| BOAT SHOW: It boasts of at least 50 yatches in Mumbai — Gulf Craft, the biggest yacht manufacturer, is not scared to show-off its babies.
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| “There’s one of ours. There’s another...” — Erwin Bamps is counting the number of Gulf Craft manufactured boats that are moored just off the Gateway of India. He can count five, but tells me that there are at least 50 in Mumbai, by sales records, across the smaller utility craft and yacht segments.
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| As the executive manager for the boat manufacturer, Bamps looks pleased that Gulf Craft has captured conspicuity in this small but in no way insignificant boating market.
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| The speedboat cuts a comfortable 30 knots across the water to reach Majesty 66, a Gulf Craft yacht that’s being showcased at the maiden run of Mumbai International boat show. “This is no way to board your yacht,” cribs Balms, “one should be able to step off the dock.” He is, of course, referring to the absence of a marina.
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| The organisers of the boat show were to set up a temporary floating marina, intended to house exhibitor boats and hold out the promise of a permanent 60-berth marina. On day one of the three-day trade show, progress on it is hampered by a series of hiccups.
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| So there are no boats on exhibit at the Gateway of India, although audiences hang around fascinated by the momentum of activity. “There is such an exclusive lifestyle component that is built around a marina in mature markets. The whole idea is to stand on your balcony and point out your boat to visitors,” says Balms.
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| Ah yes, but given how zealously boat ownership is guarded here it’s unlikely anybody will be pointing out his or her boat in a hurry. The Majesty 66 that we embark at goes similarly unclaimed. “This is the problem, yacht owners want to show off but can’t,” says Bamps.
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| But that’s not all that’s putting buyers off. It’s the absence of infrastructure that starts with the marina but includes service providers and the peripheral costs attached to working around those.
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| Bamps indicates that only 15-20 per cent of all leisure craft purchased is parked in India, the rest make their way to (or never leave) Dubai and the Mediterranean.
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| The Majesty is a one-off for her size of yacht, besides the 120-foot Calisma owned by Vijay Mallya that bobs alongside. The owner has, in the last month, used her three times for trips to Goa. It costs upwards of Rs 12,000 per hour to run her.
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| And still Gulf Craft sells an average of one yacht (categorised as upwards of 30 feet) every month, in addition to a regular stream of smaller utility boats. Not yet a significant dent in the 700-odd vessels they produce annually, but as Bamps indicates, the potential for growth is astounding — “13.1 million boats in the US, 30,000 in the Gulf and 1,500 in India”.
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| The Majesty 66 is a case in point of how a utility boat manufacturer made the transition from well-engineered but functional commercial craft to 130-foot super yachts. With six bathrooms, five bedrooms (one with a walk-in closet), and a fully-fledged kitchen, 20 metres suddenly seems like a lot of space.
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| “People start and stop with the exterior finish. What about the engineering…” complains Bamps, just as I am about to ask after the marble in the bathroom. So a visit to the engine room is in order.
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| Another revelation … modern engine rooms are not dark, dripping or damp. A twin set of 1000 HP engines produce a purr at best. “The master bed is 20 cms away from the engine. Maybe cheeky, but we’re that convinced of our engineering,” says Bamps.
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| Gulf Craft may be the Middle East’s largest boat and yacht builder but it’s still seen as the “affordable” alternative to having a “Made in Europe” tag. Bamps is unruffled, “We certainly are exceptional value for money. Why should you be punished for luxury?”
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| Gulf Craft’s local sales team suggests they are closing a deal with Reliance for 36-foot and 56-foot passenger ferries for their Navi Mumbai SEZ undertaking, and have just sold an 85-foot luxury cruiser to the Andaman & Nicobar governor’s office.
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| As long as numbers like those keep coming in, Gulf Craft will be laughing their way into market leadership. |
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