Originally commissioned as Sofia, Eleonora is one of the highly successful Moonen 84 semi-series that set a new standard in the ‘pocket sized superyacht’ sector during the previous decade. She was launched in 2005 to a design by René van der Velden, with an interior by Art-Line. Offering stylish accommodation for eight in a master, a VIP and two guest suites, this 26-metre displacement vessel is still in excellent condition. Her new owners have renamed the yacht Mariclaire.

“This is the second major transaction for Moonen Brokerage this month following on from the sale of the Moonen 97 Livia,” comments Robert Drontmann. “It reinforces the fact that top-quality yachts from a top-quality yard will always be highly valued, even in tough market conditions. Mariclaire is destined to offer many years of pleasure to her new owners.”

The post Moonen Brokerage sells Moonen 84 Eleonora appeared first on Moonen Yachts.

“This is an exciting development as it confirms the impression that Moonen Brokerage is very much on a roll,” says Robert Drontmann. “We have now sold three Moonen 97s within a year and the signs are looking good for further good news in relation to another Moonen motoryacht in the near future. The sale of Livia was also completed within just a couple of months, which is in itself an achievement in the current market. This can be attributed to Moonen Brokerage’s global network and the pleasant and professional cooperation on this transaction with a broker from Arcon Yachts Russia.”

Livia combines premium standards of comfort with engineering excellence and a beach house-style interior from the innovative boards of Art-Line. Her American owner described her as a vessel where he enjoyed an “enormous sense of peace and calm.” The new owners will be very soon appreciating Livia’s first-class qualities for themselves in the season ahead.

The post Moonen Brokerage sells Moonen 97 Livia appeared first on Moonen Yachts.

The 26.25 m Etoile d’Azur has stayed in the hands of her original owner since 2007. He has thoroughly enjoyed his years of sailing onboard this sturdy displacement motoryacht from the boards of René van der Velden, which was the seventh of the eight Moonen 84s built. Etoile d’Azur has crossed the Atlantic twice on her own bottom and is one of the most used Moonens in the fleet with almost 5000 hours on her engines.

This is your captain speaking…

We asked Etoile d’Azur’s skipper Tristan le Brun about the refit and his experiences at Moonen. A full article will appear in this summer’s Moonen Magazine but for now here are some of his thoughts…

Why did the owner decide to come to Moonen for the refit?

“We initially looked for a yard in the Mediterranean region to carry out the refit last year as we had been cruising there over the summer. But the meetings we had made it evident that the best solution was to come back to Moonen. The Moonen craftsmen know the boat inside out as they built her and the yard has exceptionally high quality standards. With the extensive amount of work required it felt like a risk to take Etoile d’Azur anywhere else.”

How did the project start?

“A Moonen engineer visited the yacht in Spain to make us a proposal. As well as being impressed with the professional approach, the owner was pleased with the reasonable price quoted for the refit. This made the decision to take Etoile d’Azur ‘home’ to Moonen even easier and the owner changed his plans for 2013 accordingly.”

What has the refit involved?

“One of the biggest aspects was the installation of an electrical zero speed stabilisation system in place of the existing hydraulic system. This offers considerable cost savings and the way these new stabilisers were fitted is a fine example of the Moonen approach. They are complex units and it required a great deal of skill to fit them perfectly into place having properly removed the previous system. Everything was well organised and managed so the right people were in the right place at the right time with the right tools.”

Why was the flybridge extended?

“The owner wanted to extend the flybridge to cover the main deck aft area and create even more shading for alfresco dining. The extra space also allows us to carry more watersport toys onboard, including scooters, in addition to the tenders and jetski stored in this location while underway.

How did you find your time in Holland?

“This is a great country for a refit. All the craftsmen at Moonen speak English and take great pride in their work. The same applies to the subcontractors who have been working on the refit, which are all top companies with excellent people in their employment. No one cuts corners and that gives you such a comfortable and secure feeling. In addition, the Moonen project managers were very open to my suggestions.”

