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What Happens After a Superyacht Is Seized? It’s Uncharted Territory.

It's one thing to confiscate a yacht, another to sell it. analysts expect legal battles and hefty maintenance costs while the vessels are impounded., jaclyn trop, jaclyn trop's most recent stories.

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Six weeks after Russia invaded Ukraine, authorities are detaining more luxury yachts in global ports than ever. This week’s tally includes 12 vessels under construction in The Netherlands —the world’s foremost superyacht builder—and a $120 million yacht seized in Spanish waters on an FBI warrant.

The US Department of Justice worked with Spanish authorities to capture the 255-foot Tango , owned by Motiv Telecom founder Viktor Vekselberg. The US has joined a growing number of countries detaining superyachts suspected of belonging to businessmen connected to Vladimir Putin.

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“ Tango is not the first time the United States has ever asked a foreign government to assist in executing a warrant,” said Stefan Cassella, a lawyer who served as Chief of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section in the US Attorney’s Office in Maryland. “But it does seem to be the first time it’s happened in the context of property belonging to a Russian oligarch who was evading sanctions.”

Yacht seizures have been targeting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s cronies, and Putin himself. It’s rumored that he owns the $700-million Scheherazade, which is being held by Italian authorities.  Courtesy AP/Sputnik

US Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Monday that Tango “will not be the last” yacht belonging to members of Putin’s inner circle to be confiscated.

Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Finland and The Netherlands have detained over the last month billions of dollars in vessels believed to be owned by sanctioned Russians. Last week, the UK government seized its first superyacht, the 192-foot, $45 million Phi   in London’s Canary Wharf.

“The current situation is unprecedented,” Benjamin Maltby, partner at Keystone Law in the UK and an expert in yacht and luxury-asset law, told Robb Report.

The 433-foot Crescent was seized on March 17 by Spanish authorities.  Courtesy Sipa USA via AP

Most large yachts are registered by offshore corporations in island tax havens to obscure their ownership. “If the owner wants to make it difficult, then it can be very hard to trace,” Maltby said . Owners often use shareholders, directors and family members as proxies. The Phi , for example, is registered to a company based in the Caribbean but flies the Maltese flag.

The multinational effort to seize oligarch-owned yachts—which often come with swimming pools, helipads, and millions of dollars in annual maintenance fees—is expected to put economic pressure on Putin and his allies. Owning a superyacht, the ultimate status symbol, is practically a prerequisite for joining Russia’s oligarchy.

But there are multiple legal considerations. Freezing a yacht means that the owner can’t sell the ship or transfer ownership, or provide maintenance services. However, the sanctions don’t allow countries to take ownership of oligarch-owned yachts, giving rise to uncertainties over the fates of the superyachts accumulating in shipyards throughout Europe.

The seizure of Tango on Monday involved Spanish authorities working with FBI agents. The US seized the yacht after connecting it to Putin crony Viktor Vekselberg.  Courtesy AP/Francisco Ubilla

Maintaining a yacht is an expensive endeavor because it is continually exposed to the elements. “A vessel is treated very much like a person or corporation,” Michael Karcher, a maritime lawyer with Robert Allen Law in Miami, told Robb Report. “The boat can run up its own bills. Then, if the yacht is in someone’s boatyard, there’s the question of ‘Can we do any business with them?’”

The ripple effect extends to caterers, yacht brokers, mortgage and insurance companies, and dozens of other industries connected to the yacht’s operation and maintenance.

“When a yacht is seized while in a yard, the owner will remain liable for the maintenance costs,” Maltby said. “But if the owner is unable to pay, the yard is left in a difficult position.”

Equanimity was seized by Malaysia and sold off in 2019 for half of its value. But the yachting world has never seen anything like the mass seizures taking place with the Russian oligarchs.  Courtesy AP

The situation remains unclear for the shipyards and marinas docking the yachts.

Karcher said that he receives calls from shipyards each time the Treasury Department sends a new round of sanctioned names, asking whether they’ve dealt with anyone on the list. “Some are saying, ‘Hey, who is this guy.’ Then they realize there’s this boat taking up a few hundred feet of dock space. ‘Who’s going to pay for it?’”

The answer may vary by jurisdiction.

Roman Abramovich, who was in Turkey earlier this week to observe the peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. His $600 million Solaris set sail from Istanbul for international waters this week, while his other yacht Eclipse remains in that country. Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives are not seizing the Russian oligarchs’ yachts, so many targeted vessels have moved into those waters.  Courtesy AP

The British government has said that Phi ’s owner will be held responsible for all maintenance costs while the boat is ordered to remain at Canary Wharf in London’s docklands. One legal expert said Spanish authorities are likely to maintain Tango while in their custody.

But at most marinas, “yard invoices are indeed just stacking up—unpaid and un-payable,” Maltby said. “Yet the judicial mechanisms for liquidation remain in place. Will we see some bargains coming onto the market in the summer months?”

Many analysts expect protracted lawsuits. “The United States and Western countries have considerable authority to seize property, but less authority to keep it,” wrote Jonathan Turley in USA Today . “The reason is that, unlike Russia, these countries are bound by property rights and rules of due process.”

Lady M was seized by Italian tax authorities on March 5. Owner Alexei Mordashov is on the sanctions list.  Courtesy AP

To take ownership of an oligarch’s yacht, governments have to show that the property was part of a crime. Turley wrote that it may be challenging for prosecutors to prove that the yachts are the result of “proceeds of illegal activity” rather than purchased via legitimate business channels. The seizures could take years in the courts to sort out.

For the moment, the yacht confiscations and freezing of assets seem to be accelerating. The list of detained superyachts include the $580 million Sailing Yacht A owned by coal and fertilizer magnet Andrey Melnichenko; the $153 million Valerie belonging to Sergei Chemezov, CEO of Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec; and t he $120 million Amore Vero linked to Russian oligarch Igor Sechin.

Others are under the watchful eye of the US, UK, and EU, as well as amateurs watching VesselFinder ,  MarineTraffic , and other location-monitoring apps.

Town residents in La Ciotat, France, look at the impounded Amore Vera , owned by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin.  Courtesy AP

On Monday, Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich moved his $600 million Solaris from a Turkish port and into international waters. His $1.5 billion Eclipse , one of the world’s longest and most expensive superyachts, remains docked off the coast of Turkey. Abramovich is believed to own several other yachts as well.

Meanwhile, police in Italy are investigating the Scheherazade , a 460-foot superyacht thought to belong to Vladimir Putin that remains docked at a Tuscan resort.

No yachts have been seized in US waters, but the Biden administration has taken aggressive measures to punish Russians who have benefitted from “ill-begotten gains,” as President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address last month.

Seizing a yacht is easy, selling it is much more complicated. Analysts expect many legal battles over the yachts.  Courtesy AP

Authorities say many yachts remain in international waters or docked in countries that have not imposed sanctions , such as the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and the Maldives.

That island nation is said to have a half-dozen Russian-owned superyachts in its waters, including Andrey Melnichenko’s 390-foot Motor Yacht A . The country’s chief prosecutor, Hussain Shameem, told Reuters that the idea of confiscating a Russian superyacht was “far-fetched” because of the country’s rudimentary legal system and lack of a military.

