Now There’s Daddy’s New Fishing Boat!
(UPDATE: According to Adrian Loveridge, the boat is going to the Cliff Restaurant)
UNION — It meant the power was switched off for a few hours on a hot day, but no one seemed to mind.
Because how often do you get to see a $3-million, 75-tonne yacht sail right through the heart of the farmbelt — on land?
That was all the buzz here yesterday as the behemoth boat — named Aurora — was transported by road from St. Thomas to Port Stanley, where it will be launched after some finishing touches and set sail to Barbados…
… read the complete article at the London Free Press (link here)
Hey… love that newspaper’s name! Thanks to a special friend for sending us the tip.
UPDATE: Here’s an article with more detail…
Wed Aboard a Barbados Yacht
March 2006 — Soon couples will have a new option for elegant weddings in Barbados: the Aurora. Presently being built in Canada, Aurora is an elegant 136-foot Edwardian Gentlemen’s Yacht with intricate detailing and exquisite appointments. Even better: the yacht is part of Brian Ward’s The Cliff Restaurant, named one of the “Top 50 Restaurants in the World” by Restaurant Magazine’s panel of experts. The two of you and your wedding party will be able to enjoy Chef Paul Owens’ culinary creations while cruising the tranquil waters of the Caribbean Sea off Barbados’ famous West Coast.
About the Yacht: The Aurora has been deliberately designed to mirror a restaurant on land, with large bathrooms featuring relaxing lounges and spacious accommodations. Aurora also features four spacious “on suite” cabins, five bathrooms, and a full restaurant kitchen, and can accommodate up to 40 guests in a traditional dining setting and up to 80 in alfresco dining.
Ideal for couples seeking a truly unique experience, Aurora is equipped with the full-time staff of a captain, engineer, chef and restaurant staff, ensuring that all arrangements run smoothly. A bar, several shaded and open-air deck spaces, an air-conditioned, traditional club-like lounge, a massage room, a quiet room for older guests or children, as well as a variety of options for water sports, round out the Aurora’s offerings.
The Aurora will begin her journey down the North American East Coast to The Cliff in September 2006. Those wishing to book the Aurora can do so starting December 1.
The Wedding Package:
Starting at $20,000, the Aurora‘s basic wedding package includes:
- The choice of private dressing rooms for the bride and groom to prepare, or arrival in dramatic fashion by a small boat transfer.
- A traditional ceremony, led by a fully certified Captain (officiant), which takes place either in a beautiful bay surrounded by trees or on high sea while cruising. Both covered and open-air decks are available, including an open deck on the top level boasting panoramic views.
- A full dinner reception either at anchor or while sailing the Caribbean waters featuring gourmet cuisine prepared by The Cliff Chefs under Owens’ direction.
- Following dinner, an all-night party with cake, dancing, and more. Couples have use of the Aurora into the morning hours with no additional charge.
Starting at $38,000, the two-night wedding package is an extension of the basic wedding package, including all of the above, as well as:
- providing overnight accommodations in a luxury cabin for the newlyweds
- Following the reception, guests disembark and the bride and groom have exclusive use of the Aurora
- The next morning, the couple is served a bridal breakfast by the crew and guests are then invited back for a day-long farewell party.
All couples booking a wedding on Aurora also receive exclusive access to Melissa Blackman of “Weddings by Melissa.” In recent years, Melissa has planned the weddings of several stars and she will be on hand throughout the Aurora wedding planning process to alleviate stress and handle all needs.
Melissa and The Cliff/Aurora team will build customized packages to create each couple’s perfect wedding. An a la carte wedding menu (pricing not included in basic package prices) includes flowers, décor, entertainment, etc. Everything is possible with a wedding aboard the Aurora.
“Over the years, I’ve met stressed out brides at wedding receptions held at The Cliff” said Brian Ward. “By designing a full-service wedding program at The Cliff and now aboard Aurora, we’ve made destination weddings in Barbados as fun, exciting, and tailor-made, as they should be.”
For more information or reservations:call 246 432 1922 and ask about Aurora.
