Spend $11M To Own This Italian Outdoor-Loving Yacht and Wow All Your Friends

Folks, the machine we're about to embark upon is dubbed the Zout. It's a Maiora 30 Convertible yacht built by none other than the folks at, well, Maiora Yachts, the one and the same that saw its beginning in 1981 and is part of the Fipa Group. Best of all, Zout is up for sale for nearly €10M ($11M at current exchange rates), so hang on to your lifesavers for this one.

To understand more about what's going on here, let's explore more of the base model that Maiora offers, the 30 Convertible. This ship is the kind designed for the outdoor and sun-loving two-legged lizards (humans) among us.

In particular, it comes to the yachting game with expansive and beam-to-beam exterior spaces with a full walk-around the entire main lounge. The upper level, or the sun deck and flybridge, are also designed to maximize the amount of light hitting your skin, with a tad of shade when needed, provided by a hard-top bimini.

Then there's the front of the ship. Not only does the flybridge include a large forward-facing lounge, but with a few steps down, guests will find themselves back on the main deck. Set up some portable lounge beds here, and that's that. We can thank none other than Studio Quartostile Italian Design for the looks this series brings to the yachting game.

Another aspect of this vessel's exterior design is the heavy use of glass. Unlike many yachts that aim to give owners as much privacy as possible, the Convertible seems to promise the opposite, made possible by the heavy use of glass on all three decks. Whoever will be the eventual owner of this ship, they'd better have nothing to hide.

For a moment, kick back and relax, in the process, picturing yourself upon a 30 Convertible. You may find yourself soaking up rays from the sun during the day and, come night, a tad of lounging, chit-chatting, and enjoying a drink, all in the wake of a full moon and a starry sky above, to be enjoyed from the flybridge.

If it's dinner time, the main deck also includes a simple yet elegant alfresco dining lounge, and with a few steps more towards the rear of the 30, you'll be able to dive into the local waters around you, be it day or night. Although, the latter isn't recommended while you can't see what's lurking in the waters below.

If outdoor activities aren't your thing, let's just head on inside and envelope ourselves in the work of none other than Fossati Design Bureau, a crew known for designing some of Italy's most lavish residences and sea-faring vessels. In short, flawless Italian living is the vibe here.

To continue our tour, let's start on the main deck and go from there. As we do, we find ourselves in the center of a large lounge with two back-to-back L-shaped couches, one of which is for watching some TV and the other just for socializing or taking a nap.

Toward the front of this deck, we'll pass a galley on our left and stairways for accessing other decks, too, but the remainder of this level is reserved for nothing more than a large owner's stateroom with an ensuite bathroom and his-and-her dressers. Picture waking up as clouds and waves are rolling by. All the while, you're watching it happen with a coffee in your hands and a bathrobe to dry you off from a fresh shower.

The lowest deck on the 30 Convertible and the Zout, too, is reserved for nothing more than the remaining guest staterooms. In all, eight more guests will be accommodated in four staterooms decked out similarly to that of the owners with matching themes and all.

As for the Zout, my explorations into this listing on Northrop & Johnson (brokerage firm) revealed that the images they show of the Zout match the ones used by Maiora in the presentation brochure. Could the Zout be the first documented 30 Convertible? That might just be the case.

According to the brokers of this deal, future owners of the Zout will also be looking forward to features like a wine cellar, a hammam, a side-loading garage suitable for toys and/or a 6.2-meter (20 ft) tender, crane service, and several appliances that are designed to help you spend a much time at sea as possible, or at least until you run out of food, drinks, or fuel. According to the manufacturer, up to 1,150 nautical miles (1,323 miles) can be covered if you cruise at a speed of only 10 knots (11.5 mph).

Speaking of speed, two MTU V16 engines bring 2,600 hp each and are powerful enough to move you and your guests around at speeds upwards of 27 knots (31 mph), even though this beauty is over 100 feet (30 m) long. All that's left to do now is balance those checkbooks, call up your friends, and change up your lifestyle.