Nord, a superyacht owned by Russia's richest man, sails around the world, going "dark" to avoid tracking.
According to Luxury Launches, the Nord is owned by Alexey Mordashov, a Russian businessman and the main shareholder of the country's biggest steel and mining company, Severstal. Mordashov's yacht is constantly on the move — even if he's not on it.
The yacht received special permission to sail in Arctic waters, a rare opportunity for most vessels. Now, it's heading from the city of Vladivostok in Russia to the Maldives via the Malacca Strait. Before this, the yacht spent time in Hong Kong and Cape Town, traversing thousands of nautical miles.
Nord has over 111,000 square feet of enclosed space, including six levels, a helicopter pad, a sports center, and room for 36 guests to reside comfortably. It costs about $500 million and weighs approximately 10,000 tons, which means it requires plenty of fuel to move.
Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, many affluent people had their yachts seized, but not the Nord. By turning off the AIS tracking system and making long, continuous journeys, the Nord evaded seizure. At one point, it was on the move for 19 days straight.
These superyachts consume a vast array of resources, from the materials used in their construction to the fuel they burn during operation. What especially frustrates people is that yachts like the Nord will move around with no passengers for no apparent reason.
It's difficult to say how much fuel the Nord burns on its voyages. But yachts of this size can use over 500 gallons per hour. Mining for this gas creates pollution, and burning it while traveling releases huge amounts of harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
Rather than accept the seizure of the yacht, Mordashov has burned thousands of gallons of gas moving his yacht around. Similarly to celebrities taking private jets for short trips or the uber-rich building massive houses that they won't live in, this superyacht is wasteful. Turning off tracking systems only means vessels like this are guzzling gas without anyone knowing.
Holding the wealthy accountable for this behavior is essential in fighting climate change. At least with its tracking system on this time, people can monitor the Nord's movements and voice their issues with the officials in charge of policies and regulations.
Hopefully, the restrictions on superyachts like the Nord will be tightened so that this wastefulness is prohibited.
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