relationships with people!).

His boat was a Wheeler 38 (built in the country of my birth, Brooklyn) and here is Papa at the upper helm, off Havana:

The author writes: “My aim is to try to lock together the words “Hemingway” and “boat” in the same way that the locked-together and equally American words “Dimaggio” and “bat,” or “Satchmo” and “horn,” will quickly mean something in the minds of most people, at least of a certain age.”

I am of that certain age, and I think the author hit his mark. Let me know what you thing.

VI. The Truth about GPH

Day in and day out I am asked about Vicem fuel burn rates, at both cruise and maximum speeds. Of course I can rattle those off in my sleep for anything we  build. But I have always been a little hazy about “real world” burn rates.  It is very hard to guess how much time is spent puttering around harbors, exploring new anchorages, going out for casual dinner cruises, as opposed to those petal to the metal hours trying to beat the squalls back to your harbor. Well, know I have some baseline data I can use for any boat in our line.

I recently received a helpful email from the owner of a Vicem 51, based in Ct. He is the kind of accomplished businessman who lives and dies by the numbers, and as such he compiled rigorous data about his first season’s ownership of the boat. His V51 has 610 HP MAN’s. He writes:

             Over the course of the 2011 boating season, we:

VI. Two Weeks To Go:

On Saturday, December 3rd we will be having our second annual NYC fundraiser for our 1/3 completed school in Haiti. You can see the details below. If you would like to attend, or help in any way (PLEASE!) just give me a call. Thank you with all I got, in advance.

568 kids, Bodarie, Haiti

http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/4y7xrxaekmpxbyq3c

Well, that’s it for now. Meanwhile, you know the drill – Any questions or comments, just launch a flare.

Thanks, and enjoy!

It is with a great measure of pleasure and exhaustion that I report that our Fall season has concluded.  I have had the fun of speaking with hundreds of my clients and blog readers this Fall.  To each I asked the question: “Am I being a pest?”  

Over and over again I heard how interested my clients are in the contents of this blog, and in all things Vicem. So I am challenging myself in the next year to work even harder on this blog, to present more depth, substance and weight for my clients.  It is my goal to have the best informed clients in the industry. Now, why would I want that?

Well, here it goes, the new weighty version (applies to me, too, I am told):

I. Our Latest Splash

I received some wonderful pix this week of our latest splash – a Bahama Bay 58.  Fans of the IPS Bahama Bay 54 will love it, and recognize what the extra four feet provides:

She is the owners’ third Vicem in ten years, and she will cruise the Med for a few before she comes to her Florida home. This low maintenance, IPS drive yacht is a winner. Please feel free to call me with any questions about the Bahama Bay line, IPS drives, etc.

II. Our Next Splash

I am very excited that our Vicem 100 Cruiser will splash in less than eight weeks! I now have a 15 page brochure available, covering full plans, specifications, and a detailed equipment list.  It is a lot to take in, and it is worth every bit of viewing.  Here it is in PDF format, and of course I can email it to you as well:

V100 Opt 

III. And in July:

I will be off to Turkey this summer for the biggest and best sea trial of all – Our Vulcan 46 Meter Megayacht. That’s 151 feet of Vicem! I have an amazing and complete planning document for you, the “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Our 46M But Where Afraid To Ask” report. It runs over 80 pages, and I am quite proud of our team for producing it. Just click on:

Vicem 46m Opt 

IV. Great Article about Vicem Construction Methods

We are featured herein, describing why the Cold Molded Process is the best choice for a quality yacht, and why Vicem is among the best in the world at it! I almost got teary reading it!

USA_Yachts International Nov-Dic 2012

Well, that’s it for now. Meanwhile, you know the drill – Any questions or comments, just launch a flare.

Enjoy!

There is a whole lot to fill you in on here.  What can I say? It’s the fall, and that’s when we rock. So go brew a pot of coffee, and come back. I will still be here!

I. THE NORWALK SHOW

I was quite pleased to spend time with roughly 30 of my loyal clients at the Norwalk Boat Show.  And just as pleased to have met several hundred new ones! Rain kept the crowds at bay, allowing me a lot of quality time with serious boaters. Within the next two weeks I expect to be able to report on two brewing deals.

