From Aqualibrium ©Frances Howorth
Day Two at FLIBS was, weatherise, as hot as day one. Crowds of people were again walking the docks looking at the superb super yachts and everyone was clutching their water bottles.
The buzz around the show centres on charter and refits, buyers it seems are happy enough to consider both. There is even talk of buying older tonnage with a view to refitting but it is the builders who seem to be having the toughest time at this show.
Equipment manufacturers are reporting good sales and certainly showgoers seem to be buying T shirts and boat shoes with the same gusto they have demonstrated for years. Hats to alleviate sunstroke are popular too.
It was a day when crew seminars had been scheduled with a full programme of events open to all prepared to pay the nominal cost of registration. We did not attend many but those we looked in on seemed well attended.
Top Lawyer Michael Moore whose American practise specialises in marine law was the facilitator for a lively session on Piracy and the use of Guns as a means of crew protection. Views as you can imagine with the far right former Navy types wanting to kill anything approaching a super yacht in a small boat while others where happy to assume the on coming fishing boat might just be trying to sell the purser his catch of the day. It was a session that was only just warming up after an hour but sadly that was all the time allocated to the topic.
What are your views? Should super yacht crews carry arms? If so when should they use them?