The Alfa Nero Yacht has been labeled ill-fated since owner Andrey Guryev abandoned it at Falmouth Harbor in February 2022. Even the government taking ownership on April 11, 2023, didn’t help. The case of the Oceanco yacht’s crew is just as sad. While the $120 million pleasure craft couldn’t find a new owner, the crew couldn’t find their payment. Thankfully, a High Court has issued a judgment on payment for the current and former crew members of the Alfa Nero superyacht. The original crew members, those on board or hired as part of the skeleton crew from March 2022 to April 2023, were allowed salaries totaling $3 million.
Captain Christopher Malcolm Lewis and Nautilus International, a UK-based trade union for maritime professionals, stated they were awaiting $2.4 million in dues. The non-unionized crew filed a separate claim for $480,393, bringing the total to nearly $3 million. High Court Judge Nicola Byer, ruling on December 12, stated crew hired by Burgess were entitled to their prior rate of pay, and those not via the management company to a standard rate as per their contracts.
She added that those on board from October 1, 2022, to April 10, 2023, did so at their own risk, per Antiguaobserver. The government intended to auction the vessel quickly to end maintenance costs. However, legal complications by Yulia Guryeva-Motlokhov over ownership derailed the sale. Eric Schmidt’s $67 million auction win was voided after lengthy court delays. The government is now negotiating with billionaire Warren Halle.
The crew, aboard for nearly two years, passes time playing Call of Duty and swimming in the infinity pool. The captain of the Oceanco vessel compared his time on the stranded boat to living in a monastery. Unlike the well-maintained Alfa Nero, its air-conditioning preserving plush materials and artworks, the crew was left high and dry, pun intended. Even with partial payment, there is some glimmer of hope for those looking after the luckless Alfa Nero Yacht.