How about this? We were pleased to get the Display of the Year Award from the quite picky judges at the Norwalk Show:

II. THE ANNAPOLIS SHOW

The Annapolis Boat Show approaches. It will run from October 13th thru the 16th. We will be displaying our 2008 Dealer Demo 72:

It looks like Vanderbilt, our 2008 Vicem 58 Classic, is heading down to Fort Lauderdale for the winter:

It is our plan to have her stop in Annapolis during the boat show, so she will be quite easy to see.  Please call me for details.

III. THE FORT LAUDERDALE SHOW

From Annapolis the great seasonal migration (as in the Serengeti) continues, as we make our way south to the Fort Lauderdale show. It runs from the 27th thru the 31st of October. The lineup is still getting set, but at a minimum we will have the following:

2011 V72 Flybridge

Vicem 57 Sportfish

III. A CUTE LITTLE POCKET YACHT

Two very knowledgeable clients of mine (just beginning a quite exciting new build)  commissioned a beautiful little pocket yacht to keep them out of trouble while their big boat builds. I just love the look of this Maine-built boat, and I expect you will too.  Her name, aptly, is Dreamboat, and you can find her cruising around Maine next season:

IV. THE EUROPEAN SHOWS

Cannes and Monaco have just wrapped up, and Genoa is next week. We are displaying our V75 and V92 at these shows, and, I hear, to great acclaim.  Here is a pic of the V75 on her way to Cannes:

V. TRUANT

I just got in a wonderful picture of Truant, our 2007 Vicem 70 listing:

Vicem 72 Truant

She is currently at the Essex Yacht Club in CT, and can be seen at any time. The complete listing can be found at:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-70-Flybridge-2379888/CT/United-States

I just can’t say enough about this yacht, but I keep trying.

VI. ENGINE ROOMS – A DISCOURSE

And now, to quote Monty Python, for something completely different – A cranky discourse on engine rooms.

A friend of mine, a dealer of US-built boats, invited me aboard his line this week. I went down first, as always, into their engine rooms. I was something between unimpressed and dissapointed. On the whole I found them cramped, poorly laid out, with poor access to important components, poorly lit, with inferior components installed sloppily, inadequate soundproofing, inadequate labeling, and slapdash top-hung supports. I asked my friend how these multi-million dollar boats show at boat shows. His answer surprised me:

“Just fine! Our clients don’t go into engine rooms.”

That amazed me.  I have found that Vicem clients live for our engine rooms. In fact, the improvements in our engine rooms over my last eight years are almost entirely client-driven. It it is not the first thing they investigate, it is rarely the third.

I am not sure why the big difference (or why it bothers me so much). Perhaps it is because so many Vicem clients started out as sailors. Or that Vicem’s are rarely the first boat they’ve owned (more commonly the fifth!). I am interested in your thoughts about this.  But there is something I do know  – Vicem’s are usually the last boats our clients own!

VII. IN CLOSING

I was oh-so-gratified at the shows so far this season to have had a couple of dozen clients ask me about the progress of the school that Pat and I are building in Haiti. As I explained, we are 1/3 done. Three of the eventual nine classrooms are complete, and you can see the latest construction video at:

http://vimeo.com/27139107

We need a final and additional $90,000 to complete the school. In support of that end I am pleased to report that we are having our Second Annual Fundraiser this December 3rd, in NYC.  Last year’s event raised $23,000, and the results are right there on your computer screen. I do hope you can attend or otherwise help. The details can be found at:

Save the date!

http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/4y7xrxaekmpxbyq3c

That’s all for now. But please stand by for the coming snooze-agrams. And as always, any questions before the shows, just launch a flare.

Enjoy.

I was quite pleased to spend time with roughly 70 of my loyal clients at the Newport Boat Show.  And just as pleased to have met several hundred new ones! At least two deals are brewing, and you can expect one of my “You Snooze, You Lose” emails any day now. And as a client told me last month, when our V54 IPS sold:

“Damn, I missed another one! I hate being on the losing end of those emails.”

