That the $120 million Alfa Nero stands seized and steady in Antigua since March 2022 is well known. That Antigua is desperate to unload this well-maintained ghost-of-a-ship is also well-established. It is no secret that the luxury vessel of Russian billionaire Andrey Guryev is racking up over $100,000 in monthly bills. But the real question is why? What goes on inside a superyacht that’s gone nowhere in the last one year? Why is it bleeding the nation dry that’s incredibly eager to get her sail to different shores?
There may be no moving the Alfa Nero, 267 feet long with robust 2,500 gross tons of volume, docked in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua. The crew inside is idling, with practically no owner or guest in sight. There is some glimmer of activity inside the Alfa Nero, and we discuss it in detail below-
What goes on inside a superyacht that’s been abandoned for more than a year?
As far as the $120 million Alfa Nero is concerned, it has becomes the ambassador of inactivity in Antigua. Having said that, the 16-year-old superyacht is still in ship shape, almost like it’s readying for the next voyage. That may not happen for a while, but the six crew members left behind to ensure their beloved boat doesn’t look haggard and hapless.
While they are meticulously maintaining the docked ship, there is ample time at hand which is spent playing games like Call of Duty in the wood-paneled study of the primary suite. Most amenities, areas, and VIP suites remain untouched. However, every once in a while the crew does take a dip in the infinity pool.
Alfa Nero’s crew has partly taken over the master suite for above mentioned game time, and the captain occupies the spacious guest bedroom. The rest of the team humbly remains below deck.
Five luxury cabins, the spa, the gym, the elevator, and everything else on board are mainly unused. However, the staff occasionally dip into the infinity pool, which converts, via hydraulics, into a helipad (a feature that will remain unexplored).
Alfa Nero burns fuel 24/7-
Alfa Nero cannot function without burning diesel constantly to power everything on board. The 267-footer is an expensive asset fit only for a billionaire, as diesel for the generator alone costs a small fortune. Astonongly, the air conditioning runs 24/7 to shield the precious wood, mother of pearl, and soft leather beautifying the high-design interiors.
“You can’t even open the doors on Alfa Nero without diesel,” said Tom Paterson, the dockmaster at the Antigua Yacht Club. “These boats, from the day they launch to the day they die, are burning fossil fuels.”
Dangers and docking charges-
Alfa Nero is a massive motoryacht boasting a length of 347 feet. Docking charges are around $10 – $20 per foot, depending on the vessel’s length at the Antigua marina. Additionally, with hurricane season on the horizon, the marina asked the crew to take the ship out to sea as the floating palace is now dubbed a hazard by the marina and Antiguan Government.
As far as the skeleton crew is concerned. They are still unpaid, loyal, and bored beyond words. Out of the standard crew of 44, twenty-five members have sued to recover $2.1 million in unpaid wages, and only a team of six is now responsible for the upkeep of the Guryev asset.
Is the Antiguan Government auctioning the Alfa Nero yacht?
As much as they would love to watch the gorgeous vessel sail away and have also received 20 bids for the ship, Alfa Nero is still a blocked property. As long as Washington designates Alfa Nero as a “blocked” property, the Antiguans worry the sale proceeds might end up frozen. A statement from Antigua and Barbuda’s cabinet said: “Reports from the Antigua and Barbuda Ambassador in Washington, USA, is that the US Treasury and the US State Department are collaborating to allow a new owner to take possession and be allowed to sail freely into US waters and elsewhere.The proceeds from the sale will go towards paying the debts incurred since the vessel sailed into Antigua’s harbors more than one year ago. The overage will go into the Consolidated Fund operated by the Antigua and Barbuda Treasury”.