Congress is considering a bi-partisan bill called “Yachts for Ukraine” that would allow authorities to seize Russian-owned assets of $5 million or more. The bill permits the government to sell the assets and send the cash to aid humanitarian and reconstruction efforts in Ukraine. The Department of Justice also announced a $5 million reward for tips leading to yacht owners on the sanctions list, but so far has not disbursed any reward money.

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Billionaire Roman Abramovich’s yacht is ‘the prize to seize’ amid Russia conflict

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Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s $500 million megayacht is the prize piece of hardware the international community wants to seize from the oligarchs, according to insiders.

Eclipse , the second-largest superyacht in the world, which is currently moored in St. Maarten, is equipped with a military-grade missile detection system, bulletproof glass, and a three-person submarine that is capable of submerging to 50 meters — sparking speculation that the vessel could be a refuge for President Vladimir Putin, of whom Abramovich is said to be a close confidant.

One Russian source told Page Six, “Yachts generally do not have bulletproof glass and antiballistic missile defenses. People in Russia and the Ukraine believe it was built for Putin. That yacht will definitely be top of the list to be seized by the Americans or the Europeans.”

Abramovich — who has always denied a personal link to Putin — nevertheless has been in Belarus helping with cease-fire talks with the Ukrainians on behalf of the Russians.

And he’s selling his prized Chelsea Football Club in the UK as he reportedly is rushing to offload assets including multiple properties in England before he is hit with possible sanctions.

Eclipse has hosted a litany of stars and power brokers over the years including Paul McCartney and Leonardo DiCaprio and has been at Abramovich’s annual New Year’s Eve party in St. Barts.

The vessel — built by renowned German shipbuilder Blohm + Voss — has three helipads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, several hot tubs, and a disco hall. Around 70 crew members are needed to operate it.

It even is reported to boast an anti-paparazzi system that detects the use of digital cameras to click photographs of the boat and uses lasers to disrupt a potential photograph.

A spokesman for Abramovich didn’t immediately get back to us.

The first Russian yacht that appears to have been seized is owned by billionaire Alisher Usmanov. His 512-foot yacht Dilbar, valued at nearly $600 million, has been impounded by German authorities in Hamburg, where it was undergoing repairs, Forbes reported .

The ship has been in the yards of shipbuilder Blohm + Voss since late October for a refitting job, the outlet reported, adding the German government froze the asset.

Usmanov reportedly bought Dilbar in 2016 for $600 million, custom-built by German shipbuilder Lürssen, which describes it as “One of the most complex and challenging yachts ever built, in terms of both dimensions and technology. At 15,917 tons, the 156-meter superyacht features entertainment and recreation spaces never before seen on a yacht. These include a 25-meter swimming pool that holds an incredible 180 m³ of water, the largest pool ever to have been installed on a yacht.” It can host 24 people in 12 suites and carries a crew of nearly 100.

Multibillionaire Usmanov’s fortune spans stakes in iron ore and steel giant Metalloinvest and consumer electronics firm Xiaomi, Forbes also reported. He is of the earliest investors in Facebook, a former stakeholder of Arsenal Football Club and also owns impressive real estate assets in the West, from two estates in the UK — Beechwood House in London and Sutton Place in Surrey, valued at a combined $280 million — to luxury homes across Germany, Switzerland, Monaco and Sardinia.

Usmanov said in a statement that he had been targeted by “restrictive measures” by the European Union, and “I believe that such decision is unfair, and the reasons employed to justify the sanctions are a set of false and defamatory allegations damaging my honor, dignity, and business reputation,” he wrote. “I will use all legal means to protect my honor and reputation.”

The move comes after President Biden fired a warning shot at the oligarchs during his State of the Union address , saying, “We are joining with our European allies to find and seize your yachts, your luxury apartments, your private jets.”

And French authorities have seized a yacht that they say is linked to Russian oligarch Igor Sechin, considered a close ally and “de facto deputy” of Putin. 

The 280-foot Amore Velo was taken on March 2 in La Ciotat Shipyards, in the South of France, the country’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, announced on Twitter .

Meanwhile, a growing number of superyachts belonging to Russian tycoons have made their way to the Indian Ocean , cruising around the Maldives and Seychelles. 

And according to German reports, Putin’s own superyacht slipped out of European Union waters a few days before the invasion of Ukraine to avoid being impounded.

The $100 million vessel named Graceful left port in Hamburg abruptly before finishing repairs, according to the reports from German newspaper Bild , moving into Russian waters near Kaliningrad along the Baltic coast.

The superyacht features an indoor pool that can be transformed into a dance floor as well as a helipad, and can accommodate 14 guests.

But despite the craft being out of the reach of the EU, members of the “hacktivist” collective Anonymous managed to change Putin’s superyacht’s call sign to “FCKPTN” and the ship’s destination to “hell.”

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Russian oligarch stashes second yacht in Turkey, apparently to beat Ukraine-linked sanctions

March 22, 2022 / 7:55 AM EDT / CBS/AP

Ankara, Turkey — A second superyacht belonging to Chelsea soccer club owner and sanctioned Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has docked in a resort in southwestern Turkey - a country that's not applying sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine , Turkish media reports said Tuesday.

The private DHA news agency said the Bermuda-registered Eclipse docked at a port in the resort of Marmaris amid international efforts to freeze assets belonging to top Russian businessmen linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A day earlier, Abramovich's Bermuda-flagged luxury yacht My Solaris arrived in the nearby resort of Bodrum, triggering a protest by a group of Ukrainians who boarded a small motor boat and tried to prevent the yacht from docking.

Last week, the European Union updated a list of individuals facing asset freezes and travel bans over their ties to the Kremlin and began imposing sanctions on Abramovich. The 55-year-old had already been punished in Britain.

NATO-member Turkey has close ties to both Russia and Ukraine. It has criticized Moscow's invasion of Ukraine but has also positioned itself as a neutral party trying to mediate between the two.

Abramovich announced earlier this month that he's selling the Chelsea club. Abramovich said the sale won't "be fast-tracked but will follow due process" and that the net proceeds will go to victims in Ukraine.

"This has never been about business nor money for me, but about pure passion for the game and Club," he said. 

Forbes has valued Abramovich's net worth  at $12.4 billion  while Chelsea was worth an  estimated $3.2 billion  in 2021. The 55-year-old, who was once Russia's richest man, said he will set up a foundation to which net proceeds from the sale will be donated.

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Roman Abramovich’s $1bn five-yacht fleet revealed

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Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich owns or is linked to a collection of five yachts estimated to be worth almost $1bn, including several vessels whose ownership remained secret until this week.

A Financial Times investigation into the billionaire’s assets has lifted the veil of secrecy he maintains over his wealth, even after the UK and EU imposed sanctions on him following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for his allegedly close relationship with President Vladimir Putin.

Authorities in the UK and EU are attempting to identify all of the assets owned by sanctioned oligarchs. Abramovich was already widely reported to be the owner of Solaris and Eclipse — worth $474mn and $437mn, respectively, according to yacht data service VesselsValue. But the FT revealed this week that he also owns Halo and Garçon, which are both moored in Antigua.

