The Silver Fox sure to impress
Whitsundays, Queensland, Australia: When Adelaide businessman Jason Squire first introduced himself to the R Marine South Australia dealership in January last year, he already knew exactly which Riviera would help him realise his dream of diving throughout the South Pacific in luxury.
A sailor with eight years’ seasoning, Jason had spent 12 months undertaking exhaustive online research, complemented by his personal attendance at several major Australian boat shows, before deciding on the purchase of his first motor yacht – a stylish and sophisticated 6000 Sport Yacht.
So upon introducing himself to the R Marine South Australia team, Jason already knew all the specifications of the Riviera luxury motor yacht widely acclaimed as ‘the ultimate entertainer’.
The only decision the devoted diver was yet to make was when he would like to take delivery.
“I have only ever heard good things about R Marine South Australia and I really appreciated the fact they were not in the least bit pushy,” Jason told Riviera’s Experience magazine. “They just advised of the worldwide demand for this particular model, so I decided I had better get my order in straight away because the timing was important to me.”
So what, exactly, was it that convinced a dyed-in-the-wool devotee of sail to make the shift to a luxury motor yacht?
“For me, the Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht is the ideal yacht to fulfill my diving, live-aboard and entertaining ambitions,” says Jason whilst we admired The Silver Fox from the Riviera Motor Yacht Club restaurant and bar at Coomera, in the company of Jason’s friend Nikk and R Marine South Australia’s dealer principal Paul Harrop.
“The pod drives, for instance – I found them very attractive because of their efficiency and how easy they make it to skipper and use the boat. I’ve docked a single engine yacht without a thruster … so the pods are a fantastic idea.
“Additionally, the idea of the Volvo DPS holding station while we get set up with lines, fenders or the anchor will come in handy – I always tend to go with an inexperienced crew so when we are mooring, we will not need a number of passes to get it right … and it also stops us being blown on to something while we get sorted.”
Jason admits sailing and powerboat enthusiasts are very different breeds of people who love boating for very different reasons.
“Don’t get me wrong – sailing really appeals to me,” he says. “But I was a bit of a workaholic and needed to find a way to de-stress and fulfill my sense of adventure … to go places and see new things.
“I love working with the natural elements to steer a boat. You are absolutely living in the present moment when you are sailing … but you will be wet and cold on occasion and, although I just love being under sail on a beautiful day, unfortunately the wind is 20 knots on most days I go out. Sailing yachts are also not the best platforms for diving and with my previous 10-metre yacht, there was not a lot of room for the compressor.”
Jason says he likes many of the Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht’s features, including the utility room for equipment storage, the garage to keep the tender out of the way, and the spacious accommodation which features a luxurious full-beam master stateroom amidships.
“One month aboard my previous boat got a bit cramped,” he says. “I was looking for something with plenty of living space so I could spend six months aboard living, entertaining friends, working and, of course, diving.
“I looked at a number of well-known brands and models in the 60-65ft range to identify exactly what I was after and I was surprised to discover that Riviera builds a much more diverse range than just the big flybridge boats so popular around Adelaide.”
The Silver Fox – with the new 3300-litre longer-range fuel tank – also features an extremely wide array of state-of-the-art technology, including the IPS-950 pod drive package, Dynamic Positioning System and gyroscopic stabilizer, as examples.
She is also the first Riviera with advanced telemetric diagnostics that enable owners to monitor and operate their boat systems remotely via computer, tablet or mobile phone.
“I have a technology background so I wanted gadgets I could use,” says Jason. “The new telemetric system is something I will use to monitor the performance of The Silver Fox, and I will also be able to turn on certain systems even before I board a plane in Adelaide on my way to wherever she is berthed – such as the gyro, batteries, lights and pumps … I can even set the climate control on the air-conditioning.
“I can also monitor the fuel and if it is low I can make a call to have her topped up so that when I get there, all I need to do is hop aboard and go.
“There’s also a security element to it to in that I can track exactly where the boat has been with geo-tracking technology.”
Jason breaks a smile when asked of his plans for The Silver Fox.
“First we head to the Whitsundays and then Cairns and Lizard Island, then back to Sydney for New Year’s Eve, to Adelaide in January and next year we will spend six months cruising the South Pacific – Fiji, Tonga, New Caledonia and Vanuatu,” says Jason.
“I love diving and now I can do that, live, work and entertain aboard – The Silver Fox is everything I need in a boat … I’m super-impressed!”
- Experience will be following the adventures next year of Jason and his crew as he explores the rich natural beauty of the South Pacific. Stay tuned.
If you would like to take a video tour of the Riviera 6000 Sport Yacht, please click here >>