McMullen & Wing Sign New 50m

New Zealand megayacht builder McMullen & Wing have announced a new contract to complete the 50m (164ft) steel/aluminium luxury expedition motor yacht with yard number 1016. The name of the vessel remains under wraps for now.

The new megayacht, which will be delivered in early 2016, will have a strong focus on live aboard and outdoor living with an extended cruising range. She will feature a spacious cockpit for waterside lounging and activities and natural gardens on the bridge deck as well as large hot tubs on both the sun deck and foredeck.

She builds on the tremendously successful world cruising and charter record of 45m BIG FISH (McMullen & Wing, 2010). The excellent collaboration of Gregory C Marshal Naval Architects and McMullen & Wing's extensive in-house design team will again team up to work on the new 50m.

The contemporary interior designed by Gregory C Marshall Naval Architects, will accommodate up to 12 guests in 5 cabins. She will have light and airy interior spaces that flow seamlessly onto extensive  outdoor decks on all levels. The breathtaking owners suite on the bridge deck aft, opens onto its own private aft garden deck just like on her younger sister BIG FISH.

New Designs For McMullen & Wing 50m "Big Star"

McMullen & Wing have released new designs and layout options for the 50m (164ft) steel expedition yacht "Big Star". As you all know she suffered a set back in her build process due to a fire at the yard in New Zealand but she is partially completed with a price tag of US$30m and can be completed is less than two years for an interested owner.

Central agent Peter Brown, of Burgess in London, is excited to be promoting the project, "Big Star represents an outstanding opportunity to commission a prestige custom luxury explorer from one of the world's finest shipyards at a significant discount with a substantially reduced delivery time of less than two years."

Big Star was designed in partnership between McMullen & Wing and Gregory C Marshall Naval Architects. Like her little sister "Big Fish" she brings together the luxury of a modern superyacht along with the capabilities and hunger to explore the worlds oceans.

Along with her bold exterior styling she will feature a large 6m aft pool seen in the image above, extensive teak deck space and an owners suite aft on the bridge deck, similar to the owners suite on Big Fish.

M/Y Big Fish - Sold

The adventurous 45m (147ft) Megayacht Big Fish that was launched in 2010 by McMullen & Wing has just been sold by Y.CO. Big Fish is in pristine condition and is one of the most traveled yachts in modern times, and among the most active charter yachts since her delivery in July 2010.

If you think of the most beautiful exotic and out of the way places in the world the chances that Big Fish has been there are pretty high. Some of the places and trips she has been to over the last 2 years are:

• Antarctica
• Falkland Islands
• Argentina
• Circumnavigation of South America
• Galapagos
• Amazon
• Brazil
• Caribbean
• Sweden & Scandinavia
• London
• Med
• US
• Bahamas
• Tahiti and the South Pacific

She will remain for charter through Y.CO and will be available in SE Asia for the coming months where she is bound to have a full charter schedule. The video below was taken on her trip to Tahiti last year, some great shots at full power.

"Star Fish" Fate Now Known

Three months after the midnight fire at McMullen & Wing’s Auckland New Zealand shipyard that damaged the 50m (164ft) steel/aluminium Superyacht Star Fish, the future of the project is now known. The remaining undamaged hull, machinery and equipment assets of the project are available for immediate sale for completion by McMullen & Wing. In need of a new superstructure and interior, the vessel could be launched in 18 months, offering a new owner an outstanding high volume custom expedition yacht, fully warranted by her original award-winning New Zealand shipyard, at a very substantial discount from normal new build cost.

The Star Fish design is a larger development of the spectacularly successful and highly awarded 45m (147ft) Big Fish, built by McMullen & Wing for the same owner, Richard Beattie. Sharing the same high efficiency displacement hull form, the vessel offers incredible volume, stability and outstanding sea keeping characteristics proven over Big Fish’s 60,000nm of cruising and astonishing charter record.

Star Fish was 75% complete at the time of the fire, and due for launch in March 2013. Her steel hull and aluminium superstructure were complete, faired and painting was in progress. Interior accommodation was well progressed, electrical and electronic systems underway and machinery installation mostly complete.

The fire gutted the interior, which has now been removed. Damage to the superstructure was sufficient to warrant replacement of the entire aluminium fabrications, which have already also been largely removed and discarded. The completed steel hull was essentially undamaged. The engine room, which was 95% complete, was also saved, with only very minor impact which can be wholly restored.

In financial terms, repair and reinstatement of the fire damage to brand new condition represents about half the total cost which had been expended at the time of the fire. The remaining value post-fire, comprising steel hull, engine room machinery & fitout, extensive undamaged equipment inventory and design investment, has been assessed at over US$14m. It is available for purchase at a mere fraction of this value.

Fire at McMulen & Wing: Extensive Damage to StarFish

In the early hours of Sunday morning 12 August 2012, fire fighters were called to McMullen & Wing’s premises in Auckland New Zealand to find the 50m steel/aluminium motor yacht StarFish ablaze in the shipyard’s largest construction hall.