The Antiguan government was unaware of the ownership of the boats docked on the island before inquiries from the FT, highlighting the scale of the challenge UK and EU authorities face in enforcing sanctions.

Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank said governments, banks and other institutions trying to enforce sanctions had to navigate a world where “ownership trails run cold and morph into a haze of front companies, nominees and cut-outs”.

Halo and Garçon are valued at $38mn and $20mn, respectively, and are now at risk of being seized.

In a letter to the British high commissioner to Barbados regarding the yachts, Antiguan minister of foreign affairs Paul Chet Greene said the island would “provide full assistance to the government of the United Kingdom” if it receives a request under the two nations’ Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.

The letter noted that Antigua had requested information on the company that owns the two boats — British Virgin Islands-registered Wenham Overseas Limited — after “persistent allegations by the Financial Times that the vessels could be owned by Mr Roman Abramovich”.

In response, the British high commission provided Antiguan authorities with a letter, seen by the FT, “from the Financial Investigation Agency of the British Virgin Islands which states the beneficial owner of Wenham Overseas Ltd is Roman Abramovich”.

The letter also shows the billionaire’s address in Switzerland is listed simply as “Immeuble, Gatzby Le Magnifique”, which translates as “The Great Gatsby Building”.

Keatinge described the UK’s ability to demand full ownership information of companies registered in any of its overseas territories or crown dependencies as its “most powerful global weapon” in combating financial secrecy.

However, he asked: “How much is that weapon being used?”

A person with knowledge of Abramovich’s boat collection and documents seen by the FT indicate that the oligarch may also still be the owner of Sussurro, the first yacht he bought in 1998, despite reports he had given it to an ex-wife in a divorce.

The person who correctly identified the two yachts in Antigua as belonging to Abramovich told the FT the oligarch still owned Sussurro.

The vessel’s owner is listed in maritime registers as Vesuvius International Limited in the British Virgin Islands. BVI documents show this company was deregistered there in 2017. Another Vesuvius International was registered in Jersey the same year.

The owner of Jersey-based Vesuvius International is listed as Wotton Overseas Holdings Limited. This entity — which shifted from the BVI to Jersey in 2017 — is also the owner through a subsidiary of a helicopter that has been photographed landing on Abramovich’s Solaris several times.

Maritime tracking services show Sussurro, which means “whisper” in Italian and is valued at $11mn, is moored in La Ciotat in the south of France — the same port where the French government last month seized a $116mn superyacht belonging to a company tied to Igor Sechin, head of Russian oil group Rosneft.

Sussurro’s management company is Blue Ocean Management, a Cyprus-based company that also manages Le Grand Bleu, a 113-metre superyacht that Abramovich reportedly gave to his business associate Eugene Shvidler.

The UK placed Shvidler under sanctions last week.

The letter from the BVI’s financial investigation agency to its British counterparts also reveals that the owner of Le Grand Blue — Ashchurch Holdings Limited — is owned by “Zarui Shvidler”. Shvidler’s wife is commonly known as Zara Shvidler.

VesselsValue pegged Le Grand Bleu’s market value in a range of $110mn-$130mn, noting that the boat had last been tracked this week in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Puerto Rico.

Representatives for Abramovich and Shvidler did not respond to requests for comment.

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A $700 million superyacht owned by the sanctioned oligarch Roman Abramovich is sailing toward his other $600 million vessel in the Mediterranean

• Two superyachts owned by the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich are sailing around the Mediterranean.
• Abramovich's Eclipse is heading in the direction of his Solaris yacht, ship-tracking data shows.
• There was no destination port for either superyacht listed on MarineTraffic's website.

A $700 million superyacht belonging to the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich seems to be heading toward his other $600 million vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, ship-tracking data shows.

MarineTraffic's map suggests that if the two superyachts keep on their current courses, they would eventually meet in the Ionian Sea, a part of the Mediterranean separating Greece and Italy.

Eclipse, Abramovich's 533-foot superyacht, was just off the coast of Algeria on Tuesday, sailing east across the Mediterranean Sea, MarineTraffic data indicated . The ship — worth $700 million, according to SuperYacht Fan — has been underway from St. Martin in the Caribbean since February 21, the data shows.

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Abramovich's 460-foot vessel, Solaris, which was off the eastern coast of Italy on Friday, was between the coasts of southeastern Italy and Albania on Tuesday, MarineTraffic data indicated . The website showed Solaris moving south.

Some Russian oligarchs and billionaires believed to have close ties to President Vladimir Putin — including Abramovich — are moving themselves, their yachts , and their private jets in the wake of sanctions announced by international governments. Their assets could be seized as part of measures aimed at the Russian elite in response to Moscow's decision to invade Ukraine.

Abramovich is one of seven Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK on Thursday. The sanctions include freezing their assets and barring them from doing business with the country.

Other jurisdictions, including the European Union, have announced similar sanctions. Spanish authorities said on Monday that they had seized a $153 million superyacht that was later linked to the Russian oligarch Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of the Russian state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec and a close ally of Putin.

There was no destination port for Eclipse or Solaris listed on MarineTraffic's website, so it's unclear where Abramovich's superyachts will dock next. Solaris — worth $600 million, according to SuperYacht Fan — had been docked in a Spanish shipyard since late 2021 for repairs until it departed last week.

Reuters first reported that Abramovich was spotted in a VIP lounge at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Monday — the same day that flight-tracking data indicated a private jet linked to him flew from Israel to Istanbul. It was unclear whether Abramovich was on the plane, Reuters reported.

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Here are the superyachts seized from Russian oligarchs

As part of an international pressure campaign on Russia, authorities from around the world have seized more than a half-dozen superyachts belonging to billionaire oligarchs allied with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The yacht seizures since the Feb. 24 invasion are "just the beginning," White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters in March, as an international task force worked to identify further assets that can be seized or frozen.

“The Justice Department will be relentless in our efforts to hold accountable those who facilitate the death and destruction we are witnessing in Ukraine,” U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said of the ongoing efforts in May.

Here are the superyachts government officials have seized since Russia invaded Ukraine last month.

The Justice Department announced May 5 that the Fijian government had seized billionaire oligarch Suleiman Kerimov 's 348-foot yacht Amadea. The vessel, which is valued at more than $300 million , arrived in Fiji last month. Kerimov, who's worth an estimated $14 billion and has ties to the Russian government, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department over alleged money laundering in 2018.

Special features on the sprawling yacht include a helipad, infinity pool, a jacuzzi and multiple bars, according to a report in Boat International . It can accommodate 16 overnight guests in addition to 36 crew members, the report said.

In April, Spanish law-enforcement officials seized a 255-foot yacht called the Tango, which Justice Department says is owned by oligarch Viktor Vekselberg. Vekselberg is an aluminum magnate who the Treasury Department says has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Tango is worth an estimated $90 million, prosecutors said , and Vekselberg allegedly purchased it through shell companies. The 11-year-old yacht has seven staterooms and reportedly includes amenities such as a pool, gym and beauty salon .

Authorities in Italy seized a 215-foot superyacht called the Lady M this month. It's owned by Alexei Mordashov, Russia's richest businessman, and it’s estimated to be worth $27 million . The vessel, which requires a crew of 14, has six guest cabins , a pool and a gym.

