Luxury bungalows on water

Seafront retail marina Straits Quay in Tanjong Tokong, Penang, plays host to The Nautical Lifestyle Show 2011 from today until Monday, featuring two magnificent Majesty Yachts — the Majesty 56 and Majesty 88.

Brought in by Pen-Marine Sdn Bhd, the “luxury bungalows on water” are regarded as among the best in their class of motor yachts.

Speaking to pressmen during a special media preview and boat ride yesterday, Pen-Marine managing director Oh Kean Shen said private viewing of the boats could be arranged by appointment throughout the event.

“This brand has been in Penang for over a decade, and so far, more than 100 ships have been bought by customers in Penang and Langkawi,” he said.

Manufactured by Gulf Craft Inc from the United Arab Emirates, the Majesty 56 and Majesty 88, measuring 17m and 27m and capable of top speeds of 31knots and 29knots respectively, fetch price tags of USD$1.25mil and USD$3.9mil.

Both models boast luxurious upholstery, hand-crafted wood finishes, marble top accents, quality fabrics, fly-bridge helms and ultra modern navigational equipment.

Displacing 22-tons, the Majesty 56 has three cabins, while the 70-ton Majesty 88 has four exquisite staterooms and two cabins. In the latter, there’s even a Jacuzzi and barbecue on the fly-bridge and spacious salon and bar area on the main deck.

As the boating lifestyle is still quite new here, Oh said continued governmental support was vital in expanding the market. But with facilities like the Straits Quay Marina, which he ranked among the best in the country, he saw a bright future for the industry.

Pen-Marine, which was established in 1988, is also pioneering a Boat Sharing fractional ownership concept for those who like boating but are not willing to invest so much in terms of time and cost.

“Instead of buying a vessel and leaving it idle, this concept allows people to use the boats only when they need to, and leave all the hassles of maintenance, cleaning and restocking to our management team.

“They just need to tell us when they want to use it, where they’re heading to, and how many people they’re bringing on board,” he explained.

Pressmen were also shown the PME26 Electric Boat, a prototype monohull vessel jointly developed by Pen-Marine and ETI Tech Corporation Bhd powered by solar-charged lithium batteries.

“It’s a prove-of-concept that a boat running on renewable energy is feasible. We should start looking into green energy sources to cut down emissions.

“Out at sea, there’s ample sun, and this saves cost on fuel,” said ETI Tech director Datuk Dennis Chuah, adding that the new generation solar panels could fully charge the boats batteries within five hours.

Visitors to the show will stand a chance to go on a 20-minute boat ride around the marina on a motorboat with purchase of RM30 and above of merchandise at the event on a first-come-first-served basis.

In conjunction with the event, an exclusive Gala Night will be held on May 7 that includes a charity auction for special items. Proceeds will be donated to the state’s Partners Against Poverty (PAP) fund.

There will also be a fashion show, violin and belly dance performances that night.

Viewing of the Majesty Yachts is available from today until Monday, from 10.30am to 5.30pm daily, by appointment only.

For further information, call Sam at 019-4511188 or Wendy at 012-5510797.