octopus george town yacht

Inside Octopus: Origin story of the 126m superyacht finally revealed

The barest of details have been revealed about the mysterious  Octopus  over the past 19 years. But with a new owner and on the charter market for the first time, the 126-metre  Lürssen  superyacht is finally ready to reveal her secrets past and present…

One of the best things about flying into the South of France is the view. The brilliant blue coastline is peppered with hundreds of yachts. On this flight, however, just one of the boats below us demands our attention: the 126-metre explorer  Octopus .

The following day, in the port of Marseille where her new owner’s team is wrapping up a refit before  Octopus  departs for the Galápagos, I finally see her up close. Her navy-blue hull and skyscraper decks are incredibly impressive, while on the inside she is welcoming and warm. Although she has been refitted, her history is palpable. There’s much to learn about  Octopus , and everyone involved in her story is finally ready to talk, after decades of silence.

Why was  Octopus  such a secret? In 1998, strict non-disclosure agreements were issued all around to protect the privacy of her original owner, the late American entrepreneur and philanthropist Paul Allen, a co-founder of Microsoft. “It was the first time I was faced with an NDA,” says  Espen Øino , who has gone on to sign hundreds over the years. “NDAs are strict and long lasting and don’t necessarily pass when the client does,” notes  Jonathan Quinn Barnett , who created  Octopus ’s original interior. “I had deep respect and admiration for Mr Allen, so to be able to say even a few words about  Octopus  now is marvellous.”

For builder Lürssen, the story started with a bit of detective work. The German shipyard’s sales director, Michael Breman, heard about a mysterious box that was loaded onto Allen’s 60.6-metre Feadship  Méduse , which supposedly contained a scale model of a new vessel.

“I figured out that something was going on and we ought to be involved,” he says. “So I contacted Paul Allen’s broker, [ Fraser’s ] Stuart Larsen, to ask some questions.”

Some time after, during a trip to the South of France, Breman received the go-ahead to submit a bid and arranged for a fax containing the brief to be sent to Øino’s office in Monaco. “Put that into context, this is 1998!” Øino says with a laugh. “Michael was in our office as the fax came in and going through it, we just couldn’t believe the brief, we thought it was totally crazy.”

The brief called for an industrial-style yacht with the appearance and capability of the Finnish multipurpose icebreaker  Fennica , built in 1993. Luckily, Øino knew the vessel. “I had a photo of  Fennica  from a few years earlier when I visited her while cruising with another client in the fjords,” says the designer. What he went on to sketch in pencil and model for the presentation was a sturdy explorer with two interchangeable options for the bow and the wheelhouse. “What is remarkable is that the original sketches and ideas are so close to what it actually became,” Breman says.

Another key part of the brief was for all toys and tenders, including a helicopter, a submarine and a floatplane, to be carried in a concealed way. So Øino drew a methodical general arrangement that included a two-level 36-metre-long floodable garage opening at the stern. “Launching so many toys over the side of the boat wasn’t the optimum idea and would affect the stability; a lot of heeling would occur,” the designer says.

Instead, working with the rules that oversee subdivisions inside a ship’s hull – and deal with damage stability calculations – he created one very long and tall compartment on the yacht’s centreline with a floodable dock flanked by rows of smaller garages to store the entire toy inventory of what became known as Project Octopus.

“At Lürssen, we give everything a project name, and my daughter came up with  Octopus ,” says Breman. “Along with Paul’s love for diving, plus the fact that his previous yacht was  Méduse  [“jellyfish” in French], we thought  Octopus  was a perfect project name. Little did we know then that  Octopus  would be her name once completed and delivered.” Øino says. “She was our 15th project enquiry in 1998, and so in my office, she was known as 9815.”

The proposal Lürssen created with Øino was successful, but the German shipyard soon had to resolve its first quandary – it didn’t have a shed available. “We ended up having to build her with a partner in Kiel,” Breman says. It also had to solve the matter of the explorer’s floodable garage, which had to be approved by class. “After researching multiple alternatives, the first idea that Espen drew was the one that worked the best,” he adds. “Our in-house model department then built a scale model of the garage to demonstrate how it could work. We even tested it by driving a tender in and out.”

