octopus yacht helicopter

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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• Impressions

One of the largest and most spectacular examples of a full-fledged yachting and exploration vessel, 126-meter Octopus is equipped with highly sophisticated technology. Espen Øino International designed the striking exterior with a blue and white hull and superstructure, featuring two helipads and a hangar aft. The superyacht is capable of exploration and scientific research voyages requiring months at sea. One of her key features is an integrated dock for both the principal 20-meter guest tender and two submarines for exploring marine life, one of which is remotely controlled for reaching greater depths. Octopus also houses a professional music studio and a grandiose cinema, created by interior designer Jonathan Quinn Barnett.

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Octopus: On Board the Original Explorer Superyacht

Fresh from an extensive refit, Octopus is ready to become one of the world's most spectacular charters.

By Ellie Brade

Built in 2003 for Microsoft co-founder, the late Paul Allen, and sold to her current owner in 2021, the 414-ft Octopus is one of the world’s largest private yachts . At the time of her launch, she was the biggest explorer superyacht ever built. Little detail was known about her until she was first put up for sale in 2019. With Octopus now available for charter following a two-year round-the-world adventure, we take a closer look at one of the original explorer yachts.

[See more: The Best Luxury Yacht Builders in the World]

Construction

Effortlessly pairing adventure with high luxury, Octopus is the ultimate explorer yacht. She remains as impressive and timelessly stylish as the day she was launched 19 years ago. The work of a powerhouse design and build team, she was built in Germany by Lürssen , with naval architecture by Espen Oeino and an interior by Jonathan Quinn Barnett. “She is arguably the most iconic and versatile megayacht in the world,” says her lead charter broker Gayle Patterson of Camper & Nicholsons . “There is nowhere on the four corners of the Earth that she cannot go.”

Octopus’s core purpose was to cruise extensively and see the world. A fast-growing number of explorer-style yachts have followed in her wake, but it would be hard to find many that were designed and equipped so well for this purpose, or many that have ticked off so many destinations. With a range of 12,500 nm, Octopus can go just about anywhere and she has certainly made the most of that ability.

[See also: How to Charter a Superyacht]

Octopus’s core purpose was to cruise extensively and see the world / ©Camper & Nicholsons

Helicopters can be stored on the helipad or a giant internal hanger / ©Camper & Nicholsons

She was the first of the big explorer yachts and was also significant as one of the first major solo projects for her naval architect Oeino, who is today considered one of the masters of superyacht design. According to Oeino, one of the bigger challenges was meeting the owner’s brief that that none of the many tenders, water equipment or helicopters be visible when the yacht was underway.

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Oeino’s resulting design was a timelessly elegant, yet hardy exterior with a distinctive blue hull and white superstructure. Equipped with an Ice Class 1A hull, Octopus can navigate through sea ice with ease. Other key design elements include two helipads, which are positioned on the bow and stern, and a huge hangar for storing the helicopters.

Creating a yacht that still felt personal despite her gargantuan size was an important goal for interior designer Barnett of JQB Ltd. “It was a challenging task to make 9932GT over eight decks feel intimate and comfortable, safe and secure over every possible sea state for guest combinations from two to 24,” says Barnett.

“We developed an overall theme of timelessness with warmth and security for family fun and security when exploring vast open oceans and unseen coastal landscapes; I used soothing and calming colors with open graining and limestone course, satins, and matte finishes for natural textures.”

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Despite her enormous size, Octopus retains an intimate and personal feel inside / ©Camper & Nicholsons

The entertainment deck includes a 15-person cinema / ©Camper & Nicholsons

When creating the interior, the JQB team were able to take full advantage of Lürssen’s exceptional capabilities to create a very personal and visually stunning design. “The worst mistake, as far as I was thinking, would have been for us not to ask enough of Lürssen,” says Barnett. “It was clear to me that their skills and technology could produce details and quality beyond even our ability to imagine it.”