But it pales in comparison to another of Mordashov's yachts, the $500 million Nord . The 464-foot vessel, which has two helipads and a waterfall and can accommodate 36 guests, was anchored this month in the Seychelles, where the U.S. and European Union sanctions don’t apply.

Italian officials also seized the 132-foot superyacht Lena, owned by the energy magnate Gennady Timchenko. Estimated to be worth $8 million, it has five cabins and can accommodate 10 guests.

SY A — short for Sailing Yacht A — is one of the world's largest superyachts. Valued at over $440 million, the 469-foot vessel, owned by the fertilizer magnate Andrey Melnichenko, has eight decks, multiple elevators, an underwater observation area and the world's tallest masts . It was seized in the Italian port of Trieste.

Authorities in Spain seized Sergei Chemezov's Valerie, a 279-foot superyacht that had been moored in Barcelona. Chemezov , a former KGB officer, heads the state conglomerate Rostec. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez touted the seizure on La Sexta television. “We are talking about a yacht that we estimate is worth $140 million,” Sanchez said.

Officials in France announced this month that they had seized the 289-foot Amore Vero, which was undergoing repairs in a shipyard near Marseille. When they arrived, authorities said, they found the crew preparing for an urgent departure, even though the repair work was scheduled to last through April. The $120 million boat, which has seven cabins , is linked to Igor Sechin, described by the U.S. Treasury Department as a close ally of Putin's.

Dareh Gregorian is a politics reporter for NBC News.

Second Abramovich superyacht docks in sanctions-free Turkey

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• Two yachts are docked in resorts in southwest Turkey
• Turkey says it opposes sanctions imposed by Western allies
• Sources say Abramovich, other Russian investments expected

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Additional reporting by Yesim Dikmen in Istanbul, Ece Toksabay and Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer, Frank Jack Daniel and Alison Williams

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Oligarch's £340m superyacht once owned by Roman Abramovich is seized

The luxury nine-deck boat is now owned by an Azerbaijani oligarch who is a former member of the Russian parliament - although he reportedly denies being the owner

• 22:15, 12 May 2022

A £340 million superyacht boasting its own submarine and once owned by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has been seized in Germany.

The Azerbaijani oligarch-owned luxury vessel is not allowed to leave the Port of Hamburg where its moored, as a result of sanctions put in place targeting those that support Vladimir Putin's regime.

According to Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office, the Liechtenstein Trust is listed as the owner of the boat, called The Luna, and a network of documents seen by police show businessman Farkhad Akhmedov is behind the trust.

The gas tycoon is a former representative in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation - the upper house of the Russian parliament - and lived and worked in London from 1986 to 1994.

Akhmedov, who hit headlines last year during a high profile £450 million divorce battle with his London-based ex wife Tatiana, has reportedly denied being its current owner and has also denied being close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He has been on the EU sanctions list since the beginning of April. Forbes recently estimated his fortune at around USD 1.4 billion (GBP 1.15 billion).

The yacht - which boasts nine decks, a huge swimming pool and a small submarine -must now remain in the port until further notice.

The Luna was first bought by Russian tycoon Roman Abramovich in 2010.

Until recently, Germany was lagging behind other countries in chasing oligarchs' fortunes.

At the beginning of April, the sum of funds frozen in the country amounted to just EUR 125 million (GBP 108 million).But the country has since made swift progress, with the amount now believed to total around EUR 1 billion (GBP 861 million).

The Luna is now the second oligarch vessel to be frozen in the Port of Hamburg by the Federal Criminal Police Office.

The first was the world's largest superyacht Dilbar , which belongs to the sanctioned sister of Uzbek-born Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov.

The yacht, called Dilbar was registered to a holding company in Malta and is 512ft long.

Dilibar was launched in 2016 and is reported to be worth $648million (£493million).

The extravagant deck features an 80ft pool and it has space for two helipads.

Economic sanctions were imposed against Mr Usmanov over his connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin and in response to the invasion of Ukraine .

MORE ON Roman Abramovich Russia Chelsea Football Club European Union Germany

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Step on board the 162.5m Eclipse - the second largest superyacht in the world

Designer Terry Disdale talks us through the four and a half years, nine decks and 162.5 metres of the world’s second largest superyacht.

Terry Disdale didn’t set out to design the biggest superyacht in the world. “No one ever said to me, ‘I want a 160 metre boat’,” he says over breakfast near his office in Richmond, London. “When the yacht was still on the drawing board, there was a rumour going round that someone was building an even bigger boat, and the owner was asked if he knew about it. He said he didn’t, and that he didn’t care. Breaking records was the farthest thing from his mind.”

What he did care about was helicopters – he wanted to carry more than one; and the pool – it had to be big. There were also some early discussions about low bulwarks and big windows, and that was the totality of the brief for what would become Eclipse . “To be given free rein is actually a dreadful thing,” says Disdale.  “I asked myself what I wanted: something timeless. How do you design something timeless that’s still going to look good and not be anaemic? It’s so easy to get carried away, but you’ve got to be able to look at it in 20 years and decide it still looks OK.” But that’s the trick, isn’t it? And the measure of a designer.

• The 25 largest yachts in the world

At least Disdale had some hooks on which to hang the design. “Part of what creates the yacht looking like that is you’ve got to land this huge helicopter on the front, so the superstructure is pushed back. The formation of the boat is built around helicopter usage. And we didn’t want the boat to look unbalanced when the helicopter is on the foredeck. Some boats have a foredeck that looks wrong whenever a helicopter sits there.”

The lines of the boat were dictated by another prerequisite: the two significant lifeboats demanded by Solas. The sheerline runs straight aft from the bow and steps up amidships, the high freeboard created giving visual support to the lifeboats. “If you’d had a different sheerline, the lifeboats wouldn’t have looked comfortable,” the designer says. This, plus the addition of a 15 metre pool aft on the main deck, meant that the overall length of Eclipse – 162.5 metres – was defined not by ego but by practicality.

“Everyone thinks that a boat starts with a sketch, some glamorous visual of the outside of the boat. But that’s not how things work in my office – we start with a plan, a general arrangement.” The project, from this first design stage to the boat’s launch at Blohm+Voss ’s Hamburg yard in 2009, took four and a half years – a remarkable achievement given the scale of the yacht, which was only overtaken as the world’s biggest in 2013 with the launch of 180 metre Azzam . 

Up to 20 engineers from Blue Ocean Yacht Management were present on site throughout the build, whipping it along to meet the aggressive delivery schedule. Disdale doesn’t recall any sleepless nights – “at least, no more than usual!” he laughs. The pressure of designing what was then the world’s top yacht – both inside and out – did obviously register, though. “It’s a huge responsibility building something of that magnitude, which is going to be under everyone’s magnifying glass. It’s not just ‘doing a job’, this thing is going to be scrutinised and analysed by everyone. There’s a responsibility to yourself as a designer.”