The Norwalk Boat Show starts on Thursday of this week, and runs through Sunday. We will be displaying two Flybridges, the 72 and the 58:

Vicem 72 Flybridge

Vicem 58 Flybridge

I look forward to seeing you all there.

To hold you over until then, I thought you would find this thread interesting. It is a just-updated discussion of Vicem’s on an unbiased industry forum.  Unsolicited (mostly), and unedited (completely):

http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-yachting-discussion/15764-vicem-insight.html

Literally nine or ten clients at the show asked be about our two viral videos – rough water deliveries of the Vicem 72 and 78. They have been watched thousands of times around the world (every now and again I get an email from a kid in landlocked Kazakhstan who just loves them) so by popular demand and acclaim I am republishing them here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRRxgwrFapc

    and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZEajZvHecc

Two last stories:  I am closing in on my 100th boat show, but I must say this Newport show was just about the most special one so far.  My daughter Katie turned 20 this year, and this was her first “working” boat show.  She was showing boats and talking GPH with the best of them! I am told by semi-unbiased sources that she did a great job:

The proud father.

Capping it off, a friend of ours just returned from his second tour of Afghanistan. Nick is in Newport for a few weeks of Navy training before he heads off again (to Dubai). He’s 27, and we’ve known him most of his life. Like Katie and I, he is a diver. But unlike us, after his next tour he will leave active duty to get trained as an underwater welder of oil rigs. Be safe, Nick.

Captain Nick

That”s all for now. See you at the show (or at Annapolis and Fort Lauderdale). And as always, if you have any questions, just launch a flare.

Enjoy.

Hey there.  I am just finishing the setup for the Newport Show, and setting tickets aside. If you are coming down, just let me know how many tickets you need. We will have the 72, the 58 Flybridge, and the 58 Classic on display (and Truant, our wonderful V70 brokerage listing, is not far away in CT).

How about this amazing photo from this month’s issue of Yachting!  Either side of the mainsail you’ll see our 72 and 58, observer boats at this summer’s exciting J-Class races in Newport:

The grand parade!

Lastly, here is a fun article about “Giga-Yachts” – the first time I’ve heard that expression. Although a client of mine owns the yacht that is the article’s focus:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/13/travel/rise-gigayacht/?hpt=hp_c2

That’s it for now. Meanwhile you know the drill – any questions, just launch a flare.

Enjoy.

I. Way back in 2004 or 2005 Vicem flew me to Istanbul to ask me just one question: What should the goal of our first advertising campaign be? I said “Just teach people how to pronounce the name!”

Now, I am pleased to say, we have gone from about zero name recognition to the point where Yachting Magazine just announced that our about-to-splash 100 Cruiser was one of their top five articles for the month of August!

It’s like anything in life, or like building a school in Haiti: If you think about the magnitude of it all, you figure why bother? But if keep your head down, work hard as you can every day, somehow magical things just happen. What a great ride!

You can read about the ranking and the boat at:

http://recp.mkt32.net/servlet/MailView?m=4966590&r=NDczMzY4OTQzMQS2&j=MTgzODczMjU5S0&mt=1

II. This week I received the latest construction pix of our Mega series (32M, 35M and 46M). It is shocking to me how quickly they are coming together.  All three are spec boats (Oh, the things you can do with deep pockets!).

Here is the 32M:

32M

32M

And the 35M:

35M

35M

And the 46M (My favorite. Check out that massive stern thruster):

46M

46M

46M

III. I’m out of the country next week, but you can reach me if you try hard enough. Here’s something to help you get over my absense – The hurricane brought me home to NY for a few days, where I was able to pick up a little on my somewhat neglected novel, Ambush Alley.  Here’s a new section for you, one of many about boats, and Haiti:

A few hours later they weighed anchor and sailed west. Reggie sat in the bow, reading his bible. At fifteen minute intervals Tommy would scan the empty shoreline with his binoculars.

