Old Lady search new family!

First time published: 2020Feb17 on MainSail.ru

Published on blog: 2021May02

First time published:2020Sept24

Link Gallery: https://bit.ly/2Sk146N

Reflection of ladies: Boadicea, Lady Moura, Atlantis II.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Monday 10th February an exceptional event has taken place in the Port Hercule: the open-day of the Megayacht LADY MOURA. This lady has been my second M-Y in my memory after the grey ex-Nabilia (today cream Kingdom 5KR).

The yacht after 30 years is still in the Top 50 Mega-yachts in the world (for price, length, quality of the interiors as exteriors). I’ll also rank her in the top for the longer single owner time, Nasser Al-Rashid had kept her as floating home, never changed owner or chartered, till nowadays, when the young generation has lost interest to use. So for a week now she is on the market for sale upon the Camper & Nicholsons.

Entrance Hall.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

On board from the main ramp, that was swinging d/t the strong mistral (up to 28kts), left the security room at the E-deck, climbed the stairs to the D-deck, I have been welcomed by the Capt. M.B. in the “formal saloon”. He is the “caronte” of this visit. He and his crew have been and are fundamental part of the boat, a big family, some are the second generation.

A bedroom.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

They are able to take care in all sense of her, like to make all repairs on board alone, if need it, because the boat had been prepared every time before the new season in collaborations to shipyards around the world, to prevent to have problems later.

Command Bridge.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Two new features/upgrade are just arrived on board: the remote management of the maintenance program, that make very easy and fast the stop at the shops, the other is a Torque-meter on the axis of the propeller. This, as the chief Eng. G. explained, it’s a very advance surveillance system, still to finish the tuning by the company (it’s needed a very precise model of the material and shape), but when ready it will be able to know in advance the life of the shaft and so the performance of the propulsion system.

Engineering shop.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

New sensors systems on the shaft.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Left the saloon, thanks to one of the elevator onboard, we have reached the A-deck.

Swimming-pool.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

This is the highest deck before the roof, in the bow side we find the most scenic zone: the swimming pool area and the private terrace outside. This room has many interesting features like all the teak floor, gym, spa, dining zones… but the most attractive are the swimming pool, that can be fulled in less than 30’ (and drained during the navigation), and 3 sections of the sunroof, that thanks to the hydraulic complex system can be open easily giving to the air and sun the possibility to kiss the people there (pity mistral was blowing).

On the stern side of the deck, outside there’s a heavy wide helipad, able to support the heavy AB-412 chopper (above 5 tons) and keep it with hooks all around.

Helipad.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Back to the centre, we leave the deck going down through the semicircle staircase to the B-deck.

This deck is the operation and daily activities level. Forward the Officers quarters and the “plancia di comando” where old and new are mixed. Here the glass is polarizied to give the best view outside. The central zone is a “multipurpose” part, while again the rear is a double living room for the family activities with access to the upper stern terrace. 

Going down another floor we arrive to the C-deck which is mostly the sleeping and private zone with 6 personal suites, and all the stern section dedicated to the owner’s rooms with his private terrace.

The D-Deck I would define the public zone, with guest suites (4) and the VIP/King suite. This one is completely different, characterized by black marble and golden finishes versus the rest of the boat with the interiors are soft colors with shades of light woods and reddish briar-roots. Also, there is the owner office and the formal dining room. This one has a traditional long rectangular table with 20 chairs, the room is decorated with 2 “egyptian” mosaics and a row of glass jars in front to the windows.

King-zone bathroom.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Dining room.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Last users-deck is the E-Deck where we find the crews suites/rooms and the 2 boats garages (one for each side). This stern can be called the party zone, with lateral immersible terrace/beach, marine club and a multifunction cinema/disco hall. Of course here we are back to the entrance level.

Boats garage.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Ovens.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Transformer terrace.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

 The last 2 decks the F and G are the services parts of the yacht. The first one is divided between the propulsion zone the galley, laundry, and many others crew zone. The last level is only engineering, with engines, generators, tanks and so on. Here we find also the 2 flap for the active stability control, this give an extra smoothness to a boat with already low C.G. and stable (tested during the crossing of the ocean).

Engines room.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Speaking with the Captain and his Chief Engineer, emerge important aspects of Lady Moura.

First, even if she has been heavily used for three decades, she is in perfect condition, absolutely the missing of signs of used, for example some fitted-carpets are still original and look new; the shipyard, Blohm + Voss has left its fingerprint with a rational/functional and robust structure made to resist for ages (typical of the construction of commercial ships).

Bow.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Second, the style created by the Italian architect is very “sobrio” and functional, the right level of luxury, the symmetry drawn by the central stairs/hall and longitudinal aisles make easy move inside.

Living room of the transformer terrace.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

Third, considering these two above and details like the incredible huge hydraulic system of automation (no electric in the ’90) or like special transformer windows, that with just a button blow up the bolts, they become emergency exit, like the cooled water tanks, like osmosis filtration, or like pizza ovens and so on, all together 

“fanno di diritto Lady Moura la capostipite” of all Modern Mega-yachts. 

Yes maybe the exterior style is a bit ’90 and cruise ship, but it’s a distinctive sign, not like many new copy-paste yachts, it’s now a classic.

Two classic of the Côte d'Azur Atlantis II, Lady Moura.
copyright © photo Alexander Panzeri

She likens the Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) limousine (that one called by Jeremy Clarkson “the dictators’ car”), they are from the past and the firsts, designed for owners who can have one, with all confort that before were not available, and it’s possible to use everyday without looking old and common.

It has been a great honour to dive in the life of this iconic yacht of the Côte d’Azur, I feel that the next owner, better, family owner must take care her for the next generation.

Sources:

Link to the article published on MainSail.ru: http://bit.ly/38HNcGP (on webarchive.org https://bit.ly/32WGjQH )

Link Mercedes-Benz 600 (W100) limousine: https://bit.ly/3uaYu0X

Link Jeremy Clarkson review limousine (part 1):  https://youtu.be/aVDKztQ-n1U