Yachting
Moran's first boat was purchased in the 1940s; a 19-foot Chris-Craft. From that point, he was hooked. Boats and entertaining on them was Jim Moran's passion. In his lifetime, he owned more than 200, including models from Burger, Wellcraft Scarab, Hatteras, Sea Ray, Rybovich and multi-million dollar motor yachts from Feadship. In 1983, he asked Feadship to design a boat large enough to be seaworthy for ocean cruising but elegant for entertaining business associates. Over the next 20+ years, Moran commissioned seven more vessels from the company.
His modus operandi was to commission a yacht, take delivery (boats usually took 18–24 months to build), use it for a couple of years, then commission a new yacht with improvements. When the new boat was finished, he would sell the old boat at a profit and repeat the cycle.
Jim Moran had a significant influence on yachting. ShowBoats International presented him with their first Flagship Award in 2006. It was awarded because "he progressively pushed the envelope on technology and innovation...generously shared his yachting experience with his employees and charitable organizations...plus his life-time commitment to stewardship of the environment"
The Yacht Club of Monaco and sponsor, Hublot presented him with the Yachting Heritage Award for "innovation in yacht design and technology with a commitment to ocean preservation".
Jim Moran and his wife Jan were founding members of the International SeaKeepers Society, who renamed their calibration lab and engineering office in Moran's honor after his death. They were also included in the two-star Admiral's Club.
Mr. Moran was posthumously honored on April 18, 2008 in Venice, Italy with a special Superyacht Legacy Award from Boat International that recognized his contributions to yacht design, ocean conservation efforts, boating enthusiasm and philanthropy.
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