When it comes to party boats, all vessels are not created equal. If you want the ultimate party boat you’ll need the best tech and that takes planning at the design stage, reports Boat International.
The bigger the boat the tougher it can be to retrofit with newer A/V technology. If you buy a superyacht or even a biggish yacht that falls a bit below the 24.3-meter (80-foot) minimum superyacht length, odds are pretty good you’ll upgrade your electronics and other onboard niceties sooner than you’ll upgrade your boat. Boat International identifies ten party-focused factors to consider when designing a new yacht or even buying an existing vessel.
Planning and foresight sit at the top of the list, especially for A/V. Boat International quoted Master Yachts management company’s operations director Patrick Moussa to back up the importance of A/V upgrade readiness.
“A/V is a moving target,” Moussa said. “We bring the experts in early. The hardest things to retrofit are additional wires, while a speaker or TV is easily replaced. The experts will know what’s coming five years from now, and may even know how it will be wired up.”
Technology that helps convert your vessel to party mode can be as important as the A/V equipment itself. When you don’t have permanent A/V staff, “… smart software solutions and automation should be at the center,” according to yacht tech specialist company VBH‘s Goran Antonijevic.
Other tips for a party-ready yacht include having lots of self-amplified speakers so you don’t have to blast the sound to reach all areas on the yacht and taking advantage of local A/V suppliers when you want something special.
Making sure you have ample, classy space for a DJ or live entertainment. Sticking a band in a corner and running extension cords doesn’t make for a good time or for good sound. And if the entertainment isn’t happy, your guests will feel it. Treat the DJ like a star and your party will soar.
Dance floors matter, especially when the yacht at the next mooring has a large rotating floor with integrated LED lights. Even if you have to move furniture around ahead of time, give people space to dance.
Lighting on, in, over, and under a yacht, especially when the lights sync with the music, is a sure guest pleaser. And multiple bars are a great idea for superyachts, with at least one bar on each deck. Don’t ignore bar tech, which can include lighting, interactive displays, and automated ordering systems.
Unless your yacht’s dance floor covers the pool, be sure to let the pool play a central role. Guests naturally gravitate to pools and some might even want to dive in. Boat International showcased a clever pool waterfall on a Heesen superyacht: the waterfall acts as a partial privacy screen so people on shore don’t have clear views of party guests.
In the end, having a yacht where you can throw off-the-hook fabulous parties takes planning, the latest tech, and, oh yeah, piles of money.