Octopus’ s interior, meanwhile, came from a young American designer who had recently relocated from London where he’d worked with  Jon Bannenberg , to Seattle. The owner’s team chose Barnett from a small pool of interior designers to embellish the complex GA of the largest and most advanced explorer yacht ever built at the time.

“Paul Allen’s team told me the safest route would be to follow the creative direction of the owner’s two previous  Feadship  designs,” the designer says. “I did the opposite!” And the result was what Barnett describes as a “floating laboratory”, a timeless design perfectly suited to a creative genius. Included in the layout were out-of-the-box features such as a fully equipped medical centre, a storm cabin made to keep those who needed it comfortable in bad weather and a professional recording studio. “Back then, no yacht was capable of non-stop circumnavigation, while cutting an album for U2,” he says. Mick Jagger, Usher and Joss Stone are also said to have spent time in the studio – a claim no other superyacht is ever likely to make.

Barnett took a simple approach to the interior decor. While some walls are painted a neutral colour, others are covered in bee’s wing-figured eucalyptus, and it’s this vast amount of wood panelling that gives the hardy explorer the warm, comfortable feeling of a home. For Allen and Barnett, the walls were just another fun puzzle to solve. “The geometry of the panels is elegant mathematics, something Mr Allen really appreciated,” Barnett says. “The handmade veneer arrived on custom-made grids, which fitted within the yacht’s own uniquely built steel frame spacing.” The walls do not just provide insulation and conceal cableways, but originally held the ever-changing art gallery on each deck. What’s on the walls today are snapshots of  Octopus ’s adventures over the years: panoramas of Patagonian icebergs, portraits of local tribe members in Tahiti and landscapes of Asia’s ancient golden temples.

An original feature that remains on the yacht to this day is an unusual timekeeping device. Braided stainless-steel shrouds from a sailing vessel are strung on either side of the grand staircase from lower to upper deck, and they function as a clock. “I combined the old tradition of having a central clock on board a ship with my client’s unique passions for modern sculpture, mathematics, art and music,” Barnett explains. “I subcontracted a 102-year-old German specialist clock company to make it, and – I’ll tell you a secret – I used digital audio software from Apple for the tunes. Sorry, Microsoft!” he says with a laugh. “I thought the clock might become a helpful visual cue to help guests find some critical orientation. Every 15 minutes, the strings could play anything from  The Bells of St Mary’s  to Jimi Hendrix!”

Octopus  was also fitted with an huge amount of onboard electronics. “Of course, the co-founder of Microsoft required more than 54 tonnes of AV and IT equipment on board,” Øino says with a smile. While the bulk of the wiring went to the studio, each cabin was assigned 60 cables for computers, entertainment systems and more, including touchscreens – which in 1998, was an exciting innovation. “They were amazing,” says Øino, “so far ahead of their time.” The touchscreens are still used today by the crew, who also use iPads as infotainment control panels for elements such as lighting and music in guest areas.

When  Octopus  launched in 2003, it was clear she had broken new ground. With diesel-electric propulsion consisting of two ABB electric motors and eight MTU 16V 4000 M50 diesel engines, she was perfectly equipped to travel anywhere in the world. “ Octopus  was always on the go,” Øino says. “Diesel-electric wasn’t commonplace in the early millennium,” he observes, and “ Octopus  was the first yacht with dynamic positioning.”

The project propelled Lürssen into the large-yacht segment and her designers had a huge career boost. “ Octopus  blew everyone away,” Breman says. “The idea and the design are something unprecedented.” What the first aerial photographs of the yacht could make out were her winged wheelhouse, long swimming pool, two helidecks and hangars and a basketball court. Whereas on the inside, areas such as the dive centre with hyperbaric chamber, 12 cabins and private owner’s deck with its own lift, terrace and spa pool were out of sight.

After a decade of extensive travelling,  Octopus ’s engines had to be overhauled. However, her interior had worn well. “There was nothing that required a major redesign or change,” Barnett says. “All the original architecture, spaces, surfaces and design details still performed exceptionally well. Seeing it made me immensely proud.”

