Thursday September 4th, 2025 2:28PM

James Bond spy craft featured at New York City boat show

By The Associated Press
<p>Tucked away in a corner of the vast hall, all but lost amid the glistening white luxury cruisers and speedy runabouts, five of James Bond's film dreamboats were showing their stuff _ nautical, but hardly naughty.</p><p>The featured attractions, which will come to Atlanta after this year's New York National Boat Show lasting through Sunday, were not drawing much attention on a recent exhibition day. But there's a Steven Hauptman in every crowd, even a sparse one.</p><p>The Long Island teenager was having a private ball ogling the sleek fantasy craft that the various 007s used to overwhelm _ or escape from _ an endless variety of villains.</p><p>By his own account, Steven, 17, has about $5,000 worth of James Bond memorabilia, from action figures to DVDs of every film to autographs of some actors, and said he is re-reading his collection of first editions of every book by Bond creator Ian Fleming.</p><p>"He even had a Bond theme for his bar mitzvah," said Steven's approving father, David, who did most of the talking. "He had a tuxedo, we played Bond music, we had centerpieces with the Bond posters, and the cake was a James Bond cake." Steven invited Pierce Brosnan, the Bond of the moment, who didn't show up but "he sent me a note."</p><p>Steven's bar mitzvah present was a trip to London "to visit all the Bond sites," the elder Hauptman said.</p><p>The "Boats of Bond" include a tow sled from the 1965 film, "Thunderball," the second of the Bond series; a "bath-o-sub" from "Diamonds Are Forever," made in 1971; the Amazon chase boat from "Moonraker;" the Neptune submarine from "For Your Eyes Only," 1981, and "Q's jet boat" from the 1999 film, "The World is Not Enough."</p><p>A video screen shows scenes from the films in which the boats on display can be seen.</p><p>Other Bond items on display include a copy of Odd Job's "death hat" from "Goldfinger," a briefcase from "From Russia With Love," a throwing star from "You Only Live Twice," a photograph of "Dr. No," and a SPECTRE ring from "Thunderball."</p><p>The Bond boats are not for sale, said Todd Scott, a Baltimore publicist who played a key role in obtaining them on loan from the Ian Fleming Foundation, a private group dedicated to the study and preservation of the British novelist's legacy and impact on 20th century culture. Other boats on display can be purchased for up to $1.7 million.</p><p>From New York the Bond boats will travel to other shows in Atlanta, Baltimore and Atlantic City.</p>
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