A core part of the interior design brief was to incorporate the owner’s many passions and hobbies, which meant utilising and co-ordinating a large team of specialists in their field. “We called upon the expertise of recording artists, studio and art museum lighting techs, aviation and submarine operations techs, librarians, art curators, telecommunications experts and so many more,” says Barnett. “Success looked like playing first violin with the greatest orchestra assembled by a living Einstein for Jimmy Hendricks and Captain Nemo.”

Life on board

The resulting yacht is extraordinary. Spanning eight decks, with her length of 414ft and beam of 68ft, there is certainly no shortage of space or features on board. Able to host 12 guests across 13 cabins, with numerous different cabin configurations available, her 42 crew ensure no guest need ever lift a finger.

Those 13 cabins include an owner’s master suite with its own elevator, two VIP cabins on the observation deck, seven doubles and three twins. Each cabin is its own private sanctuary, but it is the shared guest spaces that really shine.

Popular interior spaces include the entertainment deck with its large 15-person cinema, library, observation lounge, gym and wellness hub. Guest-accessible observation lounges are positioned at each extremity. “Deck Eight provides a window to the horizon and stars, while the underwater glass-bottomed observation lounge on Deck Zero gives wondrous glimpses into the watery depths,” says Barnett.

[See also: These are the Yacht Interior Designers to Know]

Octopus is able to host 12 guests across 13 cabins / ©Camper & Nicholsons

The underwater glass-bottomed observation lounge gives wondrous glimpses into the depths / ©Camper & Nicholsons

The beach club on Octopus / ©Camper & Nicholsons

A huge swimming pool is located on the bridge deck. “The spectacular pool area leading into the newly furnished beach bar is a well-used on board, as is the 7m pool, which has a retractable floor that can be raised to create a central dance floor,” says Patterson. “This deck area also boasts a large Jacuzzi, a pizza oven, BBQ grill and Tandoori oven.”

Throughout the yacht, numerous spaces for sunbathing and relaxing are found inside and out, with equally plentiful options for every dining style whether formal, relaxed or al fresco.

While her design features are impressive, so too is a vast list of toys and tenders which are testament to the fact that when it comes to exploration and enjoying the ocean, Octopus means business. These include no less than seven tenders, a full dive center with a hyperbaric chamber, an SUV for exploring onshore, electric foils and an ROV (remote operated underwater vehicle).

Where is Octopus heading?

As one of the world’s most traveled yachts, Octopus has undertaken a lengthy list of expeditions, and frequently acts as a base for scientific exploration expeditions. Highlights include the recovery of the bell from the wreck of the historic HMS Hood and discovering the wreck of the WW2 battleship IJN Musashi off the Philippines.

The new owner is reportedly keen to continue this legacy of marine protection and discovery. It is therefore fitting that over the next two years, Octopus will be doing what she does best – traveling the globe once again. Fresh from a refit, she is in peak condition and ready to go.

Fresh from a refit, Octopus is in peak condition and ready to go / ©Camper & Nicholsons

“Notable destinations in the plan are Costa Rica and Cocos Island in spring 2022, French Polynesia and Thailand in summer 2022 and Antarctica this coming winter,” says Patterson. “The world is her oyster.”

Octopus is available for charter through leading yacht company Camper & Nicholsons from $ 2,200,000 per week. Contact camperandnicholsons.com

[See more: What are Explorer Yachts?]

Ellie Brade

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Octopus: New pictures of Lürssen's 126m explorer

Related articles, superyacht directory.

Camper & Nicholsons has released new images of the 126 metre Lürssen Octopus in Panama just a few months after she made her debut on the charter market following a refit at Blohm+Voss .

Octopus is one of the largest superyachts in the world and also one of the most secretive, that is until she was put up for sale last year. Now under new ownership and available for charter, she embarked on a two-year round-the-world tour at the end of 2021 starting in the Galapagos Islands.

