Prometheus Marine veers towards luxury yacht industry

It provided marine consulting services to the ‘The John Walker & Sons Voyager’.

In a release, the company said that Singapore continues to grow as a centre for marine consulting services in Asia, especially in the luxury yacht sector. The latest high profile marine project to have been awarded to a Singapore-based company is ‘The John Walker & Sons Voyager’, a nautical extravaganza designed to launch a new blend of Johnnie Walker Scotch whiskey called ‘Odyssey’.

Singapore’s Raffles Marina-based Prometheus Marine, one of Singapore’s leading luxury yacht dealers and brokerages, has been providing marine consulting services to Johnny Walker’s owners Diageo to implement this prestigious luxury project.

‘Odyssey’, a new triple malt “inspired by the golden era of sea travel”, is being introduced to selected customers across the Asia Pacific region by brand ambassador Tom Jones on board ‘Montigne’, a beautiful 57m three-masted sailing vessel that
was sourced by Prometheus Marine specifically for ‘The John Walker & Sons Voyager’.

The challenges involved in the project have been considerable. Prometheus Marine has completed a reconnaissance tour of all the ports that Montigne will be visiting, in order to secure suitable berthing arrangements for her, and to streamline all administrative procedures for the boat’s arrival in each port.

Some of the issues have included using commercial docks with significant tidal ranges (which present considerable issues for such a low freeboard yacht as ‘Montigne’), fabrication of a special gangway for these types of commercial berth, together with special fendering arrangements to protect the expensive yacht.

There have also been numerous administrative challenges; notably in Shanghai, China, which has had almost no visits from sailing boats such as Montigne, and so most arrangements have been ‘firsts’.

In addition, Montigne has undergone a number of cosmetic changes, specifically for the Voyager charter. These have included the creation of additional entertainment facilities, cabin refits, special on board branding for Diageo, and even a temporary “name change” for the boat.

Montigne will travel from Shanghai to Mumbai over a period of 6 months. Other countries to be visited in this extravaganza include Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines and Vietnam, plus Singapore in early January 2013. ‘The John Walker & Sons Voyager’ was launched in Shanghai in September and will reach Singapore’s shores in January 2013.