Etoile d’Azur is now on en route to Scandinavia where the owner will enjoy an extensive cruise of the Norwegian fjords and beyond. We wish him and Tristan a great summer…

The post Major refit project a success appeared first on Moonen Yachts.

The best of both worlds
Fans of Moonen and Vripack will both love this exterior profile. The Moonen 100 Explorer
features the muscular appearance of the popular Doggersbank range, previously
seen on two earlier projects we completed with Vripack back in 2003: Commercial
Break and Poseidon. You can also see the graceful lines and curvaceous superyacht elements of a
thoroughbred Moonen, with clear echoes of the award-winning My Issue from 2006.

Discover the world
Built to MCA, the Moonen 100 Explorer is very suitable for long ocean passages.
She carries 36,000 litres of fuel, and is equipped with a water maker and a
Hamann marine sewage treatment plant. High levels of fuel efficiency
give her a range of 5,000NM at ten knots. The efficient hull shape, bulbous
bow, sophisticated weight-saving measures, and highly efficient propellers and
engines reduce costs and minimise her environmental impact.

Comfort matters
The Moonen 100 Explorer also features some of the finest life aboard facilities
you’re likely to see on a 30 m yacht. Comfort comes centre stage, with low
noise and vibration levels achieved by the use of flexibly mounted vibration
dampers and first-class insulation. An excellent seakeeping performance and
impressive stability at anchor means the owners will enjoy their time onboard
wherever they may choose to explore.

A good night’s sleep
There’s also lots of space to relax during long voyages in the blonde teak and
walnut interior. The owners’ stateroom covers the full beam on the lower deck
and has a particularly spacious bathroom plus a walk-in wardrobe. The suite is
especially roomy as there are only two other guest cabins, one with a double
bed, the other with two singles and a Pullman.

Smart thinking
As well as sleeping seven guests, the Moonen 100 Explorer offers accommodations
for four crew members in the bow. There is a great deal of storage both in the
cabins and in a range of dedicated storage areas, such as under the crew
compartment in the foreship, which also doubles as a laundry.

And relax…
The yacht features a lovely flybridge forward of the mast which includes a sofa
and sunbeds. Aft is a separate sundeck area with a wet bar, a Jacuzzi and more
sun pads. There’s also a dedicated area for tenders and toys, freeing up space
in the lazarette area. A large window bathes this voluminous space in natural
light and there is a sauna, day head and shower.

The post The all-new Moonen Explorer 100 is launched appeared first on Moonen Yachts.

Our Facebook page is a vital extension of the website… A place where we also communicate the very latest happenings at the yard and with our global fleet in a way that encourages interaction. Facebook is also a great place to post more photos than we can show on our website as well as take an occasional more light-hearted look at the world of superyachts.

Better still, you get the chance to have your say on what you read and see! Many people have made good contacts by interacting on our Facebook page and we would love to see you there too. Here is a direct link to our Facebook page – simply click the ‘like’ button.

Of course, if Facebook isn’t your thing we’d still love you to follow us online. You can find us on Twitter and on our dedicated YouTube channel . The latter has some great videos that will for sure make a virtual visit well worth your while.

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The recent launch of the 42 m custom Sofia showcased our ability to build larger motoryachts than has traditionally been the case at Moonen. In fact we have the facilities and the skills to build up to at least 50 m in length and beyond. These designs are set to attract a new group of clients looking to experience irreplaceable Moonen quality.

The new designs also recognise that size alone is not the only issue and many owners wish to stay under the 500 gross tonnage figure. GT is primarily an indication of volume and related to length. However, a narrow, lightweight vessel with a reduced superstructure can have the same volume as a heavy, wide boat with a larger superstructure and still have a higher speed.

This is the thinking behind our new designs. The 49 m Moonen has an aluminium hull while the 42 m design features a beamy steel hull with an aluminium superstructure of the same size. Contact us for more information today.

The post Going large with two new designs appeared first on Moonen Yachts.