Saddam's Love Boat Sets Sale

British yacht crew says they were scared, but treated well

(NEWSER) - The five British yachtsmen Iran captured en route to Dubai say they have no complaints about their treatment. The sailors described their ordeal at a news conference today, saying they were held in a “perfectly reasonable room,” where they played chess and darts and were exceedingly well nourished. “If anything, we may be a bit overweight because they were feeding us so much,” said one. More»

Barges or an ocean condo offer less cost, commitment than owning a yacht

(NEWSER) - A boat makes a great getaway home, but mooring and maintenance can turn ownership into an expensive hassle. A few alternatives have cropped up that offer the pleasures of sea living without requiring the vacationer to buy in hook, line, and sinker, USA Today reports:

• The World. The first condo cruise ship travels around the globe with the residents of its 165 apartments. All rooms have been sold, but units are available on the secondary market, or for rent.

Wife hears sounds of a scuffle, then silence

(NEWSER) - A British yachtsman was killed off the coast of Thailand by three fisherman-pirates who locked his wife in the cabin, reports the Times of London. The body of the vacationing 64-year-old businessman was not found, but police believe he was thrown overboard after his throat was cut. His wife managed to free herself after ten hours tied in ropes and found blood on the deck. More»

High-roller owns yacht, jets, and properties up and down East Coast

(NEWSER) - If disgraced money-man Bernard Madoff felt any guilt about his Ponzi-scheme hedge fund, you'd never know it. Now that he's under house arrest, his "lifestyle of the rich and infamous" is somewhat limited, but in a fitting tribute to a man who just fleeced investors of $50 billion, CNN Money put together a list of his princely possessions:

• His Manhattan Upper East Side digs cost more than $5 million.
• Ironically christened “Bull," his 55-foot yacht is currently parked on the French Riviera. It was built by a boatyard that boasts a long list of clients, including Ernest Hemingway and a Chicago mobster.