Thank you JFM!!!

[MapisM]

Last saturday, I had the opportunity to enjoy JFM hospitality onboard his fine yacht in Antibes.
"WOW!" is what really summarise the experience.

Everything was perfect, starting from his superbly equipped and maintained boat, up to the last detail onboard prepared by himself and his crew, including a delicious lunch which I'm still wondering how his chef could freshly prepare onboard!

I would highly recommend anyone interested in an absolutely perfect Med charter experience to get in contact with him before going anywhere else.
Oh, and if anyone is interested in a boat as nice as a new one (if not better), and specced like no others, his Squadron 58 is definitely worth looking at, if and when she'll be on the market.
Which might as well be sooner than even jfm himself originally planned, as I understood... Did I get it right, J?

Anyhow, many thanks again!
I really hope to meet you soon again and have a chance to reciprocate with some different, albeit not as luxurious but hopefully still interesting, boating experiences.


PS: usual disclaimer, no connection at all, aside from previous contacts and debates on these pages.

 

[B175Chris]

Very believable - looks like he has quite an amazing and well looked after boat from pictures etc. Majorly jealous

 

[Nautical]

I can second that Mapis having had the 'JFM' experience before. Fatastic day out with the best crew around and food to die for ! . One of the nicest and most beautifully presented Squadrons around (loved those trick LED underwater lights on the way back in ).

Again no commercial connection apart from on here and bumping into the fine gentleman around Antibes.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Yep, thirded by me, we've had the pleasure of JFM's hospitality on Braveheart, absolutely the best experience. (And we reciprocated with, er, sandwiches on a Fairline Targa in Brighton marina... I think poor old JFM got a bad bargain there!). But if you want a luxury Squadron 58 charter from Port Vauban, Antibes - then you can't do better than Braveheart. The South of France luxury experience at its best, really.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I'll fourth that having met jfm and his boat at the forum meet in the Balearics last year. Braveheart's excellent lady crew produced a superb lunch that put the meagre offerings from the rest of us to shame and jfm's boat has got to be the best Sq58 out there

 

[volvopaul]

I'll fourth that having met jfm and his boat at the forum meet in the Balearics last year. Braveheart's excellent lady crew produced a superb lunch that put the meagre offerings from the rest of us to shame and jfm's boat has got to be the best Sq58 out there

Quite right I had a great week there servicing the 4 boats, and I was also getting paid too!!

Was also looked after by 2 luvly young ladies.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Was also looked after by 2 luvly young ladies.

I think we need to see the pictures!

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[jfm]

Gosh thanks chaps. It was a pleasure having you all aboard. Anytime you're nearby just call. And yup I do like good food at sea

Anyway, as MapisM hinted, the Sq58 will be for sale sooner than I expected. New boat ordered, deposit paid last week, delivery early 2011. It would be too dull to tell you what it is straight off, so try guessing from this: close to 80 feet LOA; hybrid range between planing boat and trawler yacht in that the builder is adding an extra fuel tank midships in the keel to give me 900 ish miles range; fin stabilisers at anchor and under way; internal staircase to fly deck (of course!); nice machinery room with Cat engines/twin gensets/watermaker etc; in addition to the usual RIB tender it will carry a Laser sailing dinghy on the top deck with a crane to launch it; fab kitchen so we can have better food (!); contemporary interior in light oak.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

try guessing from this: ....... contemporary interior in light oak.

Aah but will the crew have the same uniform as before? (I'm pretty sure you posted a pic of the statutory crew uniform a while ago... )

Many congrats on the new purchase. Good for you.

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[rubberduck]

Gosh thanks chaps. It was a pleasure having you all aboard. Anytime you're nearby just call. And yup I do like good food at sea

Anyway, as MapisM hinted, the Sq58 will be for sale sooner than I expected. New boat ordered, deposit paid last week, delivery early 2011. It would be too dull to tell you what it is straight off, so try guessing from this: close to 80 feet LOA; hybrid range between planing boat and trawler yacht in that the builder is adding an extra fuel tank midships in the keel to give me 900 ish miles range; fin stabilisers at anchor and under way; internal staircase to fly deck (of course!); nice machinery room with Cat engines/twin gensets/watermaker etc; in addition to the usual RIB tender it will carry a Laser sailing dinghy on the top deck with a crane to launch it; fab kitchen so we can have better food (!); contemporary interior in light oak.

Could this have anything to do with Trevor ?

 

[[2068]]

Mochi LR23 ?

