Mystery buyer wants fleet of replica steam liners

Mystery buyer wants fleet of replica steam liners
Industry insiders are reporting that a mystery buyer has approached a number of shipyards seeking to build a fleet of steamships to satisfy a childhood ambition.

A shipyard source, speaking anonymously to Shipping Times said that their shipyard had been contacted by an eccentric retired businessman who wanted to know if it was possible to build replicas of famous 1920's liners such as AQUITANIA. "It would appear," said our source, "that we are not the only ones to have been approached. Other yards across the world have been contacted by him. He means business."

Passing comment our source claims that the man is believed to be a former shipping magnate who sold up in the 1970's but has long dreamed of recalling the great days of steam. "Now that he is getting much older he wants his dream to come true and it seems now he just doesn't care whether or not it is feasible or profitable. That is not his motive."

Rather than build a company of cruise ships to make money it would appear the closet enthusiast simply wants to see replicas of old liners sailing the seas again.

"It's what you might call a hobby to him now." another source told Shipping Times, "When he was in the shipping business of course he ran it simply to increase shareholder value, then sold up when the price was right.

"Losing the need to make any more money at shipping now he wants to put it back to create a fantastic fleet of steamships. Ever since he was a boy he dreamed of owning the beautiful ships he saw in his youth. Ships like the AQUITANIA especially "

Fincantieri may have been approached, but no-one is saying one way or the other.

Of course the spanner in the works for our mystery man is that it would be difficult to find a builder who could engineer exact replicas of the engines of the twenties, such as the triple expansion or steam turbines of the era.

"Our understanding though is that he will not go ahead with ships fitted with anything else. He wants the real deal." said the source.

"Let's just say finance is no problem to him, just the technicalities," he went on "If it happens, it will be truly fantastic."