Oceanco has signed one of the most extraordinary contracts in yachting history, and it has set the industry buzzing. At the Monaco Yacht Show 2025, the Dutch shipyard confirmed it will build the world’s largest yacht support vessel, a project that measures 130 meters in length, or 426 feet. That makes it not just Oceanco’s biggest construction to date but also a vessel longer than Jeff Bezos’ celebrated sailing yacht Koru, which comes in at 127 meters. The price tag is expected to fall somewhere between $260 million and $380 million, with the midpoint around USD 320 million, underscoring both the scale and ambition of the undertaking.
The signing took place at Port Hercule in front of the Yacht Club de Monaco, extending Oceanco’s 38-year partnership with Lloyd’s Register. LR will provide classification and certification, and it was careful to describe the ship as “the world’s largest yacht support vessel.” That distinction matters. While some outlets framed the 130-meter project as Oceanco’s new flagship superyacht, LR’s classification is the more authoritative label. If correct, this will be the first time a purpose-built yacht support vessel crosses the 100-meter (roughly 328 feet) threshold, redefining what these auxiliary craft can do.
The rise of the yacht support ship has been one of the quiet revolutions of the past decade. Where a 75-meter (about 246 feet) build like Abeona, which supports Bezos’ Koru, was once considered immense, a 130-meter design is a leap in capability.
It promises not just more space but more versatility, with volume for heavy-lift cranes, aviation facilities, scientific or humanitarian modules, containerized supplies, and an arsenal of tenders or submersibles. For scale comparison, Oceanco’s new support vessel will be longer than many of the so-called motherships it might accompany.
The mission profile inferred from LR’s description is equally telling. The vessel is expected to function as an aviation hub, with a certified helideck and enclosed hangar large enough for bigger helicopters, all-weather maintenance, and refueling. Heavy logistics are also on the cards, with cranes able to launch 15 to 20-meter craft, landing vessels, submarines, or remotely operated vehicles.
With an independent oceangoing range, the ship could scout ahead of a mothership, handle provisioning and waste, or deploy on disaster-relief and scientific expeditions. Facilities for diving, sub operations, recompression chambers, command rooms, and medical or modular labs are all within the realm of possibility. Crucially, the design is prepared for alternative fuels and energy-efficient systems, aligning with the maritime industry’s transition toward lower-carbon operations.
Oceanco’s CEO, Marcel Onkenhout, captured the spirit of the announcement in Monaco: “This vessel represents not only a leap in scale but also in ambition… with the stewardship of Gabe Newell, pushing further on design, innovation and sustainability.” Newell, the billionaire founder of Valve and now Oceanco’s owner, has been quietly reshaping the shipyard’s future. Speaking at the show, he emphasized the collaborative nature of the process: “When you’re building a yacht with Oceanco, it’s a very collaborative and enjoyable process. Initially, my involvement is just about supporting the things the organisation already knew it wanted to do.”
Newell has built his reputation on moving technology forward in ways that benefit customers, and his fingerprints are already visible in Oceanco’s drive toward ever-larger, more capable, and more sustainable vessels. “We are a customer-focused yacht builder,” he said, framing Oceanco as more than a shipyard, but as a platform for innovation.
What makes the project especially intriguing is the mystery surrounding its owner. The yard has not revealed who commissioned the vessel, only that it belongs to a billionaire willing to fund a ship larger than Bezos’ Koru and far more capable than existing support craft. Whoever this figure is, they are about to take delivery of a vessel that resets the benchmark for what yacht support can mean. At 426 feet, Oceanco’s new build is not just a shadow ship but a symbol of ambition, secrecy, and the next chapter of gigayachting.
