The good oil

With fuel prices averaging between 15 and 30 cents a litre, the Middle East is a Mecca for fast boating. Make no mistake about it, Arabian mariners like to blast to places in comfort and high style. The fuel crisis experienced last year in many countries seems to have bypassed this region altogether. And the recent Dubai International Boat Show that I attended proved the perfect venue for showcasing many products and boats that may flow on to Australia.

Some of the products such as the $1 million personal submarine or the $200,000 jetpack seem destined for the ultra-rich. Or how about a two-seater floatplane with 150-knot performance that is equally at home on ski slopes or runways? With its folding wings this little beauty effectively turns the boot of your Danish megayacht into an aircraft hanger.

Of course when the tender, floatplane, personal submarine and jetpack are stored in the boot of the $20 million superyacht, then the price does not seem all that much. In fact a $70K portable medical emergency vital-sign transmitting system connected to a real doctor at the other end seems to be a very good bargain and every boat should have one.

It was impossible not to be impressed by the array of big boats and smaller boats on display at the marina. The superyacht pavilion was vast. For the uninitiated this is where you begin the sales and design phase of your megayacht costing $10 million and upwards.

The remaining pavilions housed an array of manufacturers and distributors, not unlike Sanctuary Cove. As a comparison, the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show and Dubai Show are very similar, only the boat brands are somewhat different.

The Dubai Show had a vast range of mega boats on display and there was a wider range of more expensive boats at every size level.

Sanctuary Cove has a far more impressive and eclectic range of offerings in the halls and, perhaps, the boats displayed are more suited for the local environment. Of course, a lot has to do with fuel prices, taxes, exchange rates and berthing fees. And everyone will have a different opinion.

GRAND PRIX RIDE: I've seen plenty of simulators but this one was set up to record the ride in a 100mph ocean racer. Although I did not have a ride myself, the smiling faces on those that did said it all.

PERSONAL SUBMARINE: Oh this baby looks fun. Imagine scooting around the bottom of the ocean in a personal sub with a real bubble top. It's just so cool. But this is a serious sub, capable of taking four lucky occupants to depths around 100m and underwater speeds of up to two knots. Air is supplied by a number of air tanks, with rechargeable batteries giving an endurance of about six hours operational capacity. Although the sub is really expensive, this is the perfect toy for taking rich tourists for a personal tour of the Great Barrier Reef walls and bommies. If I had the megayacht and spent my life cruising around Australia and the Pacific, then I'd love one.

Although the cost of a small turbo helicopter, the running costs are very small. It could probably make money in a commercial enterprise in the right location. This is definitely the new wave of glass bottom boats! Prices starting at $500K and up. Click on to www.uboatworx.com

JET PACK: Visions of James Bond and his jetpack flooded back to me when I saw the world launch of this product. Imagine a floating cocoon about the size of a large suitcase with a 120hp engine-driven water pump sealed inside it. A lightweight 15m x 4in hose is attached to the cocoon. The other end of the hose is connected to the backpack which has two water nozzles facing downwards. Start up the pump and the downwards water pressure lifts you into the air. You can go forward, up, down, to the side, all dragging the little floating pump behind you.

I stood mesmerised, along with everyone else, as we gathered and watched the demonstration video. The salesman, a paraplegic in a wheelchair, was getting ready to Jetpack the English Channel. There would also appear to be military and commercial opportunities for such a product given that you can inspect a wide area of sea or sea bottom from a great height.

Apart from the personal submarine, this fun toy is a must-have for any megayacht. And in fact, I'd probably have two so you could go touring with a friend.

FLOATPLANE: I got my pilot's license about 30 years ago and as a young man circumnavigated Australia in a single engine four-seater. Now I have seen motorised gliders, parasails and hang gliders attached to boats one way or another, but this was the first time I had seen a real-life floatplane with folding wings fit snugly into the hangar at the rear of a breathtaking megayacht recently designed for some lucky person by the Danish Yacht company. See www.danishyacht.com for more images of this stunning combination.

The plane is an Akoya ultra-light with incorporated wheels for when you have to get to shore for a landlubbers cocktail party. This is a slippery little plane that boasts a cruise speed of 155kts, a 20,000-foot ceiling and a long range of 718nm. Its folding wings allow it to be stowed quickly. And, yes, it's also designed to land on water and snow as it incorporates retracting wheels and snow skids. You pay about $500K.

DETROIT MTU: Oh this engine was simply a beauty! All 3500hp weighing eight tonnes without gearbox, gleaming and ready to propel any 100ft megayacht to speeds of 30kts and more. With diesel at say 20 cents a litre in some of these Gulf states, it's cheaper to run this engine than many 750hp units here in Australia. Fuel prices are simply not an issue in the Gulf, even at 500lt/h consumption per engine. I'd have two of these beautiful diesels in my megayacht along with an engineer to look after them.

BOATS AND MORE BOATS: Given Dubai's geographic location, there was quite a range of boat brands, including many which have not arrived in Australia. Australian boat manufacturers I noted included Riviera and Whittley. Riviera showcased a magnificent 48 open gamefisher with tower and a 54 flybridge. Whittley was on the hardstand and had a couple of their larger craft which were attracting considerable interest. But the show's spotlight was stolen by the 38m Sunseeker (that's around 120ft), diagonally positioned in its own bay that would optimally have housed six very large boats. It looked magnificent. Inspection was by invitation only. I never bothered to enquire about the price.

Azimut showcased the lot and were awfully smart including their 30m-plus baby. In fact, the Italian boats seemed to be the most stylish and their interiors were out of this world. It is all to obvious that Italian home interior design and style are flowing through to their boats. The fabrics and finishes were simply Italy at its best. The Opera 60 was the largest RIB I've ever seen, simply opulent with incredible blood orange upholstery and teak decks. An ultimate megatender if ever there was one.

One surprise was an Italian ‘limo boat' called a Phantom 900. This Italian, jet black, narrow lowline beauty is designed to chauffeur guests in limousine style. It has an open wheelhouse, similar to a 1920's Rolls Royce where the driver was exposed to the elements and passengers protected. The cabin of this svelte creature featured a full-length retracting roof and seating was in individual leather seats.

To my commercial mind this somewhat sinister looking craft could also be converted to a very swish floating hearse which would have great application in places like Venice where water-based farewells are the norm. Its retracting sunroof that folded into segments was a clever piece of engineering. Whether going to the boat show or going to heaven, the Phantom 900 will take you in ultimate style! See www.nauticatender.com

AMERICAN GO FAST: With triple 500-odd horsepower inboards, quad 350 Yammies, surface drives, lean lines and exotic paintwork, the go-fast boats were high in popularity. You can certainly go places with an economical cruising speed of 70kts or so. All for less than $80 per hour in fuel. Oh what joy! A Predator and a Cigarette were breathtaking for their combination of engineering, paintwork and interior design.

SMALLER BOATS: Wakeboarding is being promoted in the Persian Gulf and MasterCraft was showing a wide range of boats. Rubber duckies, smaller gamefishing boats, all mirrored what you might expect to see on the hard at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. Sealegs from New Zealand had a display.

BOAT CHICKS: The Gulf is a boating paradise with interesting places to visit, fishing, scuba and warm waters. Apart from the two hottest months of summer, it's a very enticing climate. However, local customs should always be observed and respected. While some states are more liberal to western ways, others are not. It's still an interesting scenario to consider women wearing full burkas helping their husbands dock the boat.