Umm Al Quwain: Owning a yacht is a status symbol, alright and if it is a superyacht, then it means unrivalled wealth and a burning desire for floating extravagance.
XPRESS visits Gulf Craft’s shipyard in Umm Al Quwain, one of three in the UAE, to see what the UAE’s super rich want in their superyachts.
“Today owning a superyacht is like an extension of your plush pad. More owners want to see elements of their luxurious homes inside the boats and this can be a challenge. But thanks to technology, we have been able to create some really exquisite works of interior inside our luxury yachts,” said Erwin Bamps, CEO of Gulf Craft.
XPRESS brings you six interesting concepts.
Gold plated toilet bowl
Taking luxury to an all new level, the master-suite toilet aboard the Majesty 135 is decked in gold. The toilet bowls, wash basins and all sanitary fittings are made of – yes you heard it right - 18-carat gold. “When the yacht owner told us he wanted a gold finished toilet, we did not know how we were going to get it done.”
Cigar Lounge
This is no ordinary cigar lounge. It’s got cigar leaves imported from Italy, embedded in a proxy panel mounted on the ceiling using fibre-optic lights. A glass stain work of a tree adds to the oomph factor and also gives privacy.
Ceiling water fountain
The fountain has been created on the upper deck of Majesty 155, just above the Jacuzzi. The waterfall creates a rain effect in the yacht. The water is purified with a built-in holding tank so one does not have to change water every time. The Jacuzzi water feeds the pump and is re-circulated to the fountain.
Mirror with built-in TV
An ultra thin LCD TV is cleverly built directly into a custom sized mirror. No one would never guess there’s a TV hidden behind it until it’s turned on and the television magically appears.
StingRay leather
Sourced from a Belgian leather manufacturer, two of Gulf Craft’s superyachts – Majesty 122 and Majesty 135 – come with finishes in exotic stingray leather. All the handrails, bed and wall cladding, vanity tabletops come with this finish.
Backlit onyx lighting
This design feature is used extensively on the Majesty 122, 135 and 155. It’s custom-made where the Onyx stone is cut 1cm thick and pressed to an acrylic or clear glass. The LED panel runs behind the glass, illuminating the stone even during the day - ideal for dining tables, wash basin pedestals and table tops.
