The 126-foot Time Yacht has reversed the saying, ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. What was once the world’s largest aluminum yacht has turned into an artificial reef. The Palmer Johnson yacht launched in 1988 has been scuttled in Florida to benefit coral, divers, and reef fish along Florida’s Atlantic coast. She was among nearly 55 ships sunken near the Fort Pierce Sportfishing Club in Fort Pierce, Fla., to become an artificial reef. As far as Time Yacht’s engines or interior fittings are concerned, they were removed over the last year to prepare for the event.
“Two hundred and sixty-four tons of aluminum is expected to attract spores of oculina varicosa,” said an MCI statement. “We are expecting her to be full of white oculina, so she will actually be considered the first oculina nursery outside of the oculina banks,” Christa Stone, director of operations at the MCI, told WPTV.com, referring to the white fan-like coral. “The more we are being more proactive and preventative at trying to maintain the sustainability out here; we have a greater chance at a healthier ecosystem.”
More than three decades ago, Time motoryacht boasted exterior design and naval architecture by Tom Fexas and was powered by two Detroit Diesel engines delivering a top speed of 31 knots. The boat was abandoned over a decade ago at the Willis Custom Yachts boatyard in Martin County. The MCAC Reef Fund acquired the boat a year ago and relocated to Causeway Cove Marina in Fort Pierce.
We are accustomed to viewing yachts as a symbol of luxury and extravagance. Time yacht has shown us the other side of the coin. With so many superyachts getting abandoned for months since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war, Time yacht is a lesson on what happens when a stunning ship is left abandoned for too long.
