If everything continues going as planned, the illustrated buildings and promenade above will be realities next spring, part of a new marina in Cyprus.

Karpaz Gate Marina has been in the works for the past few years, in the northern part of the country. Its name comes from that of the peninsula upon which it’s situated. Karpaz is among the least-developed regions in the Med, characterized by fishing villages and farms where you’re more likely to see horse-drawn plows than tractors. Rocky mountain slopes with pine and olive trees are among the other natural elements, and in some places there are ruins of medieval castles.

The marina is being developed as part of a larger resort, which will include two luxury hotels, shops, a gym, a chandlery, restaurants, and bars. Those amenities should be ready around the same time the marina opens. The developers anticipate adding another hotel and bungalows in what they’re terming a Holiday Village in the years to come.

For next spring’s opening, however, Karpaz Gate Marina will be able to handle yachts to 65 meters (213 feet). Two breakwaters should ensure comfort inside the basin, with one breakwater being close to the promenade and the other being farther and closed to the public, for more privacy. The basin itself will allow yachts to move around with ease. The latter is something the developers decided on after speaking with superyacht owners, who relayed the maneuvering difficulty that other marinas pose. Also related to ease, the marina will feature on-site customs and immigration.

Other yacht-related services will include fueling, sewage and oil disposal, and battery disposal. Should yachts need maintenance work while on a visit, or wish to come solely for refit and repair, the dry docks on the northeast side of the marina should suffice. The planned 300-ton TraveLift will be the largest one in northern Cyprus and make Karpaz Gate Marina capable of hauling and launching yachts that other Turkish facilities cannot.

It’s also worth noting that the Department of Tourism of northern Cyprus has endorsed the marina. The tourism board will help promote the marina and amenities. One of the many facts that will surely be promoted: the resort’s adjacency to two international airports, Lamaka and Ercan.

Plenty of people enjoyed the recent Super Bowl in and around Miami on their own boats or on charter yachts. One particular couple with plenty of charter experience did something a little different: They hosted a corporate event that still provided personal fun.

Thomas E. Hoshko, CEO and president of a company specializing in information technology and telecommunications, worked with The Sacks Group to find a yacht and crew with the ability to address both needs. Hoshko had worked with The Sacks Group to book a few previous charters, so he felt comfortable working with its president, Jennifer Saia, and her team again this time.

The yacht she recommended: Milk Money, a 112-foot Westport. Milk Money doesn’t usually host corporate events, instead cruising Florida and The Bahamas with private individuals, but Said was confident Hoshko and her crew could entertain his top clients and employees onboard as well as let him enjoy time with his wife, Louellen (pictured above with her husband).

You might think that with 12 years of experience chartering yachts, Hoshko and his wife would be hard to please. Not only did they enjoy themselves, but Hoshko says that what the crew did each day, especially on Super Bowl Sunday, was “perfect.” He had bought tickets for his clients to enjoy the game, and he and Louellen remained onboard Milk Money at the Diplomat Resort, up the Intracoastal Waterway in Hollywood, to have their own party. “They did a Super Bowl cake and all that kind of stuff,” he says. The crew (see above) also set up a TV on the aft deck, letting guests flow from there straight through the open doors of the saloon to continue watching the action. Even when they headed to the flying-bridge bar for a drink, they were still close to the rest of the party. Hoshko echoed what Saia and other top charter brokers always say about yacht charter: “What makes it always is the captain and the chef and the crew. They were impeccable. We had a good time.”

That good time actually began two days prior to the Super Bowl, when Milk Money hosted a cocktail reception dockside at the Diplomat Resort. The next day, the megayacht’s 26-foot Regulator fishboat, 18-foot Novurania, banana boat, and other toys were trotted out for everyone to enjoy. The crew prepared a barbecue later in the day, too. Following the Super Bowl, Milk Money headed to Fisher Island for more business and, of course, pleasure. The Hoshkos particularly liked the California king bed in the main-deck master, as well as the overall recently refitted interior.

If you’re interested in Milk Money, she charters for $44,500 per week, a rate that includes a towed tender. Eight people can stay onboard. If your preferred week is booked, however, it might just be because of Hoshko – “We are already looking forward to another charter on Milk Money with the family,” he says.

From its public introduction last September straight through to now, the WHY 58x38 project from Wally has been garnering plenty of attention. And why not (if you’ll pardon the pun)? The unusual wedge shape and elbowroom-inducing beam are far different than anything else on the water or on the drawing boards. But Thursday, Hermès surprised many by announcing that it’s leaving the joint venture.

The reason: its lack of experience in yacht construction. Patrick Thomas, the company’s CEO, told Reuters that the technical complexity and need for “on-the-spot decisions” were beyond its abilities. “It seemed a good idea to us to have only one decision-maker, and we naturally decided to hand the reins over to Wally,” Thomas was quoted as saying.

Thomas added that Hermès is selling its stake in the WHY project to Wally, though it will receive commissions on megayacht contracts sold through the next decade.

While no contracts have been announced yet, the design and build teams did create a full-scale mockup last year. This two-minute video shows how that mockup came together, from May to September. The video is actually a cleverly strung-together series of photos, taken every few days:

If you attended last week’s Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, then no doubt you saw this unusual tender. You may have even hitched a ride onboard.

It’s called the electric sofa boat. And it’s being marketed as a zero-emission, more appealing method of transport particularly for families and women.

Measuring 3.5 meters (about 11½ feet), the electric sofa boat is the brainchild of a company called Abra Marine, based in the United Arab Emirates. Martin Mai, managing director of Abra Marine, says, “I wanted to offer boats that were enjoyable to women and families – low noise, easy-to-handle craft that are perfect for quiet sundowners or a more glamorous arrival at a private yacht than in a tender.” A joystick takes care of steering, and it runs on rechargeable batteries that reportedly allow 12 hours of continuous, quiet operation.

Creature comforts include a sun canopy over the seating area, which can also be folded down, as seen in the photo above. The soft-foam perimeter should prevent marring your superyacht when it pulls up alongside. Options include leather seats, cocktail tables, a stereo, and even a two-sofa setup.

Abra Marine is also developing a solar-powered sofa boat, with solar panels that are said to generate 1,000 kW at their peak, translating to 10 continuous hours of operation. In the meantime, an alternate choice is the “B2B” model, which is being promoted as a way to have confidential business meetings on the water. Whether the idea catches on or not, it’s worth noting that the B2B includes laptop docking stations and a handy refrigerator.

The electric sofa boat is available through Belevari Marine, an Abu Dhabi-based brokerage and charter company. The basic model is offered at AED59,000 (United Arab Emirates dirhams), which is about $16,070. Belevari Marine also anticipates chartering the boats within Abu Dhabi.

Some of you may be shaking your heads over this sofa boat, but something tells me it’s going to appeal to at least one owner.