Squadron 78 with lazer tender spotted near Marseille

[BartW]

Two weeks ago, on a trip from Cassis to Marseille,
We spotted this squadron (78?) behind island Ile Maire,
The tender on the FB (Lazer ?) immediately grabbed my attention,
Looking closer it was not the famous forum squadron “Match”
But this one is called Galaxy.(I think)

Actually they do exactly what I had in mind to do with Blue Angel;
Just before these pictures were taken, the crew was loading dive gear from the utility room, in the big Rib / Tender, and the Rib with divers on them left for a dive on famous dive spot / wreck “ Le Liban” behind the rock
dive suits were hanging on the cockpit, one suit still there on the pic.

Perhaps mates on here know more about this boat ?
Dive charter or private ?

 

[jfm]

That's Galaxy, a special customisation for dive-mad customer. Hull #60 approx, 2009 model year. Private, not dive charter. Boat is berthed somewhere in sofF - might be La Nap. It is the only one ever built with the big up/down swim platform AND the garage on the port side that the early 74s had, and in which you can store a 320 jet rib. You can see the joint for the door, just underneath the Galaxy name. It also has a full dive centre in the aft space instead of crew cabin, with gear and compressors. Was the rib a 320, or does it have another bigger RIB on the up/down platform?

I didn't know it had a sailboat on the top deck but it was not installed during the build - you can see in those pics it doesn't fit the chocks well, which are shaped for the jetrib. The sailboat is therefore a later mod by the owner. I'm pretty sure it is not a Laser; it looks a couple of feet shorter than a Laser (which is 14 feet).

Match is still the only one with a Laser, but one of the boats currently in build will have a Laser becuase the customer has specced it instead of a jetski. Sailboats are the new black, so far as toys are concerned, and jet skis are so last year now

 

[BartW]

the grey rib was between 4-5m,
didn't notice the type number,
definitely not a 320
so must be on the up / down platform
later we saw that rib anchored on the wreck

I don't like a tender garage, what a waste of space !
otoh would be interested to see how they store the diving stuff /scuba tanks down there

yes sailboats on the FB are the new hype

 

[benjenbav]

You might both be right. I think that's a Laser Pico (3.5m).

 

[Nautical]

That's Galaxy, a special customisation for dive-mad customer. Hull #60 approx, 2009 model year. Private, not dive charter. Boat is berthed somewhere in sofF - might be La Nap. It is the only one ever built with the big up/down swim platform AND the garage on the port side that the early 74s had, and in which you can store a 320 jet rib. You can see the joint for the door, just underneath the Galaxy name. It also has a full dive centre in the aft space instead of crew cabin, with gear and compressors. Was the rib a 320, or does it have another bigger RIB on the up/down platform?

I didn't know it had a sailboat on the top deck but it was not installed during the build - you can see in those pics it doesn't fit the chocks well, which are shaped for the jetrib. The sailboat is therefore a later mod by the owner. I'm pretty sure it is not a Laser; it looks a couple of feet shorter than a Laser (which is 14 feet).

Match is still the only one with a Laser, but one of the boats currently in build will have a Laser becuase the customer has specced it instead of a jetski. Sailboats are the new black, so far as toys are concerned, and jet skis are so last year now

I think you are right LaNap is home, actually think I know the chap, was it the Cannes show boat a year or so ago?. I remember talking to him about his dive passion.

 

[jfm]

I think you are right LaNap is home, actually think I know the chap, was it the Cannes show boat a year or so ago?. I remember talking to him about his dive passion.

Yes it was the Cannes show boat 2009 (Cannes 2010 was the special short boat without a swim platform that was subsequently stolen and has never been recovered, and Cannes 2011 was Match).

Owner is mad on diving and has a full-on diving centre in the back of the boat, replacing the usual crew cabins and stuff.

 

[crazy4557]

Yes it was the Cannes show boat 2009 (Cannes 2010 was the special short boat without a swim platform that was subsequently stolen and has never been recovered, and Cannes 2011 was Match).

Owner is mad on diving and has a full-on diving centre in the back of the boat, replacing the usual crew cabins and stuff.

