Australian billionaire mining magnate Clive Palmer’s $30 million superyacht, Australia, has run aground yet again. This time, the luxury vessel ended up on a Gold Coast sandbank. The 183-foot yacht seems to have a penchant for getting beached on sandbanks; nearly eight months ago, it experienced a similar incident in Singapore. On that occasion, the pleasure craft ran aground off the Buran Channel near Sentosa Resort and had to be rescued by tugboats. This time as well, the motor yacht Australia required assistance to resume its journey.
In a rather unusual series of events, the Australia yacht left the marina at Southport Yacht Club, crossed the Gold Coast Seaway channel to reach open sea, then turned around and returned to the marina. It was grounded when it left the marina the second time and remained stuck for four to five hours before being helped. After this hiccup, it returned to the marina, as fate would have it.
According to the YouTube channel eSysman SuperYachts, there might be an issue with the boat, based on its odd route and back-and-forth movements, which warrants the claim. The grounding incident certainly required the ship to return to base, leaving little to the imagination.
The Benetti SpA boat accommodates 12 guests in 6 cabins. Whether billionaire owner Palmer was aboard is unknown. The 183-footer, worth $30 million, was delivered in 2012. Initially, the ship was called Ulysses and belonged to another yachting enthusiast, New Zealand billionaire Graeme Hart. It then became the motor yacht Bash before finally being named Australia under its current owner, Clive Palmer, in 2021. Australia is a sleek superyacht boasting a spa, bars, and a top speed of 16 knots.
The tycoon has grand plans to build a $1.2 billion replica of the RMS Titanic and operate it as a luxury ocean liner. The original Titanic sank in 1912 on its maiden voyage. Perhaps his smaller Australian yacht is trying to tell him something
About Clive Palmer-
Clive Palmer is an outspoken Australian billionaire with a net worth of $4 billion, attributed to his company, Mineralogy. He is passionate about rebuilding the legendary Titanic and certainly has the wealth to do so. In addition to his interest in ships, Palmer is extremely fond of cars and boasts the world’s largest collection of vintage cars, worth up to $400 million. According to the Daily Mail, his collection includes 100 Rolls-Royces and Bentleys, 120 Mercedes-Benz cars, and 22 vintage Ferraris. The 69-year-old conservative politician became a billionaire in 2019.
