The World’s Largest Yachts—2012 

51. Moonlight II • 279’8″ 

Year Launched: 2005
Builder: Neorion Syros Shipyards, Greece
Naval Architect: unknown
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,750-hp Caterpillars

If you’ve ever wanted to explore the Red Sea or the Maldives, Moonlight II has both on her winter charter itinerary, for nearly $713,000 per week. Moonlight II costs that much because she caters to super-size superyacht parties. Thirty-six guests can stay aboard, catered to by an equal number of crew. Families will like the onboard children’s play area. If the youngsters love the water, they’ll appreciate having five sets of child-size dive gear at their disposal. If a charter party is more of a corporate outing, there’s an onboard business center and multiple satellite connections.

52. Delma • 279’8″

Year Launched: 2004
Builder: Neorion Syros Shipyards, Greece
Naval Architect: unknown
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,722-hp Caterpillars

Delma is a sistership to Moonlight II (no. 51). The master suite, forward on the upper deck, has access to a private deck area. The VIP stateroom is no slouch, occupying about 500 square feet on the bridge deck. Some reports have Delma owned by an American of Greek heritage who oversees an energy shipping company.

53. Valerie • 275’6″ 

Year Launched: 2011
Builder: Lürssen, Germany
Naval Architect: Espen Oeino
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,722-hp Caterpillars

With interior design by Reymond Langton Design, Valerie is another ultra-confidential yacht. She was seen in Barcelona this spring. 

54. O’Mega • 270’7″

Year Launched: 1985/2004
Builder: Mitsubishi, Japan
Naval Architect: builder/Giorgio Vafiadis
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,000-hp Yanmars

O’Mega is chartering in the Med throughout the rest of the year, for about $680,000 per week. You get your choice of numerous watertoys, including PWCs, SeaBob water scooters, kayaks, wakeboards, waterskis, and a water trampoline. If you choose the latter and bounce a bit too hard, you can have your sore muscles soothed by the onboard masseuse. Then again, you can just throw one heckuva party and watch as everyone else in town tries to crash it. That’s what happened during the Cannes Film Festival, when up-and-coming producer Mohammed Al Turki hosted a fête onboard.

55. Alfa Nero • 269’0″

Year Launched: 2007
Builder: Oceanco, South Africa/Holland
Naval Architect: builder/Nuvolari-Lenard
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/4,680-hp MTUs

One-hundred-fifteen million euros. That’s about $149 million—and that’s what the asking price is for Alfa Nero. She turns heads as much today as she did five years ago when she was launched. Her black hull, her aft-deck infinity pool that transforms to a helipad when needed, and her owner’s apartment, which occupies the upper deck, are all major higlights. 

56. Basrah Breeze • 269’0″

Year Launched: 1981
Builder: Helsingfort Vaerft, Denmark
Naval Architect: builder
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/3,000-hp MTUs

The yacht best known for being commissioned by the late Saddam Hussein is still in Iraqi waters, though not used for official state business. The Iraqi government tried to sell her in 2009, to recoup funds from Hussein’s assets, but was unsuccessful. The following year government officials had a refit take place in Greece to repair and/or upgrade various systems in preparation for another attempted sale—but not, reportedly, to alter the real gold fixtures in the various heads. 

57. Sarafsa • 269’0″

Year Launched: 2008
Builder: Devonport Shipyard, England
Naval Architect: Burness Corlet–Three Quays/Andrew Winch Designs
Hull Material: steel
Engines: unknown

Sarafsa swapped the South of France’s waters for those of Greece in May. Her interior, designed by Andrew Winch Designs, echoes elements found in some of the grandest hotels of Italy. She’s further fitted with sliding glass doors that can make the upper deck’s dining room an indoor-outdoor space. Another indoor-outdoor area is the spa on the sundeck, thanks to a sliding roof.

58. Air • 265’8″

Year Launched: 2011
Builder: Feadship/Royal De Vries, Holland
Naval Architect: De Voogt International
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,360-hp MTUs

Irish newspapers and bloggers were over the moon over Air being in their waters in May. Maybe a bit too over the moon, though, as they ran headlines touting her cost at €700 million. That would be about $905 million, which is nearly what Eclipse (no. 1) is rumored to have cost (emphasis on “rumored”). Air holds the distinction of being the biggest Feadship available for charter, at a rate of €750,000 (about $970,000) per week. Features at guests’ disposal include a contra-flow swimming pool and a 102-inch TV/movie screen outdoors.

59. Bart Roberts • 264’10”

Year Launched: 1963/1986/2002
Builder: Canadian Vickers, Canada
Naval Architect: builder (original construction), Lennart Edstrom (conversion)
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,000-hp Rustons

Bart Roberts no longer bears the black hull that made her so imposing upon relaunch as an expedition yacht a decade ago, but she remains one of the largest such vessels in the world. In 2009 she was the first vessel of any kind lifted by Drydocks World Dubai’s newly installed, 6,000-ton-capacity ship lift. Unfortunately, between that time and now, Bart Roberts essentially fell off many yacht spotters’ radars. She may have departed the United Arab Emirates at one point, or perhaps she never left, as she’s been in Dubai for at least the past several months.

60. Golden Odyssey • 262’10”

Year Launched: 1990
Builder: Blohm & Voss, Germany
Naval Architect: Platou
Hull Material: steel
Engines: 2/2,992-hp Deutz-MWMs

Of the three yachts comprising the famed “Golden Fleet,” Golden Odyssey is touted as the jewel. (The rest of the Golden Fleet includes the support vessel Golden Shadow, the sportfisherman Golden Osprey, and the seaplane Golden Eye.) She’s a megayacht through and through, with six guest staterooms accompanying the master suite, a pool, and more. While all the Golden Fleet craft typically travel together—and can be chartered together—Golden Odyssey can be chartered on her own. Rates start at $700,000 per week. Home base is the new Porto Montenegro marina in Montenegro. When not chartering, Golden Odyssey is likely accompanying her owner, Prince Khaled bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia, on myriad ocean-conservation missions on behalf of his Living Oceans Foundation.