Neglected super yachts

Author
Discussion

Huntsman

8,028 posts

249 months

Thursday 4th August 2016
quotequote all
NeilB12 said:
Huntsman said:
Bert Cheese said:
downthepub said:
Was anything stuck on it? At Gosport Marina back in April there was an apparently abandoned racing yacht with a bunch of "git away or we'll dispose of it" notices stuck to it. Plenty of healthy plantlife growing from it's undersides frown
First post, here goes...

That would be Brave Challenger (I hope!) I'm told it is now moored somewhere on Southampton Water with some decent sized mussels present on the hull...its time at Gunwharf and Gosport was indeed marred by mooring disputes and it hasn't run properly for years.

A real shame as the Vosper built craft has a fascinating history and deserves better, the current owner has amassed a collection of spare RR Proteus gas turbines (taken from the SRN4 hovercraft at Lee on Solent & other historic craft) but still BC continues to lead a nomadic existence on the South coast as moorings/finances allow.

A brief history can be seen on the link below:
http://hooniverse.com/2015/09/21/motorboat-monday-...
Racing yacht at Gosport was a different boat, sailing one, Solent is littered with out of date race yachts.

We had a big discussion about Brave Challenger a while back on here, still in the same place, Itchen Marine, looking very poorly.
When I filled up our Sea Work demo boat in June 2015 the guy on the pump said it was just being used as a weekend retreat with no plans for restoration. I suspect this would require very deep pockets!
Long term owner now quite elderly. No plans to sell.

Very difficult construction and engineering. I reckon its a £20M project. I know someone that has the shipyard capable of doing it.

Needs a new owner with the funds and vision.

Bert Cheese

238 posts

91 months

Thursday 4th August 2016
quotequote all
Thanks for the extra information regarding Brave Challenger, it has long interested me since wondering what on earth it was when viewed from the Pompey to Ryde Fastcat on many an occasion before it disappeared to Southampton recently.

Sadly it looks as though it needs more money than is presently available spending on a thorough restoration though, and the day to day running costs for such a specialist machine must be astronomical too.

Sealine South

533 posts

138 months

Friday 5th August 2016
quotequote all
There is a fairly colourful rumour about why he was, ahem, 'asked to leave' Haslar Marina...

Petrus1983

8,518 posts

161 months

Friday 5th August 2016
quotequote all
Sealine South said:
There is a fairly colourful rumour about why he was, ahem, 'asked to leave' Haslar Marina...
laugh I've heard that one

ChemicalChaos

10,360 posts

159 months

Saturday 6th August 2016
quotequote all
Go on......?

ecsrobin

17,019 posts

164 months

Saturday 6th August 2016
quotequote all
downthepub said:
Perhaps the owners/agents are still paying fees on it. That boat in Gosport was clearly in arrears of marina charges. Not that I was reading anything I shouldn't nono
Was it a decent size? I'm local and in need of a new racing yacht..... if we look official no one will question us....

paulmakin

653 posts

140 months

Sunday 7th August 2016
quotequote all
the ex-Windjammer in Port of Spain was still there last time i used the ferry but that was quite some time back (early 2015).

formerly the Yankee Clipper with Windjammer and "Pioneer" when with the Vanderbilts. armour plated hull iirc

at the time it was still afloat and clearly visible to starboard of a docked ferry

paul

Sealine South

533 posts

138 months

Sunday 7th August 2016
quotequote all
ChemicalChaos said:
Go on......?
Something to do with watching films of an 'alternative' nature in full view of others

Don't know how true it is - probably get sued now

AC123

1,115 posts

153 months

Monday 8th August 2016
quotequote all
Do none of these things get stolen?! (The working ones, obviously)

Brother D

3,698 posts

175 months

Monday 8th August 2016
quotequote all
AC123 said:
Do none of these things get stolen?! (The working ones, obviously)
I'm sure a couple will be taken for joy-rides, but I mean we are talking about often one-of-a-kind massively ostentatious Super Yachts here not a 10ft tender... So unless to plan to try and hide it in the middle of the ocean and never visit a port or have it serviced it would be pretty tricky trying to pass it off.

Ayahuasca

27,427 posts

278 months

Monday 8th August 2016
quotequote all
paulmakin said:
the ex-Windjammer in Port of Spain was still there last time i used the ferry but that was quite some time back (early 2015).

formerly the Yankee Clipper with Windjammer and "Pioneer" when with the Vanderbilts. armour plated hull iirc

at the time it was still afloat and clearly visible to starboard of a docked ferry

paul
She was there at the back end of last year...