 

[DougH]

It would be too dull to tell you what it is straight off, so try guessing from this: close to 80 feet LOA; hybrid range between planing boat and trawler yacht in that the builder is adding an extra fuel tank midships in the keel to give me 900 ish miles range; fin stabilisers at anchor and under way; internal staircase to fly deck (of course!); nice machinery room with Cat engines/twin gensets/watermaker etc;

Sounds like an Aquastar 80 to me. Fabulous boat.

 

[Nick_H]

Gosh thanks chaps. It was a pleasure having you all aboard. Anytime you're nearby just call. And yup I do like good food at sea

Anyway, as MapisM hinted, the Sq58 will be for sale sooner than I expected. New boat ordered, deposit paid last week, delivery early 2011. It would be too dull to tell you what it is straight off, so try guessing from this: close to 80 feet LOA; hybrid range between planing boat and trawler yacht in that the builder is adding an extra fuel tank midships in the keel to give me 900 ish miles range; fin stabilisers at anchor and under way; internal staircase to fly deck (of course!); nice machinery room with Cat engines/twin gensets/watermaker etc; in addition to the usual RIB tender it will carry a Laser sailing dinghy on the top deck with a crane to launch it; fab kitchen so we can have better food (!); contemporary interior in light oak.

Wow, great stuff, congratulations. What was that conversation we were having about maturing in our boating and not feeling the urge to get bigger boats !!

Sounds like it's going to be a serious cruising machine, but still planing hull, so could well be a Sq78, or maybe one of these?

 

[Nautical]

Could this have anything to do with Trevor ?

Nope fraid not, but I bet it will be a very special boat whatever it is knowing how much detail and effort JFM puts into buying and specing his boats. I would hazard a guess what ever he has in mind the shipyard will probably make it standard in the future after building his, so many clever ideas.

Interesting J says will have stabilization though, and at rest too, next big thing in sub 24m yachts is my prediction looking at what is happening in many yards, a few years from now and if you don't have stabilization on 18m - 24m your a nobody Some very clever stabs coming onto the market shortly and at prices that are not pohibitve.

 

[Renegade_Master]

yup i'd guess aquastar 80

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I'm guessing it's a Squadron 78 Custom and you've pushed the Custom bit to the limits!

 

[benjenbav]

I'm also guessing Sq 78. Congrats, jfm, whatever it is.

 

[jfm]

Yup to nick, Deleted User and bjb. It's a sq78 custom and as mike said the custom button has been pushed quite hard

I thought custom meant you could choose your own sofas and stuff but I was amazed during the factory tour at what they are doing. One boat in build has a completely custom non structural bulkhead in owners cabin to create a bathroom with sep bath and shower, frexample. And they have alreay done one boat with an extra fuel tank

They have built 2 with gyro stabs and they work well but I don't like them because of the massive space they consume plus the 30min spool up. So mine will be the first with high speed fin stabs

As well as the stabs and fuel tank they said yes to lots of mods like internal stairs (open see thru, like sq58), Laser dinghy, and loads of joinery/layout mods. The crew cabins and utility area will be custom to satisfy my addiction to laundry equipment, and lots of little things like the crew door opening arrangement will be changed to what I've asked them for


Plan is to have long range for bigger cruises and ability to stay at anchor longer, hence extra fuel, zero speed stabs, watermaker, trash compactor, and bigger anchor than standard

We're still working on some of the details so more info later. It is meant to be the 2011 LIBS boat so come aboard then

The stabs are sleipner and they offer a really nice integrated package. The bow and st thrusters are hydraulic and share a power pack with the stabs. The pack is driven by engine pto and 3ph electric, priority to former obviously. But you have stabs and thrusters so long as a genset is running. Also the thruster control is proportional not on-off, so all very nice kit there.

The Interesting guesses above eg Aq80 were interesting.. That boat isn't my cuppa tea but I wanted some of its features. I want to go fast AND slow, and have a bunch of custom detail tweaks, so having checked the market carefully I reckoned the sq78 ticked the most of my boxes. And of course the help and facilities offered by the Barke clan at Essex Boatyards was a big element of the choice

Sorry for typos, on crackberry here

 

[MapisM]

Well, it wouldn't be fair to throw in my guess 'cause jfm gave me already more than a hint on his plans.
But I can second Nautical view, I'm also sure she'll be a trend-setter in her segment.
Oh, and even if jfm didn't mention it, I don't dare thinking of what kind of lumishore equipment she'll be fitted with!
After having seen what the Sq58 is capable of, I guess that his new ship will be good enough also for swimmers from any other boat anchored in the same bay!

PS: whoops, I was writing my post while jfm was disclosing his choice!...

 

[AndieMac]

Everything was perfect, starting from his superbly equipped and maintained boat,

Yep....that would have been my guess..