Where the heck do you hide one of these especially with an obviously customised deletion of the bathing platform? Must stand out a mile.

 

[jfm]

Where the heck do you hide one of these especially with an obviously customised deletion of the bathing platform? Must stand out a mile.

Black sea! The boat was unmanned and had been gone a few days before anyone noticed. It was taken from La Rague nr Cannes, refuelled in San Remo then never traced again. It had a decal name so of course it was easy to change its identity. (I know the captain)

General belief is it was stolen to order for a Black Sea based customer.

Moral of story is have GPS trackers on board with geofence alarms, and have the name in metal letters that cannot be peeled off, and anything else you can think of!

The non bathing platform isn't that unusual. There were of course loads of Sq74s built with the stubby bathing platform before they made the boat a 78, but even since it became the 78 they have built two to order as "74s" without any bathing platform. I have no idea why anyone would do this, as the platform is a load of fun when swimming etc.

 

[Ocean_Driver]

galaxy

Definitely is Galaxy as I supplied and fitted the illuminated stainless namesign to the stern. Still looks good!

 

[STEVEDUNSTABLE]

please forgive my ignorence, but, to my "non big boat owners eye", it APEARS stern low in the water..is that "natural" or the weight of diving compressors, air bottles etc etc ?????

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

JFM, If they like fishing they would see the extra extended bathing which is not part of the hull as disturbing to them and the fish.
That is the only reason I can think of, and have seen done this on other similar extended bathing platform yachts.

 

[Scubadoo]

please forgive my ignorence, but, to my "non big boat owners eye", it APEARS stern low in the water..is that "natural" or the weight of diving compressors, air bottles etc etc ?????

See JFM's post i.e. "It is the only one ever built with the big up/down swim platform AND the garage on the port side that the early 74s had, and in which you can store a 320 jet rib".

 

[jfm]

please forgive my ignorence, but, to my "non big boat owners eye", it APEARS stern low in the water..is that "natural" or the weight of diving compressors, air bottles etc etc ?????

You're right Steve. I'd say that one is a bit low, due to a tonne of dive gear, and then Fairline's detailed design (including the angled hull stripe etc) make the boat look, I think, a bit more stern low/bow high than it actually is

Here is mine at rest, and in these pics it doesn't look quite so stern heavy, though it still does a bit. In the first pic, taken in Ipswich during commissioning, it is full of water and fuel, with the extra fuel tank they made for me, so the boat is a couple of tonnes heavier than normal. In the 3rd pic, Monaco, that's Jimmy le Builder standing on the bow, which will help tilt the boat the right way up a bit

Overall I think the boat might look better without the hull stripe decal

 

[benjenbav]

In the last pic it looks like you've got a huge extra trim tab which probably helps a bit. At rest it looks just perfect: if the swim platform was much higher you'd need Tom Daley to train people how to dive off it.

 

[MapisM]

In the last pic it looks like you've got a huge extra trim tab

Blimey, that's a connoisseur comment, if I've ever seen one. Well spot indeed.
Otoh, I'm not sure to see what you mean re. the swim platform. You could also say that if it was much lower, you'd need a snorkel to sit on it...

 

[STEVEDUNSTABLE]

You're right Steve. I'd say that one is a bit low, due to a tonne of dive gear, and then Fairline's detailed design (including the angled hull stripe etc) make the boat look, I think, a bit more stern low/bow high than it actually is

Here is mine at rest, and in these pics it doesn't look quite so stern heavy, though it still does a bit. In the first pic, taken in Ipswich during commissioning, it is full of water and fuel, with the extra fuel tank they made for me, so the boat is a couple of tonnes heavier than normal. In the 3rd pic, Monaco, that's Jimmy le Builder standing on the bow, which will help tilt the boat the right way up a bit

Overall I think the boat might look better without the hull stripe decal

hi jfm...thanks for your reply....i can see what you mean about thehull stripe decal.. perhaps it "might" be better to leave it off on certain "loadings"...when you bought yours was jimmy le builder "supplied" as moving ballast or did you have to pay extra??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.................................................runs for cover!!!!