A decade from delivery, and more than 15 years from the moment Disdale first put pen to paper, he says he wouldn’t change a thing – and nor has the owner, who has kept Disdale’s designs largely unchanged. “For me, it’s more a clean piece of architecture than it is a piece of styling. The fact that you have a helipad on the front creates the superstructure to bow dimension, which is beautiful. If it wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have that length. And then when you get to the back of the boat, the swimming pool is dictating another piece of the story. I don’t know what I would change now. I don’t sit around saying, ‘I wish I did this or that’. Maybe I’d make the rear end look a bit more inviting, the way the staircases lead into the boat, but anti-piracy was a concern, plus there are a load of services and facilities back there. There’s a full-size pantry to serve the beach club, which very few boats have, and gull-wing doors with a pullout barbecue and pizza oven. There’s a lot you don’t see.”

Disdale’s long experience in the business means he is able to resist the temptation to force designs, or slavishly follow trends that flare and fade, leaving boats looking old before their time. “ Eclipse is a handsome boat, and it looks like a boat. It doesn’t make any pretence,” he says. “The key word is elegance. Very few boats can make that claim any more. Modern boats are purposeful, aggressive, macho, which has led to them all having snub noses. They look angry. You could paint them grey and stick a cannon on the front and it wouldn’t upset their stance at all. Eclipse is not like that.” It’s a familiar sermon from Disdale, who famously posts his 10 “design commandments” up round his office. “One of  the most important tools in your box is restraint. I can have complete freedom when designing a superstructure, but restraint is actually the most important thing – knowing when to stop gilding the lily. Don’t gild it! Use silver leaf.”

• Inside the Surrey home of legendary superyacht designer Terence Disdale  

The obvious benefit of a single designer being responsible for the interior and exterior of a yacht is a seamless flow between the two, and that is absolutely true of Eclipse , whose interior conforms to another one of Disdale’s mantras: “ beach house not penthouse ”. “If you’ve got a dining room with satin on the chairs and gold braid around them, but you live in a T-shirt and shorts, then you’re not comfortable,” he says. 

The pool is a vast entertaining space, with 3.2 metre overheads and a retracting glass sunroof. “The ambience of the pool is as important as how it looks. You’ve got to want to sit by it.” Or dance on it: the blue granite bottom of the pool rises up to sit flush with the deck. It can also be lowered a touch to create a paddling pool.

The interior of any boat should be about “pure relaxation”, says Disdale. “People are on vacation, people are chilled.” He relates one story of an Arab client in the 1980s, who he dissuaded from fitting gold taps to his superyacht. “I told him he already had a 65 metre on the quay – he had already made his statement. It was a process of trying to quieten his ostentation.” You get the feeling no such effort was needed with the owner of Eclipse . “He had already owned three yachts to our design, so consequently was very familiar with my way of working and the habitat I create.” It’s impossible to miss the very deliberate warmth of that habitat and a design miracle that, despite using broadly the same colour palette throughout, nowhere do you tire of the ochre-like shades. 

This uniformity wasn’t applied to the lobbies between decks: different artists were tasked with creating unique works to give each lobby a flavour, so there is no confusion about what deck you’re on – a problem when you have nine. One of these pieces is a wooden sculpture made up of seven pieces, the design for which was hand drawn by Disdale and sent to Japan for manufacture. It’s a stunning work and symptomatic of the detail shown throughout – even in more mundane pieces, like the sideboards in the cabins that were designed in Europe and crafted in Chile.

With no clear-cut brief on the yacht’s layout, Disdale was forced to second-guess, “but that’s my job”, he says. “You have to work out how people will move around the boat.” The benefit of an LOA like Eclipse ’s is the owner can swallow serious acreage without impacting the guest experience. It’s not about avoiding guests, but being able to operate independently of them.

It would be easy to mistake the guest suites for the owner’s own quarters, such is their footprint. There are 18 guest cabins in total, served by 100 crew. From the moment the guests arrive by chopper, mainly on the top helideck, they’re absorbed in the comfort of the boat and have access to the main stairwell and elevator. It’s a transition of which Disdale is particularly proud. “It came from understanding how a boat is used. When you get out of the helicopter, you’re blown to pieces, and then where do you go?” The answer is an intimate lounge, where you can freshen up before entering the interior proper. It also gives pilots somewhere to conduct safety briefings, he points out. Eclipse is able to travel with multiple helicopters on board because one can be housed in the forward hangar, one above it on the retractable platform and another on the sundeck.

At the other extremity of the boat, the convenience continues with a huge bathing platform and staircases that fold down into the water for easy boarding – even for those wearing full dive gear. The beach club wasn’t maxed out, with a comfortable lounge along the centreline preferred to a big open area that is harder to secure. Beyond, though, the lower deck opens up into a huge 77 square metre gym and spa area, complete with massage room, beauty salon, sauna, shower areas and the yacht’s second plunge pool. Visual interest is added by banks of portholes with views into the swimming pool, which dapple light across this whole space. Choosing somewhere to relax on deck is slightly harder – where do you start? The options are endless but special mention has to be made of the wood-burning fire pit on the upper deck – perfect for nights on deck under the stars.

Disdale and his team were present in June 2009 when the boat appeared from the giant drydock in Hamburg. No butterflies – he claims to have been pretty zen about seeing her free of scaffolding and plastic. “Although you design every part of it and you see it being built, nothing prepares you for the feeling you get when you actually see it in the flesh. The tug pulled it out and there was the thickness of a mattress between the wing stations and the shed walls. Literally – they tied mattresses to the stations. When it appeared I was gobsmacked.” As was the owner, pleasingly for the man who’d dedicated nearly five years to the project.

“It’s like cars,” explains the car fanatic. “I was talking about Lamborghinis the other day. They used to have the Miura, a beautiful car. But they replaced it with the Countach, which looks like it was carved from cheese. One is ageless and one looks stuck in time. Elegance is the most important thing. The Miura is elegant, the Jaguar E-Type is elegant.” He’s too modest to say but Eclipse belongs in that league – beautiful for ever.

First published in the April 2016 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Ukrainian children on an inflatable dinghy waving flags emblazoned with 'NO WAR' attempted to stop Roman Abramovich's £750m superyacht from docking in sanction-free Turkey

• Eclipse, a £750m superyacht owned by Roman Abramovich, docked in Marmaris around 6am UK time today 
• Ten Ukrainians, including five children, on an inflatable dingy attempted to stop it by sailing towards the yacht
• 533ft vessel sailed within just two miles of UK waters off Gibraltar and skirted Greece to reach the port city
• It joins Abramovich's other yacht, the £430m Solaris moored in Bodrum, as billionaire tries to avoid sanctions 
• UK and EU have begun seizing assets of billionaires linked to Putin, with Abramovich on both of their lists 

By Andrew Young For Mailonline

Published: 05:56 EDT, 22 March 2022 | Updated: 13:17 EDT, 22 March 2022

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Ukrainian children were seen on an inflatable dinghy waving flags emblazoned with 'No War' as they attempted to stop Roman Abramovich's £750m superyacht from docking in sanction-free Turkey

The Chelsea FC owner's second luxury superyacht has arrived in Turkey in the latest move by the under-fire oligarch to protect his prize assets from Western sanctions over Russia 's war in Ukraine.

A group of 10 Ukrainian protesters, including five children, in a motor boat flying a Ukraine flag saying ‘No War’ tried in vain to stop the Solaris docking by sailing in front of it, but were held back by police. 