Although she was well-maintained and in full working order, in 2019 she was sent for a refit at the Lürssen-owned  Blohm+Voss  shipyard to prepare her for the market several months after Allen passed in 2018. She had spent two decades playing host to many parties, concerts, discoveries and expeditions, and the legacy needed to continue.

In 2021, a new owner came along with plans to make her available for select charters. Transforming  Octopus  into the remarkable charter yacht that he envisioned required a few more changes. The owner’s team enlisted Adriana Monk of  Monk Design  to retouch several spaces. Top of the list was replacing the recording studio.

“Unless you’re really into music, a studio is a niche thing to have,” says Alan Pike, one of two rotational captains. Now in the studio’s prime position – aft on the bridge deck – is a modern bar/ lounge. On either side of the new bar, new guitars hang from the original wall mounts and the grand piano has stayed put. In keeping with the beach bar look Monk created, new bleached oak flooring matches the original weathered teak deck outside.

“The vocal booth is now a DJ booth,” says the captain. “We’ve kept the soundproofing, so this place is perfect for a party, or any kind of dining.” With a new sound system and outdoor lighting, “we can really go for it”. Outdoors, there’s a glass- bottom pool that, at the touch of a button, can be made into an on-water dance floor. There’s also a wood-fired pizza oven, a service bar with a beer tap and three barbecue cooking stations.

On the entertainment deck, the former formal dining room became a wine bar. On the ceiling are scenes from Allen’s 2015 shipwreck dive to the Second World War battleship  Musashi  in the Philippines. “I was granted exclusive access to the ROV footage of the  Musashi  expedition to select shipwreck stills for the backlit ceiling,” Monk says.

Nearby, the guest observation lounge was, and still is, a firm favourite. “To dine here while cruising is a joy that’s hard to describe,” says Barnett. “I like to think of this area’s design as a mid-century sunken living room.” The feeling is created by two large sofas that snake around the room looking out over the bow. The seats look low, but the view is perfect. The rest of the deck is fun and social, as there’s also a 12-seat 4D cinema, the owner’s chef ’s galley, a table-tennis table, gym, smoothie bar, hair and massage salons and a grand library, complete with an ethanol fireplace.

Soft beige and cream carpets with wave patterns have replaced patterned blue and green rugs, and in addition to the new custom-designed pieces, free-standing items of furniture selected by Monk have helped give the interior a feel that suits  Octopus ’s new charter lifestyle. But it’s nothing dramatic. “We have kept as much as possible true to the original,” the captain says. “I strove to respect the spirit of  Octopus  while capturing the new owner’s lifestyle and vision,” Monk adds. “It was an intense and challenging project.”

The yacht’s charter schedule was entrusted to  Camper & Nicholsons .  Octopus ’s range of 12,500 nautical miles and true explorer credentials offer a huge scope for charter, and as the ripples prove on the hull’s strong plating, she is more than capable of going the distance. “She can do anything!” says charter marketing manager Gayle Patterson, who has already booked the superyacht on two excursions to Antarctica. The demand has been equal to the yacht’s renown. “We’ve grown our yacht management team to give her the care she deserves,” she adds.

Since  Octopus  was delivered, many more superyachts have adopted technologically forward designs and groundbreaking engineering and have undertaken impressive expeditions. But none have achieved what  Octopus  has. As she continues to move around the world, more people will get the opportunity to step on board. And when they do, perhaps they will feel the undeniable magic that seems to linger. One thing is for sure: wherever  Octopus  carries her guests, it is a journey they will remember for the rest of their lives.

