Since the start of the war in Ukraine, several prominent Russian businessmen believed to be friends and allies of President Putin have found themselves in the crossfire, as international authorities included them on sanctions lists. Putin himself is at the top of those lists, and his megayacht is the biggest catch of all.
In May this year, Scheherazade, a $700 million Lurssen megayacht believed to be owned by Putin, was arrested and seized by authorities in Italy, in a Tuscan port where it had arrived months prior to undergo refits. Scheherazade is a 2020 vessel and also one of the world’s largest (it ranks 12th overall), most expensive, most luxurious, and most secretive.
As of late, this gigantic, six-deck, 460-foot (140-meter) megayacht built like a floating palace with the wildest and most outrageous amenities is officially a houseboat. Superyacht vlogger eSysman reports that the management firm of Scheherazade has re-flagged and re-registered the vessel (see the video below, at the 3.42-minute mark). Scheherazade previously sailed under the Cayman Islands flag, but it’s now flagged in Malaysia and is registered as a houseboat.
This could be a new trend in sanctioned Russian oligarchs, the vlogger speculates, and it might have something to do with the fact that, in some territories, a house is a protected asset. Commenters speculate on the possibility that a houseboat would be harder to track using AIS (automatic identification system), but that makes little sense since Scheherazade hasn’t used the AIS system, which is mandatory for all large vessels, in more than five months.
Whatever the reason (which we may never find out), renaming a $700 million megayacht as a houseboat is funny. Odd, but funny too.
According to some reports, the total cost of this ship of monstrous size could actually be closer to $1 billion if you consider all the luxury fittings and finishes inside. Insiders say that every screw onboard is gold-plated and that even the toilet seats are golden, but this could be just urban legend. The only data available is that the ship offers 10,167 GT of interior volume spread across six decks, accommodation for 40 guests in 22 cabins and 94 crew, and interiors by Francois Zuretti on a naval architecture by Lurssen.
Amenities reportedly include a hospital wing, spa and wellness center, a fully-equipped gym and a judo studio, a formal ballroom, cinema, helipad and hangar, a couple of pools, and several jacuzzis. One of the pools has an elevating bottom that turns it into a dancefloor, and it’s presumably the largest of its kind in the world.
Scheherazade is powered by twin diesel 8,837 hp mtu engines, capable of taking it to 20 knots (23 mph / 37 kph) top speed and a cruising speed of 15 knots (17 mph / 27.7 kph). Not that it’s doing much of either these days, but it might, still – one day.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News