“What are you looking for?” asked Reggie.

“A mountain of conch.”

Reggie looked at him quizzically, and then resumed reading.

Two hours later Tommy sounded a satisfied grunt. He tacked the boat and headed in towards shore. Ahead of them was a long narrow dock, empty of boats or people. And on the shore next to it was a large pile of discarded and sun-bleached conch shells, maybe fifteen feet high. They tied up at the dock.

“Now what?” asked Reggie.

“Now we wait. In the Caribbean, where there is conch, there is a dock. And where there is a dock, there is a panga.”

Just after lunchtime they heard the spit and sputter of a weak outboard engine. A long and thin wooden boat headed in towards them, and Tommy was pleased to see that like every working panga he’d ever seen, it was painted brightly in orange, green, and yellow.  A teenager was in the bow, and an old man was in the stern, by the outboard. Between them was a small pile of colorful conch shells.

“And where there is a panga, there is a Captain? ” asked Reggie.

 Tommy stepped out of the sailboat and helped tie up the fishing boat.  Reggie followed, and then translated Tommy’s proposition into Creole.  The Captain looked at the sailboat carefully, and then at Tommy. He didn’t smile, but he did nod his head. Tommy took twenty hundred dollar bills out of the backpack. He gave five to the Captain. The next fifteen he ripped in half. He gave the Captain the left side of the bills, and he put the right sides in his back pocket with a bit of drama.

“Reggie, tell him I will be back in ten days. If the boat is still here, untouched, he gets the other halves.”

“Haitians live on two dollars a day. You just bought ten years.”

“I only need ten days.  If its longer than that, the boat is his.”

That”s all for now. See ya at the boat shows.

I. I am pleased to announce that our Bahama Bay 54 IPS  has sold!

She will be in Fort Lauderdale for a couple of weeks if you would like to get a last look at her.

Fear not, we have another one under construction – a 56 IPS that will splash in a few months.

Last week a client asked for plans of a 52 IPS in a Flybridge configuration.  They just came in, and I think they are marvelous:

Please call me for the details.

 II. With the Newport Show just three weeks away, I guess this is a good time to go over all of our remaining inventory, new and brokerage (“b”), around the world.

I’m getting a little bored with the standard pictures, so rather than the most representative, I’ve tried to show the most interesting. In size order, top to bottom, you will find:

• Vicem 85 Classic (B)

What can I say? There is only one V85. She is visible from the causeway in Palm Beach, and I have seen her literally stop traffic.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2006/Vicem-Classic-1816557/Palm-Beach/FL/United-States

• Vicem 75 Flybridge

Our first V75, at our La Spezia office in Italy. You can see her at the Cannes, Monaco and Genoa shows. It would be no trouble at all for me to meet you there.....

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2011/Vicem-75-Classic-Flybridge-1092266/La-Spezia/Italy

• Vicem 72 Flybridge (2008 Dealer Demo)

See her at the Newport and Norwalk Shows.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Vicem-72-Classic-Flybridge-2238641/Newport/RI/United-States

• Vicem 2011 72 Flybridge

At our docks in Fort Lauderdale. She can be sea trialed at any time.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2011/Vicem-72-Classic-Flybridge-2298256/Fort-Lauderdale/FL/United-States

• Vicem 70 Flybridge (b)

Recently called "one of the top five under 80 foot yachts on the planet"!

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-70-Flybridge-2379888/CT/United-States

• Vicem 67 Flybridge (b)

I know of no other yacht better suited to succeed as a live aboard vessel. Commissioned by a Vicem 52 owner, this boat is ergonomically perfect.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-Flybridge-2095968/Saugatuk/MI/United-States

• Vicem 58 Classic (b)

Vanderbilt is berthed next to my 72 in Newport. You might think the 72 gets all the oohs and aahs. Nope. This 58 is cherished in Newport. See her at the Newport Show.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Vicem-58-Classic-2293200/Newport/RI/United-States

• Vicem 58 Flybridge (B)