The Toy Chest

Built to explore,  Octopus  has an incredible fleet that revolves around the cavernous 36-metre internal wet dock where the two main tenders are stored and launched through a giant transom door. Today the main tender is an 18-metre Delta 54, built in carbon with an impressive range of 450nm at 30 knots; the original was  Man-of-War , an 18-metre custom Vikal, later replaced by a 13-metre Hinckley. Sharing that space was a yellow 10-person custom submarine, named  Pagoo . A new Triton 3300/6 will take that spot when it is delivered in early 2023. Most of the other tenders have dedicated garages on either side of the wet dock. They are a 9.3-metre custom Vikal limousine and two 8.7-metre custom Zodiacs, one for diving, the other for guests. Two 5.8-metre Zodiac Milpro MK-V are also available for watersports, as is an array of WaveRunners, jet skis, kayaks, surfboards, wakeboards, kitesurfers, windsurfers and electric foil Fliteboards, plus plenty of diving equipment, The icing on the cake is a remotely controlled submarine (ROV) able to dive to 2,700 metres. To conclude this impressive list,  Octopus  has two helipads and a helicopter hangar for two. Moving forward, helicopters will be chartered as needed.

The Voyages

Octopus  is one of the most active superyachts ever built. Multiple circumnavigations, the  Northwest Passage , the High Arctic,  Antarctica , Papua New Guinea and Challenger Deep were all on the menu. One of Paul Allen’s passions was naval history. A few missions that offered the opportunity for great discoveries were well publicised, like the discovery of the Japanese warship  Musashi  in the Sibuyan Sea in March 2015 after eight years of intense work. The largest battleship ever built (aside from her sistership) sank in October 1944, but the exact location was unknown.  OctoROV  took the first photos of this lost wreck in a depth of 1,000 metres. Later that year, in August, after two attempts, another expedition recovered the bell of HMS  Hood , sunk by the Germans off Greenland in 1941.

And it looks like the story will continue.  Octopus , according to BOAT Pro data, has already cruised 9,047 nautical miles since leaving Marseille after her refit in December. In less than three months, she had already crossed the Atlantic and visited Panama including Coiba, Costa Rica and Cocos Island and the Galápagos. This winter, Camper & Nicholsons has announced that she will be heading south to test her ice-class capabilities in the frozen landscapes of Antarctica once again.

For more information please visit: www.boatinternational.com

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Octopus- Paul Allen’s Luxurious Super Mega Yacht

Built by one of the international shipbuilding giants Lurssen, the Octopus is one o f the most expensive super yachts in the world. The ownership of the vessel rests with Paul Allen, one of the founding fathers of Microsoft alongside Bill Gates.

Mega yacht Octopus was put into operation in the year 2003 and boasts of being ranked as the world’s eighth biggest yacht. The vessel is customised according to the specifications of its owner and comes with features completely dissimilar to any of its other peers contemporarily.

This aspect makes the vessel, the best private vessel to be owned by an individual.

Luxury Yacht Specifications

• The yacht measures 414 feet lengthwise with a beam of almost 69 feet
• The vessel has a draught of 18.5 feet and offers a maximum speed of 20 knots with an ambit of 8000 miles nautically
• 26 patrons can be opulently accommodated within the yacht
• A crew of almost 60 members ensure that all the needs and requirements of the voyagers are more than adequately met
• Superyacht Octopus is registered with the George Town port of registry

An Espen Oeino architectural marvel, the designing of the vessel’s inner domain has been carried out by Jonathan Quinn Barnett. The core materials used to construct the vessel are steel and aluminium which add to the lustre of the vessel in terms of its utility.

The yacht functions on eight diesel engines. Each engine generates a power of about 2,400 horse power, which comes to 19,200 horse power in totality. Recreational equipments aboard the luxury yacht include Jet Skis and submarines .

The latter is used for observation and analyses of the underwater intrigue of the sea. Superyacht Octopus underwent a major re-equipping in the year 2008, following which its allure has further accentuated.

There are vessels that take the word ‘luxury’ to an altogether different level. Octopus is one such vessel: a crown jewel amongst the possessions of Paul Allen while enriching the lives of other individuals as well.

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World's largest explorer yacht 126m OCTOPUS joins charter fleet

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By Nina Done   3 August 2021

Following her recent sale, the spectacular 126m/414ft Lurssen  explorer yacht OCTOPUS marks her debut onto the charter market for the very first time since her celebrated launch in 2003. She is expected to be made available for charter from January 2022 following a winter yard period, where the new Owner will undoubtedly want to put his own stamp on the yacht ensuring she is in turnkey condition for luxury yacht charters for her up-coming two-year world tour.  

