Gabe Newell is a billionaire and the co-founder of the video game developer Valve Corporation, but he is also a yacht enthusiast. While the world may be hooked onto his games, we, for one, are fixated on his fleet. The most talked-about vessel in his collection is the 220-foot yacht Dapple. It was a former support ship that was converted into a hospital ship during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A product of the Netherlands’ Damen Yachting, Dapple hit the seas in 2014 as an explorer yacht but was eventually refitted to be equipped as a full-fledged hospital. One could never imagine Newell selling the boat, but that’s actually what happened. According to Boat International, Dapple had an asking price of $30.2 million and has been sold with Ben Ritchie of Y.CO. Let’s take a closer look at Dapple Yacht:
Dapple, a serious boat:
Aboard the 220-footer, you may miss the frills and fancies of a luxury vessel. At $30 million, Dapple isn’t downtrodden; in fact, it is an out-and-out explorer that doesn’t waste time making the rooms mesmerizing. The magic lies outside, and that’s where Dapple takes you. Set apart by incredible technology, impressive stature, and capability, Dapple is the ideal craft for heli-operations, submarine operations, boasting a fully equipped dive center with an integrated decompression chamber. This warship by Damen Yachting was built in 2014 and underwent $5,000,000 worth of refit work in 2020.
As far as accommodations are concerned, the vessel sleeps 6 guests in 3 cabins and 20 crew. The interior, designed by Mark Berryman, comprises an open-plan saloon and generously sized crew accommodations, a fully equipped gym, and ample garage space for extra toys or equipment such as dive gear.
The explorer yacht takes its role seriously and includes guests in the experience at the wheelhouse, which offers 360-degree views with a seating area. The ship takes pride in performance. With four diesel MTU 16V 4000 M63L engines, she achieves a top speed of 21 knots and a range of 8,700 nautical miles at 13.5 knots.
However, the forte here is its capacity to carry water toys. The humongous deck space houses a range of watersports equipment and tenders, including a 3-seat Triton 330 submersible, a 6.5 m jet rescue tender, a Pascoe SOLAS rescue tender, four Vespa Scooters, three Seadoo wave runners, a couple of Seabobs, and a range of diving gear. Dapple features a helideck and a built-in dive center.
Gabe Newell spent $3-$5 million on the annual upkeep of this vessel. Only time will tell if the new owner will use Dapple as she is or if another makeover is written in the cards.
Gabe Newell, billionaire with an impressive fleet:
The 61-year-old may or may not have billions in the bank, but he certainly has them in the form of his boats. The American video game billionaire worth $9.70 billion flaunts an armada of luxury yachts worth around $1 billion, which includes 6 vessels. The crowning glory of his collection is the under-construction Project Y722, touted as Oceanco’s third-largest build to date, behind only Jeff Bezos’s $500 million Koru. He also owns Tranquility, Rocinante, and Research Vessel, Pressure Drop. The Harvard dropout is an active philanthropist and has founded the Heart of Racing Team to support the Seattle Children’s Hospital.
