Significant Superyacht Stories of 2022

Since the start of the year, you and fellow readers have pored over upwards of 1.5 million pages on our website. Considering we published about 500 articles this year and have 7,000-plus articles overall, many of which you regularly go back and read, that’s a tremendous amount of editorial you’ve enjoyed. Of course, certain articles get the most attention year after year. These were the most significant superyacht stories of 2022 according to your reading habits.

While thankfully bad news is far less common than good news in yachting, when something tragic happens, it tends to grab attention. The sinking of My Saga in August was one of those moments. The 129-footer (39-meter) was heading to a port in Sicily when her crew realized she was taking on water at the stern. Four passengers, four crewmembers, and the captain were aboard at the time. The crew made a distress call to the local Coast Guard, which rescued all the guests plus one crewmember. The remaining crew and captain chose to stay onboard until the following morning, when a tug would attempt to tow My Saga back to shore. Weather and sea conditions, however, prevented towing, as did far more water ingress into the yacht. The tug safely took the crew and captain aboard, and My Saga sank in the early afternoon of August 21.

The Below Deck TV franchise on Bravo has garnered legions of loyal fans the world over. Below Deck Adventure, the newest series, began airing in November, shot throughout the Norwegian fjords. Compared to the Mediterranean and Caribbean series, this one is far more adventure-oriented. It’s also among our superyacht stories of strongest interest this year. In fact, the article we published back in September about it coming to TV screens is still the second most-popular post right now. The star of the series is a 164-footer (49.99-meter) from Amels, with Capt. Kerry Titheradge (pictured at top) at her helm. Fascinating fact: An average of nearly half a million viewers ages 18 to 49 watch it as it airs week after week, according to Bravo. You don’t need to watch the show to get a look at Mercury, however. She charters for an average weekly base rate of €170,000 to €185,000 (about $180,700 to $196,700 at press time). She’s for sale, too, for €13.5 million ($14.35 million).

Yet another bad-news story, arguably of more interest than some because the yacht at the center of it was just delivered. The yacht Aria SF caught fire (above) in August while she was in Spanish waters. She was at anchor, with nine guests and seven crew aboard, when fire broke out aft. Thankfully all the individuals escaped harm, but the crew was unable to extinguish the fire. So, too, were rescue-response vessels. The Spanish Coast Guard initially intended to tow her to Ibiza after putting out the fire. But, the flames were too intense and too challenging to smother. Aria SF ended up sinking in relatively shallow waters. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, a process that can take several months.

Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, governments around the world have sanctioned Russian citizens and seized their assets, including superyachts. “Seize” tends to imply the governments have revoked the owners’ rights to the yachts, though that’s not always the case. There’s so much confusion, in fact, that we went straight to a leading maritime attorney for answers. Our article on seizing yachts points out that there are actually distinct legal differences among actions such as maritime arrest, for instance, and confiscation.  

One of the first superyacht stories we published in 2022 has remained one of the most read. The launch of the Feadship Juice (above) caught your attention for several reasons. Since Feadship is one of the most well-known builders, that typically translates to strong readership. Her size, 233 feet (71.7 meters), was a factor, too. The all-aluminum Juice is for a repeat customer of the Dutch builder, and happens to be an avid art collector. The yacht’s name is a nod to a piece from the 1960s by the artist Ed Ruscha. As for the yacht’s features, she has a dedicated owner’s deck and all guest suites on the main deck.

MegayachtNews.com rarely reports on crew-oriented issues. However, when we do, our aim is to educate owners and their advisors about issues that directly impact operations and enjoyment onboard. That’s why we were thrilled to see this story on how yacht crew salaries stack up ranking so high ever since its April publish date. It covers findings by YPI Crew, such as how crewmembers are negotiating benefits similar to those of corporate workers. It also spells out the average actual earnings for every onboard position, from deckhand to chef to captain. Use it as a gauge as to whether your team is paying appropriately, and what your crew might further like to see you offer.