A Russian oligarch’s superyacht is finally on the move

You wouldn’t need to squint too hard at the Aegean Sea to spot The Eclipse, a Russian oligarch’s controversial superyacht that recently started sailing again.

Roman Abramovich’s boat is on the move, according to Vessel Finder, and is scheduled to reach a port near Istanbul on Thursday, August 21. It’s a long time coming for the $700 million boat, which has been docked in the Marmaris, Turkey, district for almost two and a half years, according to local news outlet Turkiye Today.

At 533 feet long, The Eclipse was once the biggest yacht in the world, but it’s notable for more than its impressive size. In March of 2023 and shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, the UK government sanctioned Abramovich for his alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Many of the billionaire’s assets were sold or frozen, according to Bloomberg, but he quickly moved his yachts to friendlier waters.

The Eclipse arrived in Marmaris shortly after Abramovich was sanctioned, along with another one of his million-dollar vessels. According to Turkiye Today, the superyacht is headed to Istanbul for likely pricey repairs.

Superyachts are wildly expensive to maintain, and experts previously told Business Insider that owners should expect to shell out about 10% of a yacht’s new-build price every year.

Business Insider snapped some pictures of The Eclipse in 2013 when it was docked at Manhattan’s Pier 90. Take a look inside the controversial vessel.

The yacht is 533 feet long and styled after military vessels.

The superyacht was designed by British designer Terence Disdale, and it took four and a half years to build. Disdale previously spoke to the charter company ADA Yacht 10 years after it was delivered about his work on the vessel.

“For me, it’s more of a clean piece of architecture than a piece of style,” he told ADA Yacht.

It was the world’s largest yacht when it was built in 2010.

“While the yacht was still on the drawing board, there was a rumor that someone was building a larger boat, and the owner was asked if he knew about it. He said he didn’t, and he didn’t care. Breaking the record was the furthest thing on his mind,” Disdale said.

The Eclipse has two helipads.

It was designed with its helipads in mind.

“Having a helipad at the front brings the superstructure to spring size. If it wasn’t there, you wouldn’t have this length,” Disdale said.

It has 17 VIP cabins.

With 24 guest cabins on board, visitors have access to a gym, a spa with a sauna, and a massage room. The boat can accommodate 70 crew members.

There’s a 15-foot pool on the main deck.

Other amenities include a second pool, several jacuzzis, and a disco lounge. There’s also a beauty salon on board.

The Eclipse has three launch boats.

They looked to be stocked with medical supplies and a variety of handheld radios. There’s also a mini-submarine that can dive to 50 meters.

A large yacht like the Eclipse can hold over 100,000 gallons of fuel.

Dock fees, routine maintenance, and insurance depend on the size of the boat, but superyachts can cost $350,000 to dock per year.

It was built with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure.

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