Barbados Free Press 
Not sure it looks too attractive a vessel, wonder which of the elite bought this one ?
Was it Bizzy ?
Was it COW ?
Was it Mike Tabor ?
Was it Mike Paynter ?
Was it Dereck Smith ?
Was it Eddie Fearless ?
Was it Robin Patterson ?
Was it Mike Pemberton ?
As I understand it He may be needing to buy a new vessel as his and his partners in crime Robin Patterson’s Luxary 120 ft yacht washed ashore yesterday during Hurricane Dean’s passage and ended up on the rocks sustaining severe damage to the hull, three major holes reported and was sinking, so much for the multi million dollar yacht now is a shambles, wonder if this was bought with the investors funds for Paradise project as these two scamps never use their money for anything it is always the investors money at stake.
None of the above, I do not think.
According to Kanter Yachts website (2006 newsletter) the Aurora is destined for the CLIFF Restaurant.
What a wonderful vessel this is and to be the owner of!! Christened Aurora, this pricey vessel, according to the London Free Press, will be used for dinner cruises supposedly in our Barbadian waters. No doubt this represents another phase in the development of Barbados’ tourism product, which, at this juncture, truly begs for other desirable and palatable innovations, ventures, and attractions than presently obtain.
However, where Aurora will dock, or as a matter of fact how will diners manage to board this vessel will be left to be seen when its entire program is unveiled to Barbados and visitors to Barbados. Where and how far will the cruises go, and at what total price and incl. or excl. of meals, drinks or wines etc., to diners per cruise is also another question to be answered by the owner/s of this marvellous investment !! What kinds of dishes and drinks and wines will be served and kinds of music played are also left to be seen. What about lunch time cruises, however? How many Barbadians and their labour services will be utilized at the start of and constantly through out the length of time of this venture must also be ascertained. Too, it is almost certain that some tourism minister or someone else prominent in the upper levels of the hierarchy of Government will give some kind of address at the official launching of this dinner cruise service.
Sadly, though, this impressive looking vessel and this most innovative service have come at a time when the tourism and other productive sectors of the country are being helped violently thrown into the ground by many of the bankrupt and feckless policies of Mr. Owen Arthur and this BLP Government. One such set of Owen Arthur/BLP policies are those that involve this wickedness and evil called TAXATION. It is said by one or two so-called economic gurus in Barbados that about 45% out of every Barbados dollar earned and spent in Barbados is, in our own words, stolen from the incomes of multitudes of productive individuals and businesses and other entities in Barbados. This is sheer madness, and reminds very much of rapacious and tyrannical Kings and Emperors of anciency. So that it would not be farfetched for anyone to think that this ossie moore Minister of Finance, Mr Arthur, a modern day inheritor of such dastard ancient attitudes, would not ever be so deviously awaiting, when in truth and in fact he will be, the arrival of this important vessel and the commencement of this delightful dinner cruise service, so as to make sure that the owner/s of the vessel and the service are indeed subject, just like countless other persons, businesses and entities in Barbados are, to the same tax looting, plundering and pillaging system.
God help the owner/s of this vessel and this upcoming service, as that, with such a vessel of such purported money value (see above figure), thousands upon thousands of Barbadian dollars may well have to be forked out in stupid taxes up front and thereafter. What a damn disgrace, esp. when our government leader follows to a T such dangerous Western ideologies and philosophies!! Given such, what incentive is there for the owner/s to really invest in Barbados? Goodness knows that there have been many private/public sector innovations and exciting features added to our tourism product over the years, such as the Atlantis Submarine operations, Jolly Roger Cruises, Harrison’s Cave, Welchman Hall Gully, Ocean Park, the Wildlife Reserve, which have been essentially good activities and attractions for tourists coming to Barbados but which over time have been and will continue once remaining in existence in the near future to be seriously and adversely affected, generally, by way of the so-called economic, financial and managerial policies of this BLP Government, or specifically, by way of the taxation policies of this said government.