The Turkish-based Association of Ukrainians in Bodrum group said it was 'successful' until the coastguard intervened.

It claims its 'brave sportsmen' were taken ashore, given 'a round of tasty Turkish tea with delights and a warning' and released. 

'They were demanding immediate stop of Russian invasion to Ukraine and to end Russian vile war,' the group added on Facebook. 

Abramovich’s yacht, the 460ft Solaris, docked in Bodrum about 40 miles away from his other yacht which arrived 16 hours later after at 6am UK time today.  

His 533ft long Eclipse - worth an estimated £750m - docked this morning in Marmaris which is popular with British holidaymakers and is in the heart of the idyllic Turkish Riviera. 

The arrival of both yachts in Turkey means they are safe - for now at least - from sanctions designed to punish Putin's inner circle for his decision to invade Ukraine.

Ukrainian children aboard an inflatable dinghy attempted to stop Roman Abramovich's yacht from docking this morning as the 140m vessel arrived in the Turkish resort of Bodrum

Eclipse's arrival in Turkey follows Abramovich's other yacht - the £430million Solaris - also docking in the Turkish port of Bodrum, 50 miles west of Marmaris, where it was greeted by protesters waving Ukrainian flags 

Eclipse arrived in Marmaris (left) around 6am UK time today having set sail from the Caribbean, where it typically spends the winter month, on February 21. It was careful to avoid EU waters including the Greek island of Rhodes (right) along the way

A group of 10 Ukrainian protesters, including five children, in a motor boat flying a Ukraine saying ‘No War’ tried in vain to stop the Solaris docking by sailing in front of it, but were held back by police

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For, surely, no one can fail to be moved by the heartbreaking images and stories of families – mostly women, children, the infirm and elderly – fleeing from the bombs and guns.

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Efforts to capture assets linked to oligarchs has been described as a ‘cat and mouse’ game as crews seek to avoid having them seized. 

NATO member Turkey is a safe haven for the Chelsea FC owner’s yachts and other assets as the country has not joined nations such as the US, UK, France, Spain and Germany in sanctioning those closest to Putin. 

The Eclipse usually spends much of the winter in the Caribbean where Abramovich has a 70 acre beachside estate on the billionaire playground island of St Barts. 

But it left St Maarten, around 20 miles from St Barts, on February 21 as Putin gathered his forces to invade Ukraine. It went through the Straits of Gibraltar nine-days-ago – just two miles outside British territorial waters – and studiously avoided the waters of EU countries as it continued sailing east. 

The Solaris had been undergoing repairs in Barcelona, but left hurriedly on March 8 as EU countries began seizing assets. It arrived four days later in the port of Tivat in Montenegro which is not in the bloc. 

Montenegro, which is eager to join the EU, had agreed to replicate sanctions against Russia, but in practice it only banned flights by the country's airlines. Abramovich therefore viewed the superyacht marina in Tivat as a safer location than Spain - at least temporarily, sources said. 

The Solaris hurriedly left Tivat last Monday just before the EU announced it had followed the UK’s lead and sanctioned Abramovich over his Kremlin links. 

Shipping tracker websites showed the yacht’s destination was originally posted as Istanbul, allowing it to cross the Bosphorus channel into the Black Sea and reach Russia if necessary. 

But the destination was later removed and changed to say ‘awaiting orders’ as it moved down the Adriatic and into the Ionian. Last week the Solaris failed to head north east to Istanbul after rounding mainland Greece, meaning that Istanbul seemed an unlikely destination. 

It instead continued east in waters south of Crete, slowing to a virtual standstill for up to seven hours on Saturday as the crew appeared to dither over where they were heading. 

The Solaris could have headed south east to go through the Suez Canal and reach Dubai or the Seychelles where other yachts owned by oligarchs have sought sanctuary. 

At one point the Russian tanker Vyazma – previously linked to the Russian navy - appeared beside it, leading to social media speculation that it could have been refuelling the Solaris. 

But shipping tracker sites revealed that the Vyazma did not slow down and the vessels remained a mile apart. 

The Vyazma has previously been seen alongside Russian warships around Norway and in the North Sea as well as the Mediterranean. 

The Solaris picked up speed to more than nine knots as it sailed yesterday morning through the narrow channel between the Greek island of Simi near Rhodes and mainland Turkey, after updating its voyage description to ‘scenic cruising’. 

It then skirted carefully around Greek territory Kos to reach Bodrum where Abramovich has previously holidayed on his yachts, and docked beside a jetty at around 2.30pm UK time. 

Last week MailOnline revealed how Abramovich’s yachts were brazenly flying Red Ensign flags giving them British protection on the high seas – despite facing UK sanctions. 

Both yachts are registered in the British overseas territory of Bermuda, entitling them to fly Bermuda’s version of the Red Ensign, featuring the Union Jack in a top corner. 

Abramovich faces having his yachts seized if they stray in to UK waters after he was sanctioned by the British government 12 days ago over his links to President Putin. 

But bizarrely the Red Ensign registration means he can enjoy a range of benefits from the UK including British consular assistance and protection of the Royal Navy. 

The UK’s official Government website states: ‘The Red Ensign, is one of the most admired and well known emblems on the high seas with every vessel sporting it under the protection of the Royal Navy’. 

Roman Abramovich's £750million superyacht Eclipse (file image) has docked in the Turkish port city of Marmaris as its crew tries to avoid having the vessel seized by EU countries after Vladimir Putin's inner circle were sanctioned over Ukraine

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Solaris had been docked in Barcelona undergoing repairs but hurriedly set sail on March 8 as Spain began cracking down on oligarch wealth. It went first to Montenegro before heading to Bodrum (pictured in port)

Abramovich is worth up to £12billion and owns a £150m Kensington mansion, a £22m penthouse, and more than £1.2bn of yachts, private jets, helicopters and supercars based in Britain and around the world

It adds that ships sailing under the flag can enjoy ‘international tax breaks’ and ‘British consular support for ships in foreign docks’. 

The rules mean that Abramovich could even technically ask for the assistance of the British government if his yachts are threatened with ‘sanctions’ by another country. 

Ian Hodge, the chairman of the Merchant Navy Association described the flying of the Red Ensign on the yachts as an ‘embarrassment’ and called for them to be de-registered by the Bermudan authorities. 

The flying of Bermuda’s version of the Red Ensign on the Abramovich yachts has also protests in the UK’s former colony which has the Queen as its head of state. 

Bermuda resident Frank Morgan said the continuing registration of the yachts on the island was at odds with the territory’s support for the people of Ukraine. 

Abramovich was spotted in Tel Aviv airport on Monday last week before he flew on his private jet to Istanbul. 

The same jet left Istanbul for Moscow just hours later, according to flight tracker records, and Abramovich has not been seen since. 

The Solaris which has a crew of 60 was built for Abramovich by German yard Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven and was only launched last year. 

It has eight decks, cabins for 36 guests, a gym, sauna, jacuzzi and a swimming pool that can be converted into a dance floor, a flotilla of jet-skis, at least one helicopter, and a rumoured personal submarine. 

