By definition, superyachts are enormous, luxurious, and extremely capable, but how far can one actually travel?
Superyachts are limited only by their fuel capacity, with the most capable superyachts boasting a maximum range of five thousand miles. However, most superyachts have the ability to travel a maximum distance of around one thousand to three thousand nautical miles on a single tank of fuel.
Read on to learn more about superyachts, their abilities, and which of them have the longest range.
Exploring The Open Ocean
There are few ways to travel that are more luxurious than by superyacht. You’ll spend a few days – or weeks – aboard a floating mansion, a crew catering to your every need, surrounded by sumptuous fittings.
These days, superyachts are getting bigger and more impressive with every build that launches. In fact, the category became so broad that new terms had to be invented: hyperyacht, and gigayacht.
At the far end of the spectrum, these vessels are gargantuan, and they ultimately become miniature cruise ships or floating hotels. The only difference is, they’re a more exclusive and private experience and absolutely no expense is spared in their creation.
When you board a superyacht, you’re handed the tickets to freedom, and given the ability to sail anywhere your heart desires. As long as you’ve got the fuel in the tank and a weather eye on the horizon, your superyacht can carry you there.
The only thing that limits a superyacht when it comes to its range is its fuel tank. Although there have been countless innovations within the industry, almost every superyacht still relies on traditional fossil fuels.
Going The Distance
Now, as these superyachts are designed to be quite literally lived on for several weeks at a time, it stands to reason that they need to be equipped for long-distance travel. To that end, some superyachts boast a fuel tank that’s the size of a small house.
For example, there’s the Azzam, a 181-meter superyacht – one of the largest on the planet. It has the capacity for thirty-six guests and eighty crew members; its size is absolutely staggering and it dominates any port it pulls into.
The Azzam is equipped with a fuel tank that can hold one million liters of fuel and it can travel at a maximum speed of thirty knots. This superyacht is capable of notching up a two or three thousand mile journey with ease.
When you get to your destination aboard the Azzam, you’re presented with three options to disembark or go ashore. Firstly, you could board a luxurious tender, or hop aboard one of the two helicopters that the yacht can carry.
Finally, you could drop out of the bottom of the Azzam in the micro-submarine that’s kept on board. It’s the pinnacle of extravagance and there’s no superyacht quite like it – certainly, none that have a submarine tucked inside them.
Ultimately, the most capable long-range superyachts are in a class of their own known as the ‘Explorer’ class. These superyachts are built with range, comfort, and yes, exploration in mind, and they boast the ability to travel as far as five thousand miles on a single tank of fuel.
In 2019, a conceptual superyacht was revealed called the Heesen Xventure, a strong competitor in the Explorer class. This superyacht would allegedly travel five thousand miles in a single bound, and do so in the utmost luxury.
The design featured a helicopter landing pad, glass walls around the vessel, and a zero-edge pool. If you’ve never heard of a zero-edge pool, it’s definitely time to learn – check out this article we wrote explaining what they are.
However, while these superyachts might sound incredible, you have to bear in mind that they’re one of the most expensive things you can actually buy. These days, you will not be spending less than one hundred million dollars on a superyacht – and that’s typically for an entry-level model.
The Azzam yacht, which we’ve discussed in this article, is reportedly worth some six hundred million dollars. Although, that’s not a patch on what would have been the most expensive superyacht in the world, the History Supreme.
This superyacht was designed to be worth almost five billion dollars, and the concept boasted ten thousand kilograms of solid gold. There were to be fine jewels and precious metals on almost every surface of the superyacht, and even a statue made from real dinosaur bones on board.
Unfortunately, the History Supreme turned out to be one of the biggest myths in the yachting world, and it never truly existed.