Seized Superyacht Axioma Finally Leaves Dock After Auction, but Not Under Its Own Power

Axioma is on the move at long last, but there is a catch: it no longer seems able to move under its own power. Axioma is heading to its new home in Turkey, and all signs are pointing to the fact that it would be making part of the journey, if not the entirety of it, by tow.

Delivered in 2013, Axioma is not the most expensive, nor the flashiest Russian oligarch-owned superyachts out there. In March 2022, it became one of the first superyachts to be seized under the then-newly-introduced sanctions. In the summer of the same year, it went on to become the first seized superyacht to sell at auction, when the state of Gibraltar sold it off over an unpaid debt to bank J.P. Morgan.

With an estimated value of $75 million, Axioma sold for just $37.5 million in a 63-bid closed auction. In September, authorities announced that the sale had been finalized, but they did not disclose the identity of the new owner – and neither did they mention what would happen with the money left after J.P. Morgan’s debt of $21 million was paid off.

Then, for several more months, the 238-foot (72.5-meter) Axioma remained at dock in the same spot it had been before the sale. Reports claimed that the new owner was Turkish and most likely connected to Dunya Yachts, the shipyard that had built Axioma as a custom project for the previous owner (and known Putin associate) Dmitry Pumpyansky.

Prior to the seizure of Axioma, Dunya Yachts announced it was building a 157-foot (48-meter) shadow vessel for it. It would also be a custom build that would match the mothership in design, styling and even the instantly recognizable azure blue hull.

Partly confirming reports about the new owner, Axioma is now heading to Turkey. AIS (automatic identification system) tracking has been turned on, and it lists Gemlik, a commercial port north of Istanbul, as its destination, with a mid-February estimated arrival date. Gemlik is also very close to the Dunya Yachts shipyard, which could be one heck of a coincidence, if you believe coincidences exist.

More surprising than its port of destination is the fact that Axioma isn’t moving under its own power. Superyacht vlogger eSysman notes in the video at the bottom of the page that, prior to its departure, the superyacht was moved to a fueling dock, where it received its full tank. Despite this, it has left Gibraltar towed by several tugs, with trade publications noting that it’s likely it will make the 2,117-nautical-mile (2,436-mile / 3,921-km) journey without starting up its own engines, for reasons yet unknown.

Super yacht AXIOMA towed this morning from her berth at Queensway Quay by @resolvemarine tugs Rooke and Eliott to North Mole Yacht previous owned by Russian billionaire Dmitrievich Pumpyansky and seized in March of last year Subsequently auctioned for $37.5 million #Gibraltar pic.twitter.com/T7nVXhGJtq

— Michael J Sanchez (@key2med) January 28, 2023