This extraordinary yacht has been shrouded in secrecy for years, but now we are able to share some of the world-class features and amenities OCTOPUS has to offer. 

Showcasing an understated elegance, her stunning interiors are an artful blend of classic styling combined with state-of-the-art technology, which all come together to create a delightful and welcoming ambience, with large flanking windows acting to emphasize the space and usher in plenty of natural light.

She can accommodate up to 26 guests in 13 exceptional suites, including a vast dedicated Owner's deck replete with a bar, Jacuzzi, alfresco dining area and private elevator. 

Vast array of standout amenities

Onboard highlights include a spectacular aft swimming pool surrounded by loungers and seating areas and overlooked by her bridge deck. She also boasts a spa, library, sound studio, cinema, basketball court and glass-bottomed observation lounge, to name a few of her impressive features.

On top of this, she also houses several tenders, including a superlative 13-meter Hinckley tender and luxurious custom limo tender, as well as 2 helicopters with their own private hangar, a dive centre complete with its own hyperbaric chamber and a submarine which can accommodate 8 people, plus 2 crew for up to 8 hours of astonishing underwater exploration. 

This impressive ocean explorer also boasts a whopping 12,500nm range, perfect for navigating the far-flung corners of the globe. Make no mistake, this is one truly outstanding yacht.

Interested in booking a luxury expedition charter?

To find out more about chartering popular destinations across the globe, check out our in-depth yacht charter guides for more information.

If you’d like to learn more about chartering explorer yacht OCTOPUS, please contact your yacht charter broker .

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Octopus Yacht Uncovered: An Insider’s Look at the Luxury Yacht

Launched back in the year 2003, the Octopus yacht was built by famous shipyard Lurssen out of Germany. Lurssen has been behind numerous other superyachts such as Kismet and Dilbar and many more. The exterior design was handled by Espen Øino Naval Architects while the interior was handled by American designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett.

Who Owns the Octopus Yacht?

The Octopus yacht was owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. In addition to being a private pleasure yacht for Allen, the Octopus has served a variety of purposes over the years thanks to him loaning it out. It has served as an exploration vessel, been used for scientific research and has even seen use as a rescue vessel.

Allen died in 2018 and at that time the yacht underwent a refit at Blohm + Voss. In 2019 it was put on sale for a price of €295 million. The price was dropped by about 60 million and in 2021 it was picked up by an anonymous buyer. However, the anonymity didn’t last long and it was later revealed that Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson.

How Big is the Octopus Motor Yacht?

The Octopus more than qualifies as a superyacht coming in at an incredible 126.2 meters or 414 feet. While the largest yachts in the world are over 500 feet, the Octopus is clearly massive and could rightly be labeled a megayacht and one of the world’s largest yachts as well.

Aside from the incredible length of the vessel, it features a beam just shy of 69 feet across. The gross tonnage is 9,932.

How Much Did the Yacht Octopus Cost?

Paul Allen purchased the Octopus back in 2003. At that time the vessel cost him $200 million. Adjusted for inflation, that would work out to about $327 million by today, clearly making this one of the more expensive yachts in the world. That said, it still doesn’t meet the bar for one of the most expensive yachts ever by quite a bit.

Can You Charter the Octopus Yacht?

The Octopus is available for charter through the yacht firm Camper and Nicholsons but it’s definitely not available for most budgets. We’ve covered other yachts before that are owned by billionaires and are available for charter at some steep prices that often range around $1.2 million per week. The Octopus goes to the next level. 

You can charter the Octopus for about $2.2 million per week and that doesn’t include expenses. So you’ll be paying for things like food and fuel separately. Suffice it to say that this is not a charter for everyone but the option is there. 

Is the Octopus Yacht for Sale?

After its initial purchase in 2003 the Octopus was not available for sale until 2019 after owner Paul Allen passed away. There are currently some websites that claim the Octopus is for sale now and you can make an offer but the reliability of those sites is unknown and they do list the previous sale price from 2019 so they may not be current.

How Fast is the Octopus Yacht and What Engines Does it Use?

