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In the luxury boating department: Where’s Odd Job from James Bond’s Goldfinger?

 

 

Odd Job, the hat-flinging enforcer who once faced James Bond, was one of the first thoughts that came to mind when I spotted this mega yacht online - named “A” reportedly after the owner’s wife.

You remember, Odd Job who gained fame from the 007 movie, Goldfinger. Man, if this was back in the day, there would be a head-turning, luxury ship ready for you to operate.

Yes, I’m just having some fun with the yacht’s design and where it would fit in a spy thriller movie.

From a pure design perspective, “A” can easily top an “A” list. To me, its body resembles a submarine with a modern-day version of a castle turret sitting on top.

I wonder if a LEGO artist can make a replica, including the ship’s curves.

Mark Knowles, who took the photographs above, has all the details at his Luxury Property Blog, including a price estimate to fill up the yacht’s fuel tank. The Wall Street Journal also chimed in on the ship’s details.

The details are interesting in a sense: The 387-foot ship – which some measure as 390 feet in length - cost an estimated $300 million, according to the Journal article.

Locked doors reportedly only open by touching an electronic finger pad. There’s a helicopter landing pad, too.

Knowles said that the “A” even has some stylish tenders – or smaller boats to go to shore – made by Vaudrey Miller.

On one hand, what I find amazing is that “A” exists.

Some have criticized the ship’s design.

But it took human imagination, creativity, a sense of maritime history and working with its owner to design and build it.

The concept and art designer of the ship is Philippe Starck, whose site includes images of it and stylish furniture.

Yes, we can thank the human brain and the creative bug.

A few years ago, and I stress I only use this as an example of what the human brain has come up with recently, smugglers tried to bring 40,000 pounds of cocaine into the United States – contraband worth about $500 million.

To balance that out, there is the idea to prolong human life by studying a person’s DNA.

The existence of “A” also reminds me of that textbook example in economics that there is usually a demand for one-of-a-kind things.

Those sought-after goods fetch expensive prices because the demand is high and the supply is low.

I can’t find the specific blog with this specific comment.

But someone out there noted – and I’m summarizing here – that you probably heard gasps from other billionaires who saw the “A” in the water.

That was followed by fast calls to their accountants to figure out how to build a bigger, better and more stylish yacht. 

What also caught my attention was that Blohm + Voss, which made ”A,” is part of a larger company in Germany that manufactures submarines – the type that a navy would use.

Are you in the market for one, two or a fleet?

I should note, as an unnecessary but full disclosure of sorts: The last time I was on a ship was when my family and I rode on a green-and-white ferry operated by the Washington State Ferries.

We left Colman Dock in Seattle, enjoyed views of downtown Seattle, Mount Rainier, the Port of Seattle, looked at other ships and arrived on Bainbridge Island, which has an assortment of waterfront houses.

It was great! The wind blew in our hair!

There are other luxury ships that ply the waters and catch the attention of the public, both boating enthusiasts and regular people.

Another Russian businessman reportedly has installed lasers on the 557-foot vessel, Eclipse, to thwart the unwanted eye of the paparazzi, according to an article in The Sunday Times.

Wired described the laser system on the estimated $1.2 billion yacht this way:

(The owner) has installed an anti-paparazzi “shield”. Lasers sweep the surroundings and when they detect a CCD, they fire a bolt of light right at the camera to obliterate any photograph.

Other security measures include areas that can withstand a rocket attack.

An elite team of French Foreign Legion veterans will provide security for the Eclipse, which will be the largest private yacht in the world, the Times reported.

The Mail has two images of the record-setting Eclipse and notes it also carries a missile defense system, armor plating and bullet-proof windows.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has made a splash with many of his ventures, including his yacht dubbed Octopus.

 

 

All of this maritime talk prompted me to think about my encounters with boats and ships.

When I was a journalist, I had the opportunity to go along on a ride with this high-speed boat that the Seattle Police Department operates.

I wrote about safety, especially during the summer boating season.

 

 

In Hong Kong, I’ve traveled on high-speed hydrofoils to the region’s outer islands or Macau or Guangdong province.

But I never rode on those boxy turbo jets, which always caught my attention because they start out looking like a ferry boat but end up standing on what looks like metal legs.

You can see an incredible YouTube clip of a turbo jet here - it’s like a box gliding on top of water.

 

 

For some reason, possibly given my years as a journalist, I still check sites of government agencies to learn of news developments.

If you’re interested in seeing video footage of a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft operating during a joint-training session in Washington state, click here for this YouTube clip. It’s a little long, at over 4 minutes, but you’ll get the idea.

I still like the Amphicar, which has a broad fan base that includes people in Seattle.

But in terms of the luxury yachting world, what does the future hold?

Here are two drawings of the Oculus designed by Schopfer Yachts.

 

 

 

I hope the associates of Ian Fleming, who are continuing the 007 tradition, are taking note.