14 Replies to "Seen off West Seattle shores: Superyacht Albatross"

• Me April 17, 2016 (3:47 pm)

  Just to Elliott Bay for testing. Back to South Park Thursday.

  • WSB April 17, 2016 (3:56 pm)

    Thanks, “Me.” I checked our archives and we hadn’t mentioned it before, so it was a good excuse to take a look (and test our new long lens) … TR

• wsguy April 17, 2016 (7:29 pm)

  Actually heading north for some work then back to Delta.  

• pupsarebest April 17, 2016 (9:33 pm)

  So grattifying to see the top 1/10th of 1% are managing to hang in there. 😄

  • pupsarebest April 17, 2016 (9:46 pm)

    “gratifying”

• 935 April 17, 2016 (10:05 pm)

  ^^ eyeroll….

• Eric1 April 17, 2016 (11:52 pm)

  Don’t hate the 0.1%.  Trickle down economics works to some extent.  I know that the Delta shipyard employs a lot of skilled labor that makes more than most.

  ….

  When you have an extra 80M laying around, you gotta spend it on something fun. I don’t think many wives would go for the “real-estate” investment angle on the Playboy mansion….  Even without the bunnies.  No helipad so the wife would buy that the fishing trip excuse actually involves chasing the finned kind.

  • B April 18, 2016 (2:53 am)

    Slave labor ‘works to some extent’ too, assuming the slaves get fed and housed. This is just another example why the top tax bracket needs to be raised back up.

    Imagine if the shipyard, instead of building toys for the rich, was instead being payed to build more ferries (or water taxis). Same employment, better result.

    • Overthere April 18, 2016 (11:49 am)

      Let me see if I have this straight, tax the rich more so the state can squander the money. That is sound economic policy.

• K. Davis April 18, 2016 (8:00 am)

  B … As a liberal Democrat, I nonetheless find your comment pretty wildly detached from reality.   Are you opposed to people being “too rich”?  Or what is your point?  

  .

  Your “imagine” thought sounds lovely … Just requires taxpayers wiling to pay to build your ferries or water taxis.  And how many do we build?  Reality is that companies like Delta need private clients who have the money to pay them to build their expensive toys … doubt you’d hear much complaining from them about this business.  

• B April 18, 2016 (8:14 am)

  Hardly detached from reality when the top tax bracket was much higher up until the last two decades. I have no problem with rich people as long as they pay taxes – and we can see how well they do that from the Panama Papers.

  I’d like several more ferries and taxis so that we could have more mobility than 120 people every hour. The naval yard can make ferries or taxis if they can make fancy yachts.

  • WSB April 18, 2016 (8:26 am)

    Sure, they *can* – but somebody’s got to pay for them. The new water taxis, by the way, carry 279 people – 120 was the capacity of the replaced Spirit of Kingston. If and when they are routinely running at capacity, you would certainly see a push to build new ones; also, the county is moving toward exploring a few other possible runs, including one from Ballard to downtown, and one on Lake Washington. The county obtained federal grants to pay most of the cost of these two new boats; the upcoming Viaduct closure will be a test of whether they can fill the seats … TR

• Eric1 April 18, 2016 (1:08 pm)

  B. Perhaps you missed my sarcasm. But since you are going there;  Do you ever buy things “tax free” online? Shopped in Oregon for stuff you bring back to WA?  If you didn’t send the tax equivalent to Olympia, you are dodging taxes.  Oh, but you say that you pay your fair share otherwise? Yep, the rich feel that way too. They are just a little smarter about it (maybe that is why they are rich).

  .

  Look. People can hate Bill Gates all they want.  But his property taxes on his house exceed $1,000,000 per year. Even if he dodges all other taxes, his net tax  benefit to WA exceeds 99.99% of the rest of us.  I’d rather have more rich people around me than bums. If you can afford an 80M ship, more power to you. Sure, most of us could find better uses for the money but what if it really was Bill’s  boat? Does it negate the billions he has donated to charity? We are going to hate because he spent 0.1% of his money on a toy?   For the average American, 0.1% is something like $200 so buying anything more than a cheap Kayak should incur our wrath? What about $2000 bikes? Cars more than 20K? The cost of toys is all relative so just be happy what you have and don’t hate on others for being rich OR poor.

  .

  We know nothing about the buyer. They could range from the nicest guy to the worst dictator. Just be happy they chose an US yard and not a foreign one.

• Sickofwhiners April 18, 2016 (5:21 pm)

  Wow, really tired of all the people who just hate on anyone who has it better than them. ” B” you wouldn’t know this but a few years back the shipyard did some proposals for ferries but the DOT never went through with it. My guess there wasn’t enough money. Meanwhile the yacht manufacturer continues to build yachts for billionaires. Millions of dollars pumped into our local economy WOW”B” what a horrible thing. Also the shipyard  employs over 400 people providing good wages, medical, dental and optical insurance for them and their families.l) WOW “B” that is terrible. Not to mention the hundreds of local businesses that benefit from the shipyard spending millions of dollars  on their products. “B” you really need to look at things differently without being such a hater. If you even have a job I bet who ever signs your check has a lot more money than you. Do you hate them for it?

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