UPDATE, NOVEMBER 3, 2022: Stuart Larsen, the listing broker at Fraser Yachts for Tatoosh, has sold her. Read on for our original article about her remarkable history and impact.
It’s no exaggeration to state that Tatoosh marked a milestone in yachting. Her sheer size, her styling, and her toys all made yacht watchers and the yachting industry sit up and take notice. Recently offered for sale, a new opportunity exists to keep the legacy alive.
Firstly, the megayacht measures 302 feet (92.42 meters). At the time of her delivery in 2000, only 11 other privately owned yachts exceeded her length. Notable super-size projects like Rising Sun and Octopus were still in various stages of design and construction, in fact. Her volume is just as extraordinary, 3,229 gross tons. Keep in mind that this was an era in which yachts half her length and less than 500 gross tons were far more common.
Secondly, Tatoosh easily is among the first purpose-built expedition yachts, even though she doesn’t look as rugged as the description typically implies. This is a yacht with a reported range upwards of 6,800 nautical miles. That’s more than enough to cover the distance from San Diego to St. John in Antigua. (Her twin 4,350-hp Deutz MWM diesels allow a cruising speed of 12½ knots.) Name an ocean, and chances are she’s cruised it, from Africa to Asia.
In terms of looks, there’s no way to miss the boats mounted to each side of her superstructure. The original owner of Tatoosh, American telecom magnate Craig McCaw, commissioned her to carry a 42-foot (13-meter) sailboat and a similar size, customized Hinckley Talaria motorboat. This was in the days before tender garages—but then again, “toys” of these dimensions don’t fit in garages.
Finally, Tatoosh shone a light on a shipyard that didn’t have a high profile in yachting. Construction took place at Germany’s HDW, at a site that today is Nobiskrug.
Enjoy this thorough tour of the decks, and note additional unusual features like a galley inside the owners’ apartment and a working fireplace. Tatoosh is for sale for an asking price of €90 million. Fraser Yachts and Burgess jointly hold the central listing.
Burgess burgessyachts.com
Fraser Yachts fraseryachts.com
Leave a Reply