Megayacht displaying art aims to awe
By: Aldo Nahed
July 2008
Savannah , GA

Being ultra rich has its perks.

Among them, access to the SeaFair, a $40 million megayacht, and some pop-up retail items.

The 228-foot luxury extravaganza on the water was docked Friday and Saturday on the Savannah River at the Westin Savannah Harbor. Today, the vessel should be arriving in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Scroll to the bottom or click here for a video tour of the megayacht.

 

Invited VIP and hotel guests had to bypass two highly scrutinizing security guards before going aboard for a visit. Then they climbed a flight of stairs to the spacious interior of the yacht - stepping into a lobby area with marble flooring and Brazilian wood paneling.

A staffer with a smile and a tray of champagne flutes greeted guests. Soothing music played on the speakers embedded in the ceiling.


One of those smitten with the 3,200-ton watercraft was Philip Peters and his wife, both of Savannah.

"We thought it was different and interesting," Peters said.
Peters said he liked the eclectic style of the world's fourth-largest yacht and the one-of-a-kind art exhibition on the yacht's walls.

"I've been around the world, but I've never been on a yacht that was 228 feet long," he said. "I've never been to an art gallery in a yacht, and I wasn't disappointed."

Peters and his wife were not on the VIP list, but they were given special access and were encouraged to wander all five decks and about 28 galleries along with the yacht's coffee bar, outdoor lounge, bistro and an elegant restaurant.

Is there a chance he would purchase any of the artwork on display?
"Of course," Peters said. "We can't wait to go back. And we alerted our children in New York to go, because it's worthwhile."

The SeaFair is scheduled to be in New York by mid-September. In early November, the craft will make its return voyage to Savannah as part of a tour of 28 affluent cities on the East Coast.

"It was impressive and special," Peters said.
The unique floating platform - displaying and selling high-end art, jewelry, antiques and even real estate and private jets - was the idea of David Lester and wife Lee Ann, both of Bonita Springs on Florida's lower Gulf Coast.

Their vision was to combine their art fair business with their love for boats.


Exhibitors pay $13,000 to $36,000 a week to show off their goods. The cost of items on display mirrors those prices and more.

Kent Sullivan, an Orlando-based artist, is shown in one of the first galleries as guests enter the yacht. His stunning display of contemporary realism runs about $15,000 to $20,000.

"I wanted to get my work in front of really qualified art collectors, connoisseurs," Sullivan said. "I'm represented by a lot of galleries, but very seldom do I get to get out and actually meet the people who collect my art."


Among the most expensive art works on display is a painting by Constantin Emile Meunier for about $400,000.

Roderick Jacobs, Expoships' chief executive officer, said that in addition to displaying art exhibits, the yacht is available for charters, for local charities' fundraising events and for use by local museums.

"They could be here for a dinner or a cocktail party," Jacobs said. "People can dress up, come here and have a special event. There's nothing like this in the entire world."

Jacobs said about eight crew members are needed to operate the ship. Billionaires, celebrities and Internet moguls are just the types of people who get invited aboard.


"This is not a cruise ship," Jacobs said. "We have room for the crew, but that's it."


None of what is on the ship reflects any type of necessity. The environment allows for guests to be wowed.

Debbie Davis, vice president of the operation, said they are creating an environment and an experience in which guests will get to see and buy exclusive items.

"At the end of the day, we all want to attain the unattainable," Davis said. "Access the inaccessible."