Star Fish, under construction for Aquos Yachts, is the successor to the multi-award winning 45m (148ft) luxury expedition yacht Big Fish, built for the same owner.Star Fish was nearly two-and-a-half years into her three year build program, with structural fabrication finished, coating systems well progressed, mechanical systems nearing completion, electrical and electronic systems well advanced and her spectacular interior fitout mid-way through installation.Star Fish is McMullen & Wing’s largest project to date. As a completed vessel, Star Fish would have a completed value in excess of NZ$50 million.Damage to Star Fish is very extensive.

The yard’s largest construction hall has also sustained fire damage to roof and walls. Determining the full extent of the damage and what that represents to the project will be the focus of the next several weeks. A full investigation will be undertaken to determine the cause of the fire, which at this stage is unknown.McMullen & Wing’s workshops, office space and other four construction halls were spared by the fire and remain fully operational. The company has a refit project for a commercial aquaculture vessel underway in another construction hall, which was also unaffected.

McMullen & Wing Managing Director David Porter speaks of the sense of loss which will be felt by everyone involved in the project.'This is a devastating blow to everyone - our staff, the owner of the yacht and his team, the huge range of suppliers to the project. Everyone has invested so much energy and love into this project over a long period of time.“Custom yacht building takes a long time and it’s when you reach these finishing stages and you see the whole yacht coming together that we are reminded of the full beauty of these yachts. The energy and excitement of the whole team as this enormous work of art and craftsmanship takes form is very special. To see it all go up in flames at such a late stage is absolutely heart breaking to us all. Whilst we’re all very thankful that no-one was hurt in the fire, it leaves many of us in a daze. It’s naturally a time of great uncertainty for everyone in the short term as we grapple with the many issues this raises'.

Commercial Manager Michael Eaglen has been receiving calls and messages of support all morning from past clients, suppliers and industry from all over the world: 'It’s a great comfort to us all to feel the support of our friends, clients, suppliers and fellow yacht builders, both in New Zealand and around the world. We are a very close industry and it’s at times like these that we feel the strength of the relationships forged over so many years. Thank you to everyone for your thoughts and words of support'.

MY Big Fish, To Return To NZ For Refit

Photo: Tahiti, Tim Mckenna

The adventurous 45m (147ft) Megayacht Big Fish that was launched in 2010 by McMullen & Wing will be returning to her birth place in New Zealand for a refit in September. McMullen & Wing will be collaborating with Diverse Projects Ltd on her four month refit and maintenance period to ensure that Big Fish remains in the pristine condition that has made her one of the most traveled yachts in modern times, and among the most active charter yachts since her delivery in July 2010.

If you think of the most beautiful exotic and out of the way places in the world the chances that Big Fish has been there are pretty high. Some of the places and trips she has been to over the last 2 years are:

• Antarctica
  
• Falkland Islands
• Argentina
• Circumnavigation of South America
• Galapagos
• Amazon
• Brazil
• Caribbean
• Sweden & Scandinavia
• London
  
• Med
• US
• Bahamas
• Tahiti and the South Pacific

She is currently in the South Pacific where she is available for charter until the end August, then she will start to make her way back to NZ for her refit. By the time she arrives in NZ she will have completed over 60,000nm of world cruising, what an achievement.

Photo: Antarctica, Aquos Yachts

Whilst in Auckland, Big Fish will receive a fresh coat of paint as well as a full service of her electrical and mechanical systems. Also receiving a new coat of paint and a thorough mechanical service will be her extraordinary, all purpose, custom aluminium tender Triple Ripple. She will be chartering again over the Christmas and New Year period in the cooler water of New Zealand, and then she will make her first visits to Asian ports in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and other Asian Superyacht ports.

Big Fish is currently for sale through Y.CO and is available for purchase at the recently reduced price of $25m USD. For more updates and stories on Big Fish visit the Aquos Yachts web site at: www.aquosyachts.com

Photo: Sweden, Rick Tomlinson

"BigFish" has a big sister the 164ft "StarFish"

Aquos Yachts and McMullen & Wing have teamed up again for the new construction of StarFish the big sister of their previous Mega Yacht BigFish. Aquos Yachts have just released the first renderings of the new yacht that is due for launch next year. StarFish will be 16ft bigger than BigFish at 164ft Vs 148ft respectively.

She will be similar to BigFish in looks and design and will have a lot of the features that have made BigFish stand out as such a popular yacht. These features include multiple balconies, fold down extension and large windows create an open feeling and let in natural light. Their is plenty of outdoor space on this yacht for owners and guests to enjoy alfresco dining, or relax in the pool on the aft deck. She will be able to accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins, with the owners cabin froward on the upper deck with with wrap around windows forward that give spectacular views. She will have a range of 9200nm at a speed of 8kts. Hopefully the owner of this new yacht will follow in the footsteps of BigFish and use the yacht to its exploration capabilities.

Below is a short video showing the external and internal design. Hope you all enjoy it.