Putting the super in a superyacht is billionaire Michael Lee-Chin’s pleasure craft Ahpo. This Jamaican-Canadian is the chairman and CEO of Portland Holdings Inc, a privately held investment company in Ontario, Canada. This luxury vessel is so luxurious that its features and amenities visibly standout from the many grand cruisers that are and have been in the market.
This Lurssen-built 378-footer was delivered in 2021. Being so new, she brings a lot of new techs, avant-garde interiors, and fascinating features aboard an impressive six-deck layout. Let’s glimpse through some stimulating details of this breathtaking vessel.
The Ah-mazing Ahpo:
Yacht connoisseur Michael Lee-Chin bought the extensive boat, earlier codenamed Project Enzo, in 2017. After completing sea trials, a couple of months ago, the majestic 378-footer was ready to take on the seas giving 5-star resorts a run for their money. Ahpo, meaning “grandmother” in Hakka Chinese, is an out-and-out beauty with an arresting exterior boasting a crisp white hull enhanced further by the presence of black stripes and scoop-shaped windows. The six decks are packed with the best of Nuvolari Lenard’s talent.
From a dazzling owner’s suite, a well-appointed spa and beach club, stately guest cabins, and the most opulent decor, Lürssen’s new build will be a busy boat despite its staggering $2.6 million a week rent. The owner’s suite deserves special mention not only for being a massive two-story apartment but also for its immaculate Asian essence. Soft pastel pinks and sage greens are combined with gold and white marble to create a subtle ethereality.
Luxurious silk wallpaper, hand embroidery, and decorated inlays maintain the natural elements requested by the yacht’s owner. The only other component giving tough competition to the extravagant owner’s suite is the stunning blue counterpart in the waterfront beach club-spa hybrid.
This space features an unfolding sea terrace where lazy days are enjoyed in the lounge area. A curved bar takes care of guests’ cravings while others revel in the attractive turquoise-tiled dip pool.
Lying adjacent is the tranquil spa area, with a private massage room, sauna, steam room, and Turkish hammam vibe with beautiful mosaic tiles.
If the captivating interiors allow it, guests may look outside to enjoy uninterrupted 180-degree views of the sea through the stern and side terrace. Ahpo also flaunts a forward helideck, commercially compliant and available for use during charter. The luxury cruiser accommodates 16 guests in 8 impressive cabins serviced by an experienced and professional crew of 36.
Other entertaining areas are a guest lounge next to the IMAX Dolby cinema (complete with LED star-studded ceilings and navy box seats), formal dining for 22, a sprawling winter garden on the aft deck, and an extensive gym with the latest equipment flaunting Ahpo’s emblem.
Among this elegant boat’s high-tech attributes are a heat recovery system in the generators to heat the swimming pool and Dynamic Positioning for electronic anchoring, according to Boat International.
The fun continues with a complete suite of water toys stowed away in a forward garage to save the transom area for the beach club. Billionaires looking to spend a week on board a luxury boat for their next vacation are in for a treat as Ahpo joined the charter market with Moran Yacht & Ship.
About Michael Lee-Chin:
Michael Lee-Chin knows money and superyachts all too well. The yacht connoisseur and repeat Lurssen-client from Port Antonio, Jamaica, made his wealth managing the wealth management industry. The billionaire comes from humble beginnings. Lee-Chin’s mother sold Avon beauty products, while his stepfather ran a local grocery store. From working as part of the landscaping team at the Frenchman’s Cove Hotel to cleaning engine rooms on the Jamaica Queen cruise ship to owning his megayacht, the 71-year-old man has come a long way. The values of assets under him had increased to nearly $10 billion by 1998 from $12 million in the early 90s.
In 2009 Lee-chin sold his firm to Manulife Financial Corp. for an undisclosed amount and currently is worth $1.9 billion. He is one of the world’s 15 black billionaires, and the only Canadian black billionaire appointed chairman of the government of Jamaica’s Economic Growth Council (EGC) in 2016 and assigned to the Order of Ontario in 2017. Carib News stated that the philanthropist Lee-Chin had made several significant pledges in Canada to the Royal Ontario Museum ( $30 million) in 2003, the Rotman School of Management ($10 million), and many more.