Both Solaris and Eclipse are also thought to have a series of security measures to protect against pirates, kidnappers or special forces from hostile states. 

They are said to include radar-controlled missile detection systems, bulletproof windows and armoured protection around their wheelhouses and main cabins.

The Chelsea Football Club owner was seen in Tel Aviv airport earlier this month on his way to Istanbul, as the EU decided to follow the UK and sanction him

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$75m superyacht belonging to Russian oligarch seized in Gibraltar

Axioma held after Dmitry Pumpyansky was added to UK and EU sanctions list in March

• Russia-Ukraine war – latest updates

A superyacht belonging to a sanctioned Russian oligarch has been seized in Gibraltar , becoming the latest vessel to be impounded by authorities.

The $75m (£57m) Axioma belonging to billionaire Dmitry Pumpyansky – owner and chairman of steel pipe manufacturer OAO TMK, which is a supplier to Russian state-owned energy company Gazprom – was seized by authorities in the British overseas territory on Monday.

The news emerged as two of Roman Abramovich’s superyachts were spotted docked in ports in Turkey, having cruised to new locations after the extension of sanctions to include the Chelsea FC owner.

Yachts belonging to several Russian oligarchs have hastily arranged unplanned sailings, apparently moving them to avoid seizure by governments enforcing sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine . Turkey has not yet joined western economic sanctions against Russia.

After the seizure of Pumpyansky’s yacht by authorities in Gibraltar, the UK’s transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said he was doing “all I can to cripple Russia’s aviation and shipping industries”. “It’s not just here in the UK those sanctions apply, either. They are being mirrored in our overseas territories too.”

Pumpyansky was added to the UK and EU sanctions lists earlier this month.

The yacht Eclipse , at nearly 163 metres (535ft) long the largest in the fleet linked to Abramovich, arrived in Marmaris on Tuesday morning.

It had skirted EU waters south of the Greek island of Crete on its journey, according to data from the website Marine Traffic.

Eclipse, which flies under the flag of Bermuda, had set sail east from St Maarten in the Caribbean towards international waters earlier in March, shortly after other oligarchs’ yachts were seized.

The yacht boasts nine decks, two helipads and a 16-metre swimming pool that can be converted to a dancefloor, and is the most expensive vessel owned by individuals on the growing US, EU and UK sanction lists.

Meanwhile, the superyacht Solaris, worth an estimated $600m and also owned by Abramovich, arrived in the Turkish port of Bodrum on Monday afternoon.

The almost 138-metre vessel, which was delivered in 2021, left the Barcelona port where it had been undergoing repairs on 8 March, appearing to join the unplanned sailings of Russian oligarchs moving their superyachts to avoid seizure by governments enforcing sanctions.

The Solaris was tracked passing the southern coast of Sicily on its voyage towards Turkey, although the tracking did not include any information about who was on board.

A spokesperson for Abramovich did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The arrival of Solaris and Eclipse comes just days after a Gulfstream private jet linked to Abramovich was reported to have flown to Istanbul from Tel Aviv, according to flight tracking websites. Abramovich was photographed in the VIP lounge at Tel Aviv airport.

The tycoon was added to the list of sanctioned individuals by the UK and the EU earlier in March.

Alongside the assets including yachts and jets connected to the oligarch, Abramovich and his family have amassed a UK property collection worth more than £250m , numbering about 70 homes, buildings and pieces of land.

The information was compiled by the Russian asset tracker , a partnership involving the Guardian, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and other international news organisations that are reporting on the wealth of Russia’s most powerful operators.

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A seized superyacht shows up in Everett — minus one Russian oligarch owner

EVERETT — It’s not clear whether Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov had plans to visit Puget Sound this spring — the French Riviera is more the style of the U.S.-sanctioned mining and energy multibillionaire.

But Monday morning, the Amadea, a 348-foot, $300 million-plus superyacht said to be owned by Kerimov, arrived in the Port of Everett to have some work done at a local shipyard. 

A sleek, white shark of a ship with a knifelike bow, raked profile and quarters for 16 guests and 36 crew, Amadea swanned past Everett’s industrial waterfront with a tug escort and all the made-for-TV glamour of an international celebrity fugitive. Kerimov, of course, was not on board.

In 2022, Amadea (“God’s love” in Latin) was seized in Fiji at the request of U.S. authorities who claim Kerimov has enabled Russian aggression in Ukraine and Syria. Money laundering and conspiracy were also alleged.

At the time, the seizure was hailed as a warning to “every corrupt Russian oligarch that they cannot hide — not even in the remotest part of the world,” as a deputy U.S. attorney general put it in a press statement . 

But as any boat owner in this boat-focused community will tell you , seizing a superyacht is one thing. Maintaining its value as an asset is another — especially when the asset is the size of a ferry and equipped with a theater, a gym, beauty salon, teak decks, 30-foot-long pool, helipad and twin 5,766-horsepower diesels. 

“They’re saying it’s costing us $7 million a year to keep it up,” said Chris Petersen, a retired fisherman who runs a metal coatings shop on West Marine View Drive, a few blocks from the port and who, like many here, has been following the superyacht saga since Monday.

Indeed, fuel, maintenance, insurance and salary for the crew of Amadea during its impoundment in San Diego ran around $740,000 a month, according to federal court filings by the Marshals Service. 

In February, the Justice Department told a federal court it intended to halt this “excessive … drain on the public” purse by auctioning off Amadea, which the government claims Kerimov acquired in 2021.

But selling off this excessive drain has been complicated. 

There is litigation challenging Amadea’s seizure because the vessel allegedly wasn’t owned by Kerimov, but by another Russian oligarch, who is not sanctioned, according to court papers. 

Another complication, more relevant to Everett: Amadea’s insurance policy, according to court filings, requires service that can only be done by hauling the vessel out of the water — a job that appears to be slated for the dry dock facilities at Everett Ship Repair, on the port’s East Waterway. 

Few details of the project have been shared. Port officials have referred all questions to Everett Ship Repair, whose vice president of service sales, Lane Richards, politely declined to comment.

But a Justice Department spokesperson confirmed Thursday that Amadea was indeed “in Washington for standard dry dock maintenance.”

And on Wednesday, the vessel in question could be seen berthed, like a slightly lost Imperial Starship, on the south side of Pier 3, adjacent to Everett Ship Repair’s dry dock and the Washington State Ferry Salish. 

All the no-commenting has only added to the atmosphere of maritime intrigue and speculation in a town ordinarily unperturbed by big, secrecy-shrouded ships, including those at the nearby Everett Naval Station. 

Many here wonder why the U.S. government spent the money to bring Amadea all the way to Everett, when there are dry dock facilities in San Diego, San Francisco and Portland; even Seattle is 5 nautical miles closer to San Diego. 

Amadea’s fuel burn “is probably in the 8-to-10 gallons per mile range,” said Dennis Butterfield, a retired car dealership manager and former boat owner, as he kept an eye on the Russian superyacht Wednesday from a viewpoint on Warren Avenue. “That’s the United States government at work, if you ask me.”

Butterfield’s estimate was close: based on vessel specifications featured on the yachting website, YachCharterFleet , the 4,400-ton Amadea burns roughly 11 gallons per mile at a cruising speed of 15 mph.

