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A Closer Look at the $1.5 Billion Superyacht Eclipse

Superyacht Eclipse

If wishes were horses, beggars would ride, but that does not mean we have to stop working towards getting the desires of our hearts. Everyone wants to the best because the spirit of competition was instilled in us in our childhood. By the age of four, you are frowning if your dress or shirt is not as good as your sibling's. It is not wrong to have high levels of self-esteem but sometimes wanting to be the greatest can have us being arrogant like the makers of Titanic who were so proud of their creation that they thought it would never sink only to have it become a disaster that claimed the lives of 1,500 people. Pride comes before a fall, and Roman Abramovich should have learned from this proverb if not from the story of the Titanic. Then again, do we ever learn? Roman went out of his way to have a yacht that would eclipse all other boats at sea; hence, he came up with "Eclipse," a 533-foot long yacht. He was able to get the desires of his heart since Eclipse was named the world's most expensive and largest yacht according to Marine Insight, but the achievement lasted for less than three years because Azzam took over the title in April 2013, with a length of 590 feet. Let's take a closer look at Roman's Eclipse and see if it is worth being valued at $1.5 billion.

The defense system

With money and fame comes enemies and Roman was not going to take chances with his life, so he installed a high-level security system on his yacht. News can make or break you, and we all know that the paparazzi always are putting their noses where they should not. Roman, therefore, ensured that they would never catch him with his pants down by installing an anti-paparazzi security system to protect him from their prying eyes. As The Guardian explains, the system is in the form of a laser beam that detects electronic light sensors from digital cameras; then it hits back at the camera with a bright light such that any pictures a person takes will be useless. The essence, therefore, is not to stop the cameramen from taking shots of the boat, but to frustrate their efforts by making all shots captured unusable. Of course, a relentless cameraman can still go out of his way to get the analog cameras that use film since they would not be detected by the lasers. With such a serious hitch it makes you wonder why someone with all the wealth in the world could not ensure that even such cameras do not get anywhere close to him, or maybe we can blame technology for that.

You can never be too careful, so if paparazzi are not bothering you, it could be that pirates are planning to kidnap you and have their payday or the people you have pissed off want you dead. Roman had that covered with bulletproof glass windows all round his master suite as well as an armor plate surrounding it and the bridge. If things get too hot to remain on the boat, the option of getting out into the sea and escaping is well catered for by a submarine that can carry two passengers. Alternatively, the two helicopter pads will make sure that a helicopter is ready to fly Roman to safety. Moreover, in this day, when someone will kill you remotely using a drone strike, Roman went steps further to ensure that no danger would find him unprepared. He, therefore, has a missile detection system on the boat that was installed by AST, a company with a close connection to the German defense ministry; goes to show the expertise of the firm.

Other features

Besides the extravagant and high-tech defense system, other things that Roman has on Eclipse are two swimming pools, a disco hall, 24 guest cabins, and a few hot tubs. Those who pay attention to their looks will find the beauty salon, spa, massage room, and gym very instrumental. The cabins are luxurious and are fitted with a 6-feet home cinema screen and specialized security systems.

How much does it cost to maintain it?

When you hear of a boat being referred to as a "$1.5 billion superyacht," you think that is the cost of constructing it. The figure was around $400 million, but then with time passage, the billionaire has to keep upgrading the boat and installing features he might find necessary. Therefore the amount has gone up considerably over the years. The cost of construction may be too high, but have you ever considered how much it costs Roman to maintain it? Imagine the dollars you part with every year to keep your car running, yet this is a large boat that has lots of crew members and staff. You complain of thousands of dollars that go into babysitting per year yet they are your children being looked after; Roman has to fork out 40 million Euros every year to maintain the 70 crewmembers aboard the Eclipse, according to The Sun.

Parking fees for your vehicle can put a dent in your pocket especially when they add up; parking charges for Disney World are around $25 per day, so if you plan on staying for five days in the resort hotel, you should be prepared to pay $125. If you think that is too much, think of Roman who cannot take his boat home and park it in a garage. He, therefore, has no choice but to pay dockage fees when the boat is not at sea, and it costs him around $2,000 per day, as reported by City Room.

With insurance covers, fuel, and repairs, you can be sure that the yearly cost goes up significantly. For instance, in 2017, when Eclipse stopped at Port Gruz to refuel and ordered 750 tons of fuel, the cost was around one million euros. In early 2015, Eclipse underwent a renovation, and by the end of the year, it was back at its builders for maintenance. Such expenses can only be catered for billionaires; as for the rest of us, let's keep competing on who has the trendiest clothes, handbags, and shoes and leave the superyachts to the likes of Roman Abramovich.

Dana Hanson

Written by Dana Hanson

Dana has extensive professional writing experience including technical and report writing, informational articles, persuasive articles, contrast and comparison, grant applications, and advertisement. She also enjoys creative writing, content writing on nearly any topic (particularly business and lifestyle), because as a lifelong learner, she loves to do research and possess a high skill level in this area. Her academic degrees include AA social Sci/BA English/MEd Adult Ed & Community & Human Resource Development and ABD in PhD studies in Indust & Org Psychology.

Read more posts by Dana Hanson

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