Commissioned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, Octopus was built in steel by German yard Lürssen and delivered in 2003. At the time of her launch, she was easily the largest explorer yacht ever built and heralded a new era of superyachts built to travel to the ends of the earth, equipped with scientific and research equipment and all the little (and not-so-little) luxuries expected of a vessel of this size. With exterior design by Espen Øino and interiors penned by Jonathan Quinn Barnett , Octopus remains, to this day, one of the most impressive yachts on the water.

Her ice-class 1A steel hull means she can travel further than most while her two helipads allow guests to be whisked to shore for polar expeditions on land. Since her delivery, Octopus has explored the coast of Antarctica, traversed the Northwest Passage and even discovered the wrecks of long-lost WW2 battleships off the Philippines. 

After a decade of extensive travelling, Octopus checked in for a refit at Blohm+Voss in 2019 where a few tweaks were made to prepare her for the charter market. Work was mostly superficial with new custom furnishings and the removal of a recording studio which has since been replaced by a bar. Accommodation is offered for a total of 12 guests, including a private owner’s deck complete with its own elevator and observation lounge. 

Octopus is home to seven tenders, which are stored out of sight in a drive-in garage that qualifies as a "mini marina". The biggest tender is an 18-metre Delta 54, built in carbon with a top speed of 30 knots, and the yacht is set to take delivery of a Triton 3300/6 submarine. Other standout features include a glass-bottomed underwater observation lounge, smoothie bar, a cinema, wine bar, and a basketball court.

On the bridge deck, also dubbed the entertainment deck, guests will find a heated freshwater swimming pool with a retractable glass floor that raises to deck level to provide an extended area for entertaining. A bar, spa pool and pizza oven are also found nearby. 

What's more, Octopus is powered by two-hybrid ABB Industry AG E-Motors that limit her environmental footprint wherever she roams. She can reach a top speed of 19 knots when underway and is equipped with a globe-trotting range of 12,500 nautical miles when cruising at 12 knots.

Octopus is listed for charter with Camper & Nicholsons asking $2,200,000 per week. The yacht will remain in the Caribbean this summer before heading to Antarctica for the winter.

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You Can Buy Paul Allen’s Octopus, Arguably The World’s Most Incredible Yacht

Allen accurately described the Octopus, a ship that’s capable of exploration and entertainment, as being “less a Bentley than a Range Rover.”

Aviation_Intel

If you are a fighting ship aficionado, you probably also have at least a tangential interest in big yachts. Sometimes the line between the two categories of vessels blurs to the point of near indistinguishability . All my life I have been fascinated with the world's ultimate private ships, both old and new. Today, even in a competitive era of ever-larger mega yachts that can rival cruise ships in size, it's not just about mass, it's also about quality and creative ship design, which can border on downright genius. Maybe the smartest mega yacht of them all design-wise is the late Paul Allen's Octopus , an iconic vessel in the yachting universe and one that you can now own for $325,000,000—roughly the price of five G650 Gulfstream jets. 

The Microsoft co-founder and legendary entrepreneur's death has led to the liquidation of many of his most prized, but eccentric belongings. From the world's largest aircraft that was built to put satellites into orbit, to his mint and very flyable MiG-29UB Fulcrum jet fighter, much of the contents of Allen's incredible toy chest are being sold off to the highest bidder. His beloved Octopus is now part of what is something of the world's most outlandish estate sale.

Built by Lurrsen and delivered in 2003, at that time she was the world's largest yacht, but she quickly lost that crown as part of an ongoing competition among the world's yachting billionaires to have the biggest boat. Today she doesn't even make the top ten list in terms of length (414 feet), but she certainly does in terms of displacement, which sits just shy of 10,000 tons—eclipsing the displacement of a Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser . 

Octopus can accommodate 26 guests in 13 cabins, many of which are suites. Her crew of 63 is spread out in 30 cabins. Just as a reference here, at full load, she has a crew to guest ratio of nearly 2.5 crewmen  per guest. For comparison, the crew to guest ratio on Royal Caribbean's Anthem Of The Seas has a ratio of .31 crewmen to each guest. The Seaborne cruise line's super up-market and small-sized ship fleet, like the Seaborne Odyssey , has about a .73 crewmen per guest ratio. Of course, during parties, the vessel can accommodate hundreds of people temporarily. 