When I made enquires, it was for sale for USD 100,000 !! Lot of boat for the money. Of course, it would cost much, much more than that to get her up and running again...





0llie

3,006 posts

195 months

Tuesday 30th August 2016
quotequote all
Bert Cheese said:
First post, here goes...

That would be Brave Challenger (I hope!) I'm told it is now moored somewhere on Southampton Water with some decent sized mussels present on the hull...its time at Gunwharf and Gosport was indeed marred by mooring disputes and it hasn't run properly for years.

A real shame as the Vosper built craft has a fascinating history and deserves better, the current owner has amassed a collection of spare RR Proteus gas turbines (taken from the SRN4 hovercraft at Lee on Solent & other historic craft) but still BC continues to lead a nomadic existence on the South coast as moorings/finances allow.

A brief history can be seen on the link below:
http://hooniverse.com/2015/09/21/motorboat-monday-...
I remember seeing this boat outside Gunwharf years back when the folks were looking at boats, always fascinated me. Thanks for the link.

100 IAN

1,091 posts

161 months

Tuesday 30th August 2016
quotequote all
0llie said:
Bert Cheese said:
First post, here goes...

That would be Brave Challenger (I hope!) I'm told it is now moored somewhere on Southampton Water with some decent sized mussels present on the hull...its time at Gunwharf and Gosport was indeed marred by mooring disputes and it hasn't run properly for years.

A real shame as the Vosper built craft has a fascinating history and deserves better, the current owner has amassed a collection of spare RR Proteus gas turbines (taken from the SRN4 hovercraft at Lee on Solent & other historic craft) but still BC continues to lead a nomadic existence on the South coast as moorings/finances allow.

A brief history can be seen on the link below:
http://hooniverse.com/2015/09/21/motorboat-monday-...
I remember seeing this boat outside Gunwharf years back when the folks were looking at boats, always fascinated me. Thanks for the link.
She's currently moored just to the North of the itchen bridge. The large vessel on the end, on the left hand side of the channel.

She looks very forlorn and no signs of any work being done.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.900116,-1.386976...


downthepub

1,373 posts

205 months

Tuesday 30th August 2016
quotequote all
100 IAN said:
She's currently moored just to the North of the itchen bridge. The large vessel on the end, on the left hand side of the channel.

She looks very forlorn and no signs of any work being done.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@50.900116,-1.386976...

Ahhhh, that boat. My sailing instructor (working out of Shamrock Quay), mentioned it was a Virgin Challenger boat and I was a bit bemused cos it didn't look like any of Beardie's boats. That explains it, similar name but different context completely. Yes, when I saw it last in May, it was looking very sorry for itself. Flapping duct tape, and just sad.

100 IAN

1,091 posts

161 months

Wednesday 7th September 2016
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A couple of pictures I took of her last weekend.




ColdoRS

1,796 posts

126 months

Monday 21st May 2018
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Small update on La Diva as postured on page 1...

She remains seemingly untouched. I’m not up to speed on the regs for small boats but I’d be surprised if she can sit there so long without having had some kind of survey done,whether by the port or by an insurance company or similar.



silverthorn2151

Original Poster:

6,298 posts

178 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
quotequote all
It's a very strange situation isn't it.

Is anyone paying the mooring fees? I know that prices have just gone up a lot at the marina and all leases have been renewed. Whilst this is at the end it is where the visiting berths are so it's taking up space. I'm sure there is stuff going on in the background but I'm just terribly curious about the whole business.

R8Steve

4,150 posts

174 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
quotequote all
silverthorn2151 said:
It's a very strange situation isn't it.

Is anyone paying the mooring fees? I know that prices have just gone up a lot at the marina and all leases have been renewed. Whilst this is at the end it is where the visiting berths are so it's taking up space. I'm sure there is stuff going on in the background but I'm just terribly curious about the whole business.
Some marinas sell berths and offer long term (15/20 year) leases so perhaps it was bought and paid for when times were good.

silverthorn2151

Original Poster:

6,298 posts

178 months

Tuesday 22nd May 2018
quotequote all
I don't think so. It used to be closer in and is not right out towards the end of the harbour wall. It was moved after the time I first saw it neglected.

ColdoRS

1,796 posts

126 months

Monday 28th May 2018
quotequote all
Some more pics - I see it every other day at the moment, general consensus among my colleagues is that the bank probably owns it now. Although you’d think they’d have managed to sell it by now if so.

Bit of growth on the hull there, that’ll take a couple of knots off.









Edited by ColdoRS on Monday 28th May 18:58