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Your Own Luxury Submarine!
cheapo writes "Not exactly computer related, but fun none-the-less. Someone on my boating mailing list turned me onto this website for your own personal luxury submarine. For a mere $78 million, you can make all the other folks at the marina jealous with a 213 foot toy." That 78
million dollar price tag might seem steep until you discover that it comes
with its own docking mini sub. Now thats a bargain!
It costs serious bucks in fuel and maintenance costs to get a 200-odd foot object the size of a modest mansion up to, say, 30mph. There are a few that do it, but, again, costs are fantastic.
The 143' Octopussy is one of the more famous yachts capable of this kind of speed. According to this page, she has a cruising speed (optimal efficiency) of 22knots, which is about 25mph. At this dizzying speed, she burns up 343 US gallons of diesel per hour. So if you bought your diesel at the bulk rate of around $1/gallon, each hour of operation would cost $343. If you're going to cruise at that speed for a day, we're talking about $8,232 a day. Charter cost is $90,000 per week on season.
If you look at the picture on the link, you will note that the Octopussy is not level; it's actually moving over the surface of the water. This means a less comfortable ride, and it also means everything you own is pretty much continuously at an angle. Slower yachts glide through the water at lower speeds and are generally more comfortable.
I know someone who chartered his 120' yacht on an informal basis for $45,000 per week with all expenses included. If my memory serves, his yacht could go about 15 knots, or about the same as the submarine. That should give you an idea of how much speed costs, and why truly fast yachts are relatively rare.
You have to have - literally! - money to burn to run one of those things.
D