Octopus has an incredibly classy exterior design that is somewhat timeless when compared to more exotic and bland looking yachts that sail the high seas these days. This is in part due to its purpose—it is both a pleasure yacht and an exploration vessel. 

The utilitarian half of Octopus's personality shows through in her overall design. Case in point, her large floodable well-deck in her stern that holds a yellow submarine named Pagoo. Pagoo can embark ten people on up to eight-hour-long underwater adventures. The sub can dive as deep as 1,000 feet .

ISE Ltd. built the submarine , which has huge glass portholes for its occupants to gawk out of, for Allen.

An unmanned remotely operated vehicle that can dive far deeper—thousands of feet below the surface of the ocean—is also stored and deployed from here along with the ship's primary tender, Man Of War.

Allen's obsession with aviation also injected some warship-like qualities into Octopus . She has two landing pads—one on the bow and a very large one on the stern. The stern pad is co-located with a huge helicopter hangar capable of easily storing two helicopters— Allen's Sikorsky S-76C and his MD-902 NOTAR Explorer. Such a large hangar bay—or just any hangar bay at all—is quite unique even in the mega yacht universe.

The ship's hull opens up in multiple places to deploy beach clubs and water toys, along with Octopus's myriad tenders—seven are embarked including Man Of War. Octopus also has missionized spaces that can be reconfigured for different exploration voyages. Its well-deck can also accommodate specialized gear depending on what the goal of the mission is and what partners are embarked aboard, or on nearby on support and scientific vessels, to accomplish it. And it has accomplished some very high-profile missions indeed.

It found the USS Lexington   at the bottom of the Coral Sea and the USS Indianapolis as well as the Japanese battleship Musashi near the Philippines. It even recovered the ship's bell from the sunken HMS Hood . She has also executed Arctic and Antarctic expeditions with the help of her hardy steel hull that is Ice Class 1A rated , including traversing the Northwest Passage.  

But it's not as if Octopus is all business and no play, far from it in fact. The primary purpose of the vessel is still to entertain its guests like nothing else can. Seattle's Jonathan Quinn Barnett designed its interior, which carries over its exterior's blending of classical nautical design cues with a modern flare. The vessel is equipped with a large pool that can be converted into a dancefloor via a retractable glass system and is replete with a top-of-the-line lighting system. You can see Octopus in party mode in this photo and this series of photos.  

She also features an absolutely top-notch recording studio—another one of Allen's great loves was music. Many hitmakers have recorded in the sea-borne studio , such as Mickjagger, Usher, Johnny Cash, Bono, and god knows who else, but rest assured the secret list is extremely impressive. Of her eight decks, one is entirely dedicated to the owner alone. It features a private entertaining lounge with a full bar, its own jacuzzi, and dining area, as well as its own dedicated elevator, one of two on the entire ship.

A library, bar, movie theater, gym, observation lounge, and a complete dive center—with its own hyperbaric chamber —are all available to guests. The rear landing pad doubles as a basketball court, which makes sense as Allen owned the Portland Trailblazers. The list of accouterments goes on and on. It even has a glass-bottom viewing area!

The best collection of photos showing off Octopus's  endless features are in the videos posted below:

When it comes to its powerplant, Allen spared no expense. The ship runs off a diesel-electric arrangement with eight diesel generators powering two electric motors that provide six megawatts of juice to drive her screws. It's supposed to be remarkably efficient, giving the ship the ability to cruise a whopping 12,500 miles at 12.5 knots on a single tank of gas and hit a top speed of 19 knots. 

Paul Allen described his passion and amazement for the project in his 2011 autobiography, according to Bloomberg , stating:

“When I first stood on the bridge, I felt as though I was on a spaceship,” he wrote, adding that with features including a pool, basketball court, movie theater, a recording studio with ocean views, “all my passions come together in one moveable feast.”