What is even more disgusting is that there is no corresponding real activity that could be measured in money terms by the state in regard of the state processing, inspecting, licensing etc., this vessel, that could itself be sufficient in quantity or quality as would serve as a justification for the staggering amount in income in taxes that will have to be expropriated by the state from the owner/s of it for little such services rendered by the state. None whatsoever!!
What is even more abominable is that some of these proceeds are used to prop up totally inefficient, unrational, and unproductive state enterprises, some of which compete with many private sector entities that themselves carry out similiar activities as those state enterprises but do so far more efficiently, rationally and productively.
Having made those points, the People’s Democratic Congress urges you, the reader of this post, to join us in the further building of this movement of greater liberation, democracy and development for Barbados and Barbadians, whereby one of prinicipal objectives is to make sure that this party is elected by the majority of voters of the country into governmental office, whereupon we shall decisively and methodically begin and end successfully the process of the Abolition of ALL Taxes in Barbados as well as make sure that there shall be instituted so many other positive measures (Abolition of Interests Rates, Institutional Loans For Productive (Investment ) Purposes shall be deemed Non-Repayable) that will not only help assist with the tourism sector’s performing far better than now but that will also help assist with all other productive sectors in Barbados doing far better than now and therefore contributing substantially to the overall growth and development of this Barbadian society.
See also
http://www.lovetripper.com/61103-aurora-yacht.html
You can hire the yacht for exclusive weddings, honeymoons etc, from US$20,000 to US$38,000 (and up).
I think the Cliff should launch a competetion for perhaps a more suitable name.
My suggestions:
The Cliff on Sea
and
MV Noel Lynch
That’s not a yacht…
that’s a converted TRAWLER, fer God’s sake!
My suggestions:
The Cliff on Sea and MV Noel Lynch
Surely Adrian you are not trying to sink us deeper into debt and more lies and further disaster by suggesting that we name it MV NOEL LYNCH this would suggest that we will be clueless to anything taking place around us, knowing nothing about the running of the ship,paying out huge amounts of money for maintainence that does not exist, and even paying a subsidy of $ 5 million to the owner of the ship in the hope that they get more people for dinner or whatever this vessel is supposely being setup to do.
Quietly a rumour has it that the plan is to go just outside of our waters and permit gambling onboard for the Mike Tabors, Derrick Smiths, Mike Paynters, Desmond Dermott, Smurfitts.
Now if this is allowed to happen we need to seriously question the involvement of gov’t in these actions.
Wishing in Vain..
Sorry.. a bit togue in cheek – MV Noel Lynch.
You are right it would be the surest way to ensure failure.
re: the gambling aspect.
What distance offshore, do the cruise ships have to be before they re-open their gaming facilities?
Presumably, the same law would apply to Bajan vessels?
It will also be very interesting to see WHERE they register the ‘Aurora’. Will it be Barbados or somewhere else like the Marshall Islands, Luxembourg or Panama?
Five miles is what I believe the limit is with regard to the registry if it is to be registered in Barbados it would have to be duty paid unless they have convinced MV NOEL LYNCH that this is a hotel plant and manage to arrange a duty free concession.
But they are many options should they choose to register it offshore, BVI being a favoured one, but really if it is to operate as a business in these waters legally it should be duty paid here in Barbados now this the normal proceedure but we live in Barbados you must remember.
PDC:
How can you pretend to power, when you do not know the Laws of Barbados.
No tourist entity worth its salt would ever pay tax under the present Tourism Act.
Boats who operate in these waters on the charter basis have paid duties even though not at the full rate duties are paid you are incorrect when you state otherwise, now if the Cliff management have made some previous arrangement that is another issue.
Boats plying their trade in these waters are subject to duty being paid unless they are constucted and bought within the CARICOM zone.
The pictures are very poor and the not much is available on the web. I faired the yacht and had a lot to do with the lines and she is very fine – the pictures that I can find do not do it justice! She has a slippery fine bow and a beautifule rounded stern too bad Brian doesn’t seem to want her to be seen!
PDC – [b]so utterly long-winded[/b] I completely skipped it!
LOL!!
How’s that for getting your message across?