Wayfinder (2021 yacht)

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Wayfinder is a luxury supply yacht or auxiliary boat, of a type often referred as a supply vessel, shadow cat, shadow boat or yacht support vessel;[1] ultimately, it is a yacht tender. Its task is to supply a pleasure yacht. A catamaran, its length is 68 metres, with a beam of 14 metres.[2] Its main function is to provide its mothership with fossil fuel, foodstores, parts, and maintenance employees; it also serves as its heliport.[3] Its fuel capacity is 200,000 litres, equivalent to 52,834 US gallons, to power its Diesel engines.[4] In 2021, it sailed under the flag of the Cayman Islands.[5]

Build[edit]

The yacht is a multihull, specifically, a catamaran, built in aluminium and featuring four decks.[5] It was built by Astilleros Armón Burela, of Navia, Asturias, at is Burela shipyard, in La Mariña Central, Galicia;[1][6] it was the largest boat built there to date.[7] Its designer is Incat Crowther, an Australian company, and the technical advisor is YCTS, a U.S. company. Interior design is by Oliver Design, a Basque firm.[8] The catamaran's dimensions are 68.2 metres of length, 14 of beam, and a draught of 2.40 metres. It features a heliport.[9] An internal hangar stores helicopter and lifeboat. In addition, it transports several pleasure boats, including fast launches, diving equipment, quads, motorcycles, and a minisubmarine.[10] It can hold up to three 12-metre auxiliary boats each inside the hangar, plus two smaller ones on deck.[11]

Due to its dimensions, Wayfinder is considered a megayacht.[5][6] It is crewed by 18 employees.

The yacht's maximum speed is 21 knots, which is equivalent to 39 kilometers per hour, on account of to two engines of 3,850 horsepower each (CV), which consume diesel fuel.[12]

The boat was launched on December 10, 2020,[6] and it is only the second megayacht supply ship built as a catamaran. Unusually, the vessel was launched without being baptized, in order to maintain confidentiality about the true name of the yacht.[1][13]

Functions[edit]

The main function of the yacht is to furnish, maintain, support, or assist the owner's main yacht.[5] In fact, apart from the crew, Wayfinder has built-in space for 14 passenger employees, who are part of the primary yacht's technical team.[6] The boat features ample warehouse space that can be repurposed for multiple uses. In late 2021, it was reported that Wayfinder may have carried a 30-member security detail.[14]

Like any other modern vessel, it has an internal garbage dump, so that solid waste is deposited in harbour.[6] Additionally, it features the laundry, pantries, workshops and spare parts warehouses.[15]

Ownership[edit]

Some sources attribute ownership to Bill Gates.[5][16][17] Nonetheless, other sources report Gates has denied such ownership.[18] During construction it was impossible to reveal the owner, due to strict contract "shielded confidentiality"; however, it was revealed that it was one of the top ranked in wealth according to Forbes magazine's list.[1][13]

Gates was said to have put Wayfinder up for sale in 2024.[19]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Este es el Wayfinder, el megayate de lujo auxiliar de otro de superlujo". La Voz de Asturias (in Spanish). 12 December 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Un lujoso catamarán de Bill Gates visita el Puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife". Canarias7 (in Spanish). Informaciones Canarias, S.A. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021. fastuoso catamarán de 68 metros de eslora
  3. ^ Bill Springer (31 August 2021). "Shadowcat Superyacht Support Vessels Grow In Size And Popularity". Forbes. Retrieved 23 September 2021. he described the recently launched Wayfinder [...] The design offers a stable platform for the safe transfer of guests from helicopter via tenders.
  4. ^ "Wayfinder".
  5. ^ a b c d e "Atraca en el muelle de Santa Cruz un megayate propiedad de Bill Gates". El Día (Canary Islands) (in Spanish). 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  6. ^ a b c d e "Expectación ante un megayate de lujo para uno de los más ricos del mundo". La Voz de Galicia (in Spanish). 12 October 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  7. ^ "Armon bota el Wayfinder, el mayor barco hecho en Burela, y construye otro catamarán superior" (in Spanish). 10 December 2020. Retrieved 1 May 2021. ser este buque el de mayor porte construido hasta la fecha en los astilleros de Armon en el puerto
  8. ^ "Llega al puerto de Santa Cruz de Tenerife uno de los megayates de Bill Gates". elDiario.es (in Spanish). 30 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021. el diseño interior es de la firma vasca Oliver Design
  9. ^ "Suma y sigue: el enigmático megayate que ha llegado a Vigo, ¿pertenece a Bill Gates?" (in Spanish). Hansei Media, SLL. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021. El "Wayfander" posee, al igual que el Azzam, un helipuerto
  10. ^ "Llega a Vigo un lujoso catamarán auxiliar de un falso superyate de Bill Gates". Faro de Vigo) (in Spanish). 4 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021. funciones de servir de almacén de los "juguetitos" del nodriza (minisubmarino, helicóptero, lanchas, motonáuticas
  11. ^ "68m support vessel Wayfinder delivered". 16 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021. Wayfinder is capable of storing three tenders of up-to 12-metres, as well as two small tenders on an open deck.
  12. ^ "WAYFINDER". Boat International Media. Retrieved 1 May 2021. power coming from a Diesel engine
  13. ^ a b "Un megayate de lujo hecho en Burela escoltará a otro de una fortuna Forbes" (in Spanish). 7 December 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2021. Estrictos contratos de confidencialidad preservan casi toda la información sobre otro espectacular catamarán de lujo que tocará mar por primera vez este jueves […] Poco más que lo que se puede ver desde el exterior del astillero se sabe sobre una embarcación de la que se preserva hasta el nombre
  14. ^ LEYLA YVONNE ERGIL (9 November 2021). "Insider details: Tracking the trail of Gates and Bezos in Turkey". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Latest ShadowCat Wayfinder Delivered". 27 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021. Wayfinder's hulls are occupied by a multitude of service spaces including waste management and treatment, tech stores, laundry, workshops and stores.
  16. ^ "ShadowCAT unveil first single-hulled support yacht concept". SuperyachtNews. 12 September 2022. Retrieved 15 October 2022. Wayfinder (owned by Bill Gates)
  17. ^ JULIA ZALTZMAN (29 March 2024). "8 Fascinating Facts About 'Wayfinder,' a 224-Foot Catamaran With a Helipad That Doubles as a Pickleball Court". Robb Report. ISSN 0279-1447. Retrieved 7 May 2024. The word on the street, or at least in the yachting community, is that the hardy-looking vessel was commissioned by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates
  18. ^ "Vigo recibe un megayate rodeado de misterio". VigoÉ (in Spanish). EDITORIAL CASTRELOS S.L. 4 April 2021. Retrieved 30 April 2021. El megayate «Wayfinder» llegó a Vigo con el misterio que le rodea y una falsa, o al menos desmentida, propiedad de Bill Gates.
  19. ^ Elena Gorgan (30 April 2024). "Bill Gates Is Selling His Unfinished $600M Feadship Megayacht and His Shadow Yacht". Autoevolution. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
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