“It’s less a Bentley than a Range Rover,” Allen said in the memoir, adding that “Octopus has realized every mission I had in mind for her.”

Overall, even though Octopus is 16 years old, it remains one of, if not the top yacht in the world. Not in size, but in quality, thoughtfulness of its design, timelessness, features, quality of construction, and especially versatility. In fact, from what I can tell, its selling price is substantially more than what Allen paid for the vessel in 2003. This is a very rare reality in the world of large vessels where depreciation driven by a tiny customer base can be absolutely brutal. 

You need extremely deep pockets not just to buy Octopus , but to keep it running. The rule of thumb is that a yacht costs roughly ten percent of its total cost to operate annually. So in this case, at least according to the sale price, we are talking $32.5M every year. But that number is probably even higher considering all the unique toys embarked aboard her and the specialized crew needed to maintain and operate them. 

Security is a big part of this. A mega yacht is a huge and slow target literally floating on the water. Considering the wealth and notoriety of the owners of these types of vessels and their guests, enemies and nefarious opportunists are not hard to come by. With this in mind, a highly-trained security team is needed to stand round-the-clock vigil. There have been many reports that Allen had a team of ex-Navy SEALs onboard to protect Octopus . I have no idea how accurate that often repeated rumor is, but would you be surprised if he didn't seek the most talented operators with vast experience in the maritime operating environment to protect his pride and joy? I mean, when you own something this expensive already, why not?

So, for the richest human beings on the planet, a 'for sale' Octopus represents a very rare opportunity to snap up a vessel that has stood the test of time when it comes to the hardest to impress community in the world. And a ship that is uniquely capable of grand discoveries and adventure, as well as throwing unrivaled parties on the French Riviera. In fact, Octopus is still arguably the best design that can actually wear both hats, with other exploration-capable yachts looking far less glamorous and luxurious. 

While other yachts may be far larger, like Azzam for instance, or a bit more flashy and entertainment-focused, like Serene , Octopus still seems to have its tentacles wrapped tightly around the "best overall yacht in the world" mantle, and that my friends comes at a very high price to whoever will call her theirs next. 

Octopus is currently co-listed for sale by Fraser and Burgess . 

Contact the author: [email protected]

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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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Inside Paul Allen’s Former Yacht on Sale for $90 Million

By Katie Schultz

The estate of the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is offering the sale of his 303-foot-long superyacht , Tatoosh , for a cool $90 million, according to Dirt . If you’re thinking those stats aren’t impressive enough for the billionaire and tech magnate , well, you’d be right. Tatoosh , which is currently the 60th largest yacht worldwide, was just Allen’s secondary vessel. His main yacht, Octopus , sold last year for $325 million and stretches 414 feet long, making it the 20th largest yacht in the world.

As for Tatoosh , the recently-listed vessel was custom-built by German shipyard Nobiskrug in 2000 for fellow American tech mogul Craig McCaw before being bought by Allen the following year for an estimated $100 million. The craft was put up for sale shortly after Allen’s death in 2018, but was taken off the market for an extensive refitting that was completed last year.

The dining room aboard the ship. 

Flash Sale: Join AD PRO for only $20 $12 per month

Inside the vessel, 11 staterooms can accommodate up to 19 guests with access to a lengthy list of lavish amenities that includes a heated swimming pool with a hydraulic-powered mosaic floor that can raise and lower, a parquet floor salon complete with a limestone fireplace and a bar, a movie theater adorned in red velvet, a beauty salon, a gym, two helicopter pads, a sunbathing and diving area decked out with a blue-tiled spa, bulletproof windows, a fleet of jet skis, multiple 43-foot tenders, and a crew of 31 to oversee it all. The owner’s quarters include a private deck, two dressing rooms, and an observation lounge with a private galley, all spanning across two of the ship’s five decks, which are all accessible via elevator.

The owner’s stateroom aboard the ship. 