The Justice Department declined to justify Amadea’s four-day journey from San Diego to Everett.

Such secrecy would likely suit Kerimov, who Forbes once described as “one of the most private Russian billionaires,” and who is also said to have close ties to the government of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The 58-year-old serves in the Russian Federation Senate, is reportedly worth nearly $11 billion and has owned villas on the French Riviera and elsewhere.

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He may also have owned a rare Fabergé egg, according to accounts of the search of the Amadea after its seizure .

Beginning in 2017, Kerimov was listed by U.S. officials as one of a number of Russian oligarchs “who profit from the Russian government through corruption and its malign activity around the globe .”

In March 2022, after the FBI reportedly linked Kerimov to the Amadea , the vessel was seized under a program known as Task Force KleptoCapture and eventually sailed to San Diego under an American flag.

But Amadea’s more recent trip likely had less to do with the vessel’s checkered lineage than with a shortage of West Coast dry dock capacity, especially for large vessels. 

Unlike the East Coast and the Gulf Coast, ship repair infrastructure on the West Coast is “is woefully undersized,” said Craig Hooper, a former naval ship building industry executive who writes and advises on security and defense issues.

In recent decades, several private shipyards with dry dock facilities have closed and building new capacity faces high costs and regulatory hurdles, Hooper said. As a result, “long transits to an open facility are relatively commonplace these days,” he added. 

In the case of the Amadea, Hooper hypothesized, “the responsible party may have put the job out for bid and an Everett yard was the available, lowest-cost option.”

According to court filings, Amadea’s dry dock work is expected to cost $5.6 million and take two months. 

By that time, federal officials may have sorted Amadea’s other complications. 

Last fall, attorneys for Eduard Khudainatov, the former head of state-owned oil company Rosneft, claimed Amadea isn’t owned by Kerimov, but by Khudainatov. Attorneys argue that since Khudainatov wasn’t under sanctions, the yacht was “not forfeitable, as it neither constitutes nor is derived from any unlawful activity.”

But federal prosecutors contend “that Khudainatov is just a straw owner put forward to disguise Kerimov’s ownership of the vessel,” according to an April 19 filing in a federal court in New York, where the case is ongoing.

In the meantime, Everett will take some pleasure in the Amadea’s august presence. 

Port of Everett officials, though tight-lipped about the vessel’s particulars, were clearly pleased by the message it sends of the port’s growing status as a maritime hub.

“Anything that puts Everett on the international map is a good thing!” said Kate Anderson, port spokesperson, in an email response to an inquiry about the Amadea.

Locals, too, appeared to be enjoying the celebrity by association.

“That magnitude of wealth — it’s just another world,” said Petersen, the retired fisherman.

Others wondered who would be foolish enough to buy a vessel whose ownership was being contested by Russian oligarchs.

But mostly, folks here appeared to sympathize with Uncle Sam’s desire to be rid of the costly, controversial craft. 

That was the sentiment of John Mostrom, who had taken a break from mowing his lawn Wednesday to peer down at the Amadea from the Warren Avenue overlook. 

“They say the two happiest days of a boat owner’s life,” Mostrom noted, “are when they buy the boat and when they sell it.”

The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.

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Princess Cruises Sails to Prime Viewing Spot for 2026 Total Solar Eclipse in Europe

Sky princess departs southampton on august 8, 2026; 
bookings open may 23, 2024.

By downloading this image you agree to the Princess asset use terms and conditions

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla.,  (May 3, 2024) – Astrotourism is top of mind for travelers making special trips for phenomenal experiences in the sky—and with the recent “take-your-breath-away” total solar eclipse, thousands of cruisers onboard Emerald Princess and Discovery Princess off the coast of Mexico caught a glimpse of the astounding total darkness event.

The next, not-to-be-missed total solar eclipse takes place on August 12, 2026, and once again a Princess cruise ship will be perfectly positioned, this time in northern Spain, to witness this bucket list event - two minutes and 18 seconds of totality. The 3,660-guest Sky Princess departs Southampton August 8, 2026, on a 14-day Mediterranean cruise, highlighted with total eclipse viewing while the ship is in its path at sea off the coast of Spain.

“The best way to see a total solar eclipse is via cruise ship, and our guests who recently experienced this rare occurrence on Discovery Princess and Emerald Princess were simply blown away,” said John Padgett, Princess Cruises president. “We make it easy for guests to come aboard, relax and meet other eclipse enthusiasts. It’s truly a special opportunity.”

The Total Eclipse Sky Princess Voyage goes on sale May 23, 2024, with rates starting at $2,199* per person. During the eclipse, Sky Princess guests will gather on the top decks with Princess safety glasses for viewing, as well as enjoy lectures from astronomy experts, themed treats and drinks, stargazing at night, solar system trivia and more.

This incredible, 14-day Mediterranean cruise sailing takes place August 8-22, 2026, roundtrip from Southampton (London), and visits seven historical and vibrant ports, including:

• Cherbourg, France - one of France’s greatest ports with art and history museums, its basilica, the Ravalet castle and the Cité de la Mer maritime museum.
• Bilbao, Spain – located in northern Spain, Bilbao is surrounded by green mountains and is the de facto capital of Basque Country, with a skyscraper-filled downtown. It’s famed for the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.
• Malaga, Spain - famous as Picasso's birthplace and the gateway to Spain's Costa del Sol, Malaga mixes warm vacation vibes with Andalusia's indomitable spirit.
• Cartagena, Spain - founded by the Carthaginians around 220 B.C., the city boomed during the Roman period. Among its many Roman ruins are a 1st-century B.C. theater and Casa de la Fortuna, a villa with murals and mosaics.
• Gibraltar – this British Overseas Territory and headland is located on Spain's south coast. It’s dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar, a 1,398-foot limestone ridge.
• Lisbon, Portugal – the capital and largest city of Portugal, Lisbon is mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast.
• La Coruña, Spain – in the Galicia region of northwest Spain, it’s known for its Roman lighthouse, the Tower of Hercules, which has sweeping coastal views.

“Our recent solar eclipse cruises were completely sold out so interested guests should book this Sky Princess cruise as soon as it opens on May 23. It truly will be an experience to remember,” Padgett added.

More information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel advisor, by calling 1-800-Princess (1-800-774-6237) or by visiting www.princess.com. 

*Taxes, Fees and Port Expenses not included

Media Contacts

Contact information for members of the media

Negin Kamali, +1 661-753-1539, [email protected]

Briana Latter, +1 661-753-1538, [email protected]

About Princess Cruises

Princess Cruises is The Love Boat, the world’s most iconic cruise brand that delivers dream vacations to millions of guests every year in the most sought-after destinations on the largest ships that offer elite service personalization and simplicity customary of small, yacht-class ships. Well-appointed staterooms, world class dining, grand performances, award-winning casinos and entertainment, luxurious spas, imaginative experiences and boundless activities blend with exclusive Princess MedallionClass service to create meaningful connections and unforgettable moments in the most incredible settings in the world - the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica, and World Cruises. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:CCL; NYSE:CUK).

Additional media information is available at princess.com/news

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Contact us at: 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237) or 1-661-753-0000

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