The Octopus has a cruising speed listed at 12.5 knots and a top speed listed at 19 knots. This is provided thanks to 8 MTU diesel engines that can generate a total of 19,200 hp. The yacht has an impressive range of up to 12,500 nautical miles at cruising speed thanks to her 1,034,000 liter fuel tanks 

What’s the Octopus Yacht Interior Like?

The Octopus covers eight decks and has room on board for a total of 26 guests and 63 crew. The guests can find accommodations in a full-beam master suite, two VIP suites, seven double rooms and three twins, one with an additional single bed.

The master suite is on a dedicated owner’s deck and features a king size bed, his and hers en suite bathrooms and a private observation deck that includes an al fresco dining area. There’s also a private bar and Jacuzzi There is also an owner exclusive private elevator for use. 

For years the details of the interior were a closely guarded secret while Paul Allen was still the owner. In fact, designer Espen Oeino said that this was the first yacht that ever required him to sign an NDA to keep its design secret. Since then he’s signed many more, but the Octopus was where it started. However, since Allen’s passing and the sale of the yacht, the transition to a vessel available for charter has allowed us to learn a lot more about the Octopus and its amenities and entertainment facilities.

Features and Amenities

The Octopus is an ice-class exploration yacht so it can go where many other luxury yachts cannot. It has two helipads as well as garages to house two helicopters. In addition, guests can find the following on board.

• There’s a large swimming pool to the aft of the yacht on the main deck. It features numerous loungers and its own cocktail bar. There’s also a retractable glass floor that covers the pool when not in use.
• A dance floor for parties
• A movie theater
• A well equipped gym for working out
• A relaxation spa that includes a sauna
• A large indoor/outdoor beach club area
• A large deck Jacuzzi
• A glass bottomed observation lounge
• A well-stocked library for those evenings when you want to curl up with a good book

For those who want to have some more intense fun out on the water, the Octopus has a number of toys that can be used.

• 59’5” Delta Powerboats 54′ Tender
• 30’8” Vikal Custom Limo Tender with a pair of 260 HP engines
• A 10-person submarine named Pagoo which we’ll talk more about shortly
• A dive center with a hyperbaric chamber and scuba gear
• A large swim platform
• A diving platform
• 4 separate 2 seat Yamaha FX140 Waverunners
• 2 separate 2 Person Hobie Pursuit Kayaks
• An Epic V5 Kayak
• 3 Windsurfers for a range of skill levels
• A stand up Yamaha jet ski
• 3 surfboards
• Kite surfers 
• Water skis and a variety of towable toys 
• Snorkeling gear
• Fishing gear

Octopus Rescue Work

The Octopus also features a not entirely typical on board submarine and also a very rare ROV or remote operated vehicle which is essentially a remote control sub. These had been used a number of times on rescue operations when Paul Allen owned the vessel.

The sub and ROV were used to help find a pilot and two officers who vanished off the coast of Palau, and even aided the Royal Navy in finding the bell from the HMS Hood which sank off of Denmark in WWII.

The Octopus has also aided in scientific research, most notably when researchers were studying coelacanth, a species of prehistoric fish thought to have been extinct for millions of years. 

What is the Octopus Yacht Deck Plan?

You can see the full deck plans here. The Octopus was designed to feature some things you would never expect to find on a yacht. For instance, it had a fully equipped recording studio where the band U2 did some recording. The studio also hosted Usher, Mick Jagger and Joss Stone. However, the studio has since been replaced with a bar and lounge area.

In addition to the studio the yacht was designed with a storm cabin to help minimize the effects of bad weather and a full medical center in case of emergencies. Many of these features no longer exist since the retrofit after Paul Allen’s death.

One extremely unique feature is the central clock. Braided stainless-steel shrouds from a sailing vessel were strung on either side of the grand staircase from lower to upper deck. The designer enlisted the aid of a 102-year-old German clock making company to help bring the idea to life. It also uses digital audio software so that on a regular basis the strings can play snippets from literally any song to indicate the passage of time.

The Bottom Line

The Octopus yacht was once owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen until his death in 2018. Afterwards, some of the yacht was redesigned and it was sold for close to $300 million to Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson. 