To maintain and staff the superyacht, which will be one of the largest yachts on display during the Monaco Yacht Show later this month, potential new owners will have to be prepared to pay $9 to $10 million per year in addition to the hefty price tag. Tatoosh is being represented by the Monaco-based yachting company Fraser.

By Megan Wahn

By Michelle Duncan

A billionaire got Paul Allen’s 414-foot-long Octopus megayacht to the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix and paid $138,000 just to moor it near the tracks and enjoy the race from the $285 million vessel

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So massive it would dwarf Jeff Bezos’ Koru yacht, this wild gigayacht concept is apt for a trillionaire. Designed to look like a hammerhead shark, it has five swimming pools, a helipad to accommodate three helicopters and golf buggies to move inside.

Not just his $156 million superyacht, the U.S. authorities want to seize this Russian steel billionaire’s private jet and custom helicopter. One of the first yachts to go dark, this lavish 325 feet vessel has a transforming helipad that neatly folds into a squash court.

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Secret buyer nabs Microsoft grandee’s superyacht for £200m

For £1m a week you can rent 126-metre ship built for Paul Allen, with two helicopters, two subs and a recording studio

A vast “explorer class” superyacht built for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been sold for almost £200m, and is now available to rent for anyone with about a £1m to drop for a week.

Octopus was the world’s largest yacht when she was built for Allen in 2003 and the 126-metre vessel marked a turning point in superyacht design, capable of being used for deep sea exploration as well as living a life of luxury on the high seas.

On the market since Allen’s death in 2018, the superyacht was originally listed for sale at €295m (£250m) before being reduced to €235m. It is believed to have sold for slightly under the asking price. The Allen family office declined to comment.

The identity of the Scandinavian buyer is unknown, but it is to be made available for charter via Mayfair-based yacht broker Camper & Nicholsons . The broker, which declined to comment, has not yet set a weekly rental price. However, other very large superyachts can cost as much as £1m a week to rent.

In 2019, Kylie Jenner, the Keeping up with the Kardashians reality TV star and cosmetics empire billionaire, spent €1.1m chartering the 91.5m (300ft) yacht Tranquility .

The eight-deck Octopus has 13 guest suites, including a private owner’s deck. There is also a cinema, a gym, a spa, a basketball court, a pool (which converts into a dancefloor) and a pizza oven. It features not one but two helicopters, two submarines and space for seven tenders and a large SUV. The yacht has quarters for up to 63 crew.

Allen, a keen adventurer, asked superyacht designer Espen Øino to create a yacht capable of carrying out expeditions. “It was a very ambitious brief, because none of the tenders, tools, RVs, subs, helicopters could be outside – they should all be concealed,” Øino has said.

The ship was used by the Titanic director, James Cameron, for a dive to the bottom of the 10,925 metres to the Mariana trench, the deepest point in the world.

Allen also used the ship to help to recover the bell from the British battleship HMS Hood, which was sunk by the Bismarck in the North Atlantic.

“When I first stood on the bridge, I felt as though I was on a spaceship,” Allen wrote in his autobiography Idea Man. He said having a pool, basketball court, cinema, and recording studio on the boat meant “all my passions come together in one movable feast”.

“It turns out if you go 1,000 ft down in the ocean, it’s really dark, and the animals are really strange,” Allen said in 2011. “But if you put on some Pink Floyd, it’s fantastic.”

The onboard recording studio has been used by Mick Jagger, Bono, Usher and Joss Stone. Øino has said equipping the recording studio to Allen’s demands had been a particular challenge.

“Mr Allen’s interest in music was enormous and the acoustic quality was nothing less than a shore-based one,” Øino said. “There were 54 tonnes of AV/IT equipment aboard. A very complex boat in many ways. I think he loved it.”

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Russian Helicopters and CAE Inc. Sign Memorandum of Understanding

Moscow / 12 September 2012  – Russian Helicopters, part of state defence holding Oboronprom and a leading global designer and manufacturer helicopters, and CAE Inc, a global leader in modelling, simulation and training for civil aviation and defence, have signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate the economic feasibility of working together in a number of high-potential areas.