Foot for foot and dollar for dollar (Turkish Lire for Turkish Lire?) IMHO this boat presents the greatest value and the most bang for the buck of any boat I'm listing. See her at the Newport and Norwalk Shows.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-58-Flybridge-2377720/ME/United-States

• Vicem 57 Sportfish

This is the only Sportfish we have left. I have received six or seven calls this season from people who have seen the V63 Sportfish I sold last year cruising New England, and asking "What was that stunning yacht?" This 57 has exactly the same styling.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2008/Vicem-Sportfish-1834365/Sarasota/FL/United-States

• Vicem 54 Flybridge (b)

Over and over again I tell people that the V54, with a unique two head/one shower arrangement, provides 90% of the volume of our 58, but at a $250,000 savings. This is an excellent example of that theory in practice. In Fort Lauderdale.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-54-2255867/Fort-Lauderdale/FL/United-States

• Vicem 51 (b)

Last week I looked up all the Vicems I've sold over the seven years. A total of 20! And 6 of them, twice as many as any other model, were the 51 series. This yacht explains why better than any other I have sold.

Details at: http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/Vicem-Classic-2151289/Charlevoix/MI/United-States

III. When I realized I was up to 20 Vicem’s sold, I treated myself to three days off (the first since my Captain’s course in April, not counting the Haiti trip).  Great time diving and fishing in Key Largo, and now my batteries are fully recharged. Here’s the how and the why:

Can't resist - Somewhere under the rainbow...

That’ all for now. I’ll see ya in a few weeks. Any questions or comments, just launch a flare.

Enjoy.

I. How To Buy a Brokerage Vicem:

I had forgotten about a very cool set of Vicem videos, never before shared by me.  A client last winter was interested in seeing both of the Vicem 51’s then on the brokerage market. His family could not travel to MI and ME with us to see them, so he made these walk through video’s for their use and benefit. He kindly allowed me to share these with you. Its a great peak at a successful process. Hint, hint….

The first is of Summer Nights, still available  in Michigan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fL_jf5WFgeA

The second is of the V51 then in Maine, and for reasons geographic as much as anything, he ended up purchasing this one and moving her to CT:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXB4epron1M

When you compare these two video’s, you get a good glimpse of how we can build the same boat in different ways. It’s all up to the owner.

And here is the end of his process, the sea trial before closing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ4g25jTciE

Loyal readers may remember the email he sent me after his delivery home:

The trip from went great.  I love the way she runs!  We had six footers out of Portland for a couple of hours and she ate it up at 26 knots, without a problem.  We made the run from Newport to Riverside in 4 ¼ hours, dock-to-dock.  Pretty awesome!  The thing I love the most is that everywhere we docked, people were just drooling over how beautiful she is.  Definitely a winner all around. Also, I am happy to make her available if anyone would like to see an example of Vicem’s finest.

If you would like to see Summer Nights, now is the time. Launch a flare.

II. Water Dog of the Week:

I’ve got quite a collection of water dog shots, from my clients. I will start posting them.  Feel free to send me more. Anyway, remember that great dolphin shot last week? Here is his four legged friend, standing guard:

III. Plans vs. Photo’s

The plan vs. photo scheme I shared with you last week of the Vicem 70 Truant got quite a response, and reminded me of another incredible project, the Vicem 67 Mahagony Rose.

The owner of this one (his second Vicem, by the way) wanted a cabin that was a triple convertible: from wide open, to a desk office, to a bed.  When first proposed, I was doubtful, to say the least. But he quoted back my own words:

“Dave, you’ve been telling me for years that the whole Vicem business plan is for clients to draw it on a napkin, and Vicem  will build it. Here’s your napkin. Go build it!”

Our designers in Istanbul outdid themselves.  Here is the original plan, in two views, and photos of its various stages of conversion:

Front view - bed and desk folded up.

Side view - bed down

Desk folded down

Desk up, bed down!

She is for sale in Michigan, and the full listing can be seen at:

http://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2007/Vicem-Flybridge-2095968/Saugatuk/MI/United-States

Trust me, she is worth seeing.

That’s all for now. Just 34 days till the Newport Show!

See ya.