Wayfinder: Bill Gates' ShadowCat Easily Transitions from Support Vessel to Superyacht

Bill Gates is not your typical billionaire, if such a thing even exists. The Microsoft co-founder, whose net worth is estimated at $130 billion as of this writing, is not just particularly media shy but also very outspoken about everyone's duty, including his own, to make this planet a better place for future generations. He is a passionate climate activist and an environmentalist who does a bit more than just talk: he also puts his money where his mouth – and his heart – is.

Because of his status, Bill Gates can't and probably won't lead a regular life or even a premium version of one. Asked once how his activism on environmental issues fit in with his huge carbon footprint from flying private, Gates responded candidly by saying that his business, reputation, and personal security couldn't allow him to travel any other way. Tesla CEO Elon Musk made a similar argument a while back, saying his time was more productive if spent less on the road and more in meetings.

For Gates, the argument extends to his choice of going on summer-long vacations onboard some of the world's most expensive superyachts. Not long ago, he was sailing on LANA, a spectacular Azimut-Benetti megayacht described as one of the world's most beautiful and luxurious. Accompanying LANA was a smaller, less luxurious, but still impressive in its own right shadow vessel called Wayfinder.

Wayfinder is Gates' personal superyacht, and it recently joined the charter market for the first time. As far as the world knows, and that includes trade publications, Wayfinder was designed and built for Gates, who has been its sole owner since delivery in 2021.

If LANA is impressive for its size and luxury amenities, the latter of which translate into charter rates of more than $2 million per week, Wayfinder stands out for its utilitarian, rugged silhouette that hints at its functionality and versatility. It would be hard to assign this vessel to any one category because it's capable of easily transitioning from a support vessel to a proper superyacht with no compromise in terms of luxury, comfort, or privacy.

If Wayfinder looks somewhat similar, it's because it's the younger sibling of Hodor, arguably still the world's most famous shadowcat. Hodor is a floating toy box of the most luxurious type and the first of its kind. Whereas Wayfinder is younger, it's also bigger than Hodor and remains, to this day, the largest delivery from Spanish shipyard Astilleros Armon.

Wayfinder is a 224-foot (68.2-meter) aluminum catamaran that comes with the extra benefit of more interior space and a smoother sailing experience than a similarly-sized single-hull. The naval architecture and exterior design are by Incat Crowther, with the interiors penned by Oliver Design with a focus on functionality and good looks.

That last part is key to its ability to transition from one function to the other, which means that it can be used as a shadow vessel for another superyacht or work as a superyacht on its own. Interior volume is 1,737 GT, with accommodation for 12 guests and 30 highly-specialized crew members, and still enough space left for the most astounding array of features and storage options.

Wayfinder has everything from a commercial-grade helipad to an infirmary, offices and conference rooms, a dive center with decompression chamber, and lavish lounges assigned to a single purpose – like the helipad lounge, where guests can chill while they wait for their transfer. It also packs plenty of leisure options, such as a fold-out beach club and outdoor lounge areas, and the gym with the best views in the world, thanks to a fold-down terrace that allows you to take your workout almost at water level.

Since it's a shadowcat, Wayfinder is packed with tenders and toys: four Sea-Doos, a 16-guest Compass limo, a 17-guest Munson Beach Lander, and a variety of personal watercraft from Seabobs to paddleboards and an Explorer Icebreaker e-Jetboard.

The large helipad aft comes with a couple of hidden surprises, too. When it's not used to land and hold aircraft, it can double as a very large party venue that can hold as many as 200 guests. Wayfinder has frequently been seen at events like the Cannes Film Festival or the Monaco Grand Prix, and that's one of the reasons: it's the best floating party venue around.

The helipad also converts into a pickleball court, with side lounges for supporters to look on and three-side protection going up to keep the balls from going out to sea. If that's not the definition of fancy, you tell us what it is.

Another thing that makes Wayfinder an outstanding vessel is its pledge to cleaner sailings, which makes Gates less of a hypocrite for buying a superyacht, given his pledge to sustainability. Wayfinder is built to the latest IMO Tier III emission guidelines, comes with an onboard water treatment plant that turns wastewater into drinkable water before discharging it, and a system that treats dry waste for storage, in keeping with a zero-discharge policy.

For its first season as a charter vessel, Wayfinder will cruise the Mediterranean, Baltic, Red Sea, and Arabian Gulf and will head to the Caribbean for the winter. The current rate is €375,000 ($407,000 at the current exchange rate) per week, not including expenses, but being able to brag about vacationing on Gates' superyacht is probably one of those things in life you can't put a price on.