The Octopus is a massive exploration yacht measuring 414 feet making it large but nowhere near as big as something like the massive Azzam . It has been used for scientific research and rescue missions in the past and is now available for charter though at a steep price.

While it has many of the expected amenities of luxury yachts it also features some more exotic fare like the minisub with room for 8 passengers and two crew, as well as a stunning array of toys and other features.

My grandfather first took me fishing when I was too young to actually hold up a rod on my own. As an avid camper, hiker, and nature enthusiast I'm always looking for a new adventure.

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Inside the Octopus, the Luxury 414-Foot Superyacht With a Submarine

You might have thought the coronavirus pandemic—or perhaps the billionaires' space race —would have distracted the super-wealthy from shopping for shiny baubles. Not when it comes to luxury yachts , according to Boat International .

The industry magazine reported last December that 1,024 were being built or had been ordered—an increase of almost 25 percent on the previous year's numbers. If you were to line up the vessels set to be delivered by 2026, there would be more than 24 miles of them.

Among them is the REV Ocean , a research and expedition vessel commissioned by Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røkke. It will be 182.9 meters (600 feet) in length—longer than the current biggest superyacht in the world, Azzam, which is owned by the ruler of Abu Dhabi.

Ocean is expected to be launched in 2024 and will be available for charter part time, when it's not conducting scientific research. If you're interested in chartering a yacht now, though, what's the biggest one you can get?

The Three Largest Yachts You Can Charter

Some of the billionaires who commission superyachts prefer not to make their favorite toys available to the public. But there are plenty of large and lavish vessels you can charter for a princely sum. The top three, according to Jacqui Lockhart, Europe head of charter marketing for luxury yacht firm Camper & Nicholsons, are:

• Flying Fox from Imperial Yachts, 136 meters (446 feet)
• Octopus from Camper & Nicholsons, 126.2 meters (414 feet)
• Lana from Imperial Yachts, 107 meters (351 feet)

Lockhart told Newsweek that Octopus has only recently become available for charter. It was built for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018 . The vessel was sold by Allen's estate last year and its new owner is reportedly Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson.

"She came on the market at the end of last year," Lockhart said. "I was just recently on board the Octopus in Panama. I have to admit, I've never seen anything like it in all my years in yachting."

Inside the Octopus

For years after its launch in 2003, the Octopus was off limits to everyone but Allen and his guests. Now anyone who wants to charter the megayacht, built by the German company Lürssen, can do so—as long as they can pay upwards of $2.2 million per week. For that sum, you and 11 other guests can enjoy eight decks of extravagant amenities including:

• Seven tenders
• Two helipads
• A submarine for underwater exploration
• An oceanographic hub for "explorers searching for lost shipwrecks and maritime artefacts"
• On-deck swimming pool
• Gym and wellness area
• Observation lounge
• A glass-bottomed aquarium

The accommodation includes a master suite (with private elevator and observation deck), two VIP apartments, seven double bedrooms and three twin staterooms.

"She has a ratio of 12 guests for just over 42 crew, which is quite exceptional," said Lockhart. "It's just the perfect yacht for exploration. She was built for cruising and exploration. She's been set up to be self-sufficient to go to remote areas, which is quite special."

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The Camper & Nicholsons website states that the Octopus has a maximum speed of roughly 19 knots and an ice-class hull. This means it can be chartered for winter cruises to Antarctica —an option that is increasingly popular, according to Lockhart.

"Certainly the larger yachts are more open to doing more extensive cruising and more remote destinations. Clients seem to want to be able to take their families to go to these destinations," she said.

More Megayachts

The largest yacht available for charter is the Flying Fox , according to Lockhart. The 136-meter vessel can accommodate up to 25 guests in 11 cabins, all of which have private sea-view terraces.

Flying Fox , which was built by Lürssen and launched in 2019, has amenities including a 12-meter swimming pool, a two-story spa and a professional diving center. Chartering it will cost upwards of $3.2 million a week from Imperial Yachts.

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No 3 on the list is Imperial's Lana . Built by Italian company Benetti and launched in 2020, Lana can house up to 12 guests and costs upwards of $1.9 million per week.

Newsweek has reached out to Imperial Yachts for comment.

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