Under the memorandum, signed at the ILA Berlin Air Show 2012, Russian Helicopters and CAE will examine the possibility of jointly developing helicopter flight simulators and pilot training programmes for students of the Helicopter Academy established in spring 2012 at the National Helicopter Building Centre in Tomilino, Moscow Region.

Also under consideration is the use of CAE’s simulators and training facilities to train pilots and mechanics for Russian helicopter operators. Russian Helicopters and CAE will also discuss the joint creation of training centres in Russia and other countries.

The scope of the agreement offers numerous potential benefits for both sides. Russian Helicopters may gain access to a range of CAE’s technologies, and the opportunity to make use of the Canadian company’s extensive network of training centres to train operators of Russian helicopters around the world. CAE will in turn have the opportunity to promote its products on the global market for Russian-built helicopters.

ILA 2012 runs from 11-16 September at the new and specially designed Berlin ExpoCenter Airport at Schönefeld. The Russian Helicopters stand can be found at Booth 1305 in Pavilion 1.

More about Russian Helicopters’ display at ILA 2012 can be found here .

CAE Inc is a leading global supplier of products and service ranging from the sale of simulation products to providing comprehensive services such as training and aviation services, professional services, in-service support and crew sourcing. The company’s German subsidiary, CAE Elektronics GmbH, provides services from development through production and delivery of full-flight helicopter and aeroplane simulators to the turnkey delivery of certificated training centres.

Russian Helicopters, JSC is a subsidiary of UIC Oboronprom, which in turn is a part of Russian Technologies State Corporation. It is one of the global leaders in helicopter production and the only helicopter design and production powerhouse in Russia. Russian Helicopters is headquartered in Moscow. The company comprises five helicopter production facilities, two design bureaus, a spare parts production and repair facility, as well as an aftersale service branch responsible for maintenance and repair in Russia and all over the world. Its helicopters are popular among Russian ministries and state authorities (Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Emergency Control Ministry), operators (Gazpromavia, UTair), major Russian corporations. Over 8000 helicopters of Soviet/Russian make are operated in 110 countries worldwide. Traditionally the demand is highest in the Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Russia, and CIS countries. Russian Helicopters was established in 2007. In 2011 its IFRS revenues increased 27.8% to RUB 103.9 billion. Deliveries reached 262 helicopters.

Partners of Russian Helicopters: AirTaxi Service (interior completions and maintenance); Tranzas (software, navigation systems, aviation simulators); CSTS Dinamika (technical training means for aviation flight and engineering personnel); BETA AIR (testing equipment and aviation electronics); Ural Works of Civil Aviation (repair of helicopter engines and components, as well as gearboxes).

Russian Technologies State Corporation was established in November 2007 to support Russian industry in developing, producing and exporting high-tech industrial products. The Corporation includes 22 directly managed companies and 17 holdings, of which 12 are in the defence sector and five in civil industry. In total Russian Technologies comprises 592 companies. The Corporation has its headquarters in Moscow, and has a presence in 60 of Russia’s regions. It exports its products to 70 countries.

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Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

The Moscow Helicopter Plant is a Russian designer and producer of helicopters headquartered in Tomilino. It is a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters.

The Moscow Mil Helicopter Plant includes a design bureau and an experimental production plant. The Mil Design Bureau is one of the world's leading developers of helicopters, with particular expertise in heavy-lift helicopters. It has developed both civil and military versions in a wide range of payload capacities, including the world's largest, the Mi-26.

Ninety-five percent of the helicopters in the former Soviet Union were built to Mil designs. Series production facilities for Mil-designed helicopters include Rostvertol in Rostov-na-Donu, the Kazan Helicopter Production Association, and the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant. Mil participates in the Euromil joint venture with Eurocopter.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mil_Moscow_Helicopter_Plant

Mil Mi-24D Attack Helicopter - NATO Code "Hind D"

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