Floating art gallery to sail around the Mediterranean
I am rarely surprised by the ingenuity of people these days when most things seem possible, but this idea struck me as being visionary and worthy of a mention. An original concept, Art Explora is billed as the world’s first museum boat, which plans to sail across the world’s oceans with a self-stated mission to bring visitors innovative artistic and cultural experiences. It is the inspiration of its entrepreneurial founder and patron Frédéric Jousset. Art Explora is a large catamaran that can host up to 2,000 gallery visitors on board each day free of charge.
The boat has been designed by Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier. At 47 metres in length and 18 metres wide, the yacht has a 55-metre mast and a sail designed by artist Laure Prouvost.
If you want to catch Art Explora on your travels this year she will be at Marseille, France (6-18 June); Tangier, Morocco (September), Rabat, Morocco (October) and Malaga Spain (November). Check the website for details, dates and tickets.
Concorde’s final journey is made not in the air, but on a barge
I am quite sure that those who built Concorde never envisaged that one day it would be towed to a museum on a barge. Those of us of a certain age will recall when Concorde transformed air travel with its grace in the air, sheer power and speed. I have read that following a restoration project in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, British Airways’ Concorde has made its way to the Intrepid Museum in New York, via barge along the Hudson River.
The restoration project included removal of the aircraft’s paint coating, sanding, and recoating, using the same colours and markings that made Concorde a true aviation legend. Concorde was loaded onto a barge and travelled up the Hudson River to Weeks Marine in Jersey City for storage before arriving back at the museum, where it was lifted by a 300 foot crane and returned to Pier 86.
Titanic II – the Ship of Dreams – ready to move forward
I recall covering this story several years ago and for one reason or another, the project stalled. Now it seems to be bang on track once again and is moving full steam ahead! A decade after proposing to recreate one of the most famous ocean liners of all time, Australia’s eccentric businessman, entrepreneur, and politician Clive Palmer has reemerged to say the project is back underway. Far from a dream, Palmer insists after two failed previous attempts they are ready to move forward and the Titanic II should be ready for service by 2027.
“Blue Star Line will create an authentic Titanic experience, providing passengers with a ship that has the same interiors and cabin layout as the original vessel, while integrating modern safety procedures, navigation methods, and 21st-century technology to produce the highest level of luxurious comfort,” Palmer told an audience gathered to hear his announcement at the Sydney Opera House. He said they had been delayed by the pandemic and other issues as well as he was busy with other pursuits but now, he wants to complete the ship.
I am not sure how I personally feel about voyaging on Titanic II because of the connotations of history. That said, clearly this Titanic incarnation would carry all the state-of-the-art technology onboard. However, I do like the idea of dressing in period costume for the duration of my trip!
Volkswagen (VW) Group facing lawsuits over calamitous Felicity Ace fire and subsequent sinking
Although this matter is clearly sub judice at the time of writing and is already ‘old news’, there will have been all sorts of high-level discussions and legal arguments going on behind the scenes to reach a resolution, I could not let this story go by without sharing it with you. Whatever the outcome, it is certainly likely to have a profound impact on the shipping industry and, in particular, the transportation of electric vehicles by sea. Many in the industry have shared concerns about the dangers of shipping electric lithium-ion battery powered vehicles due to some of the shocking fires in recent times. The sad case regarding the loss of the Felicity Ace is now set to be fought out in an expensive legal wrangle.
Bloomberg reports that the Volkswagen (VW) Group has been sued twice over allegations the fire started from a lithium-ion battery pack inside a Porsche that was on its way to a customer. And the lawsuit filed in the Stuttgart court alleges that VW failed to disclose the necessary precautions for safely transporting the cars. I will let you draw your own conclusions once the legal arguments have been presented!
There’s more next month.
Mike Schwarz