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If the comments made by experts at the recently-held boat show in Dubai are anything to go by, till a few years ago yacht-owners in the UAE were satisfied with just a 50 foot boat.
But now the demand for yachts that are more than 100 feet is growing rapidly in the region as the market matures. So when a UAE-based yacht builder gets an order to build a 130-foot long yacht for an Australian buyer, the company has something to be proud of.
This is exactly what Gulf Craft, which is based in Umm Al Quwain, was asked to do by an Australian buyer. And Gulf Craft rose to the challenge and set to work on this $12 million (Dh44m) yacht which was named Majesty 130.
The yacht took two long years to build but Gulf Craft is proud of its achievement.
Erwin Bamps, executive manager, Gulf Craft told Emirates Business: “The gentleman wanted us to build a yacht for him so that he could go out fishing with his friends. At 130 feet, it was the biggest yacht that we had ever been asked to make. Until then the biggest that we put together was the 118-foot long Majesty 118.”
The impressive tri-deck Majesty 130 is equipped with a main deck with outside cockpit seating, saloon, separate dining area, a massive working galley and a VIP suite.
It also has an upper deck that opens into another saloon and a small sundeck that has a small seating area and spa pool.
Another small seating area is set into the coachroof which can be accessed via the wide teak-laid side decks. Even though the Majesty 130 was hand-built by Gulf Craft, it was designed by superyacht styling studio Sam Sorgiovanni Designs.
Erwin Bamps said: “The interiors and the exteriors of the Majesty 130 were all customised and very high-end. The yacht was designed by Sam Sorgiovanni Designs and totally hand-built by Gulf Craft.
“It took us two long years to finish this beauty, but it was worth all the effort.”
In direct contrast to the traditional look that Gulf Craft generally gives its yachts this one had a more contemporary look that mixed burnished gilded ceilings with matt-polished woods, veined fabrics and silky cream carpets.
The main deck saloon’s reception area offers ample seating with sofas covered in ribbed-fabric. The square-ended sofas were custom made with built in marble-topped side panels, finished in the same mahogany wood used for all panelling on the deck.
This is followed by a dining area which is filled with natural light that come flooding in through the picture windows.
Leaving the main deck entertaining areas behind a staircase drops down to the walk-in cold storage freezers and also divides the expansive galley and VIP cabin, which completes the main deck.
The galley is close to a dining area for either crew or family to dine informally. The VIP cabin is done up in off-gold fabrics and has a burnished gild-panelled ceiling, leather panels surrounding the semi-circular portlights and veined marble sconces that highlight the luxury of the cabin.
The lower deck has three cabins and the master suite comes with a huge bathroom and double shower, with a walk in dressing room and a private cinema-cum-social lounge which can be accessed by either an adjoining door to make it part of the suite, or via a separate corridor entrance.
The top deck cockpit is a large entertaining space with a massive Australian barbeque arrangement so that the owner can cook the catch of the day if the mood takes him. There is also a sundeck, spa pool, saloon and bar area.
The bar area is separated from the saloon by a revolving flat-screen television.As the yacht was built for fishing trips that could last for days or which could take one deep into the sea, this beauty is equipped with twin 2000hp MTUs that are fed by a fuel capacity of 33,500 litres.
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