Yacht Amadea Auction Set for September

UPDATE, OCTOBER 16, 2025: The Amadea auction concluded successfully, evidenced by her flag state changing to the Cayman Islands. Read on for the original article.

Three years after it arrested one of the largest private yachts in the world, the U.S. government is about to sell her. Come September 10, the Amadea auction will take place. It’s the first stateside sale of a yacht related to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Currently in San Diego, the 348-foot (106-meter) Amadea arrived in U.S. waters during the summer of 2022. The U.S. government arrested her in Fiji that May, stating that sanctioned Russian businessman and politician Suleiman Kerimov was her owner. Notably, since late 2023, a former Russian state oil and gas executive, Eduard Khudainatov, has attempted repeatedly to free the yacht, claiming he’s the true owner. His lawyers have argued that the yacht’s arrest took place under “false premises driven by political motivation.” Federal prosecutors, though, called Khudainatov a “straw owner” for Kerimov. This past March, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the forfeiture of Amadea. Specifically, the judge indicated that despite Khudainatov being connected to the superyacht after September 2021, Kerimov was the actual owner. Furthermore, Kerimov and his family exclusively used the yacht, planning maintenance, too. Subsequent appeals were all denied.

Since the initial arrest of Amadea, the U.S. government has spent about $32 million on transporting and maintaining her.

National Marine Services, which specializes in seizing and arresting vessels plus assisting those with unresolved claims against them, including government agencies, is administering the Amadea auction. Fraser Yachts is additionally working with National Marine Services to promote it.

With a volume of 4,402 gross tons, the eight-year-old megayacht, from Lürssen, has multiple extraordinary amenities. For instance, five of the six decks are exclusively for owners’ and guests’ use. Among those, an entire deck is strictly for the owners. The sleeping area sits forward, adjoining a dressing room, a beauty salon, an office, a gym, a dining area, and a lounge, the latter with a piano. Alfresco amenities solely for the owners include a hot tub and a firepit. Guests, meanwhile, have ample staterooms spread across the main and bridge decks. In total, seven staterooms are for friends and family.

Guests also have a spa on the lowest of the five decks of leisure space. They can enjoy a sauna, a hammam, a chromotherapy dip pool, and a massage room. Following treatments, a lounge welcomes them, with an opening platform forming a balcony just above the water.

Interested Amadea auction bidders further will be interested to note that a private cinema is near the spa. The seating is D-Box motion seating, which moves and vibrates with the action on screen. Additionally, a 33-foot (10-meter) infinity pool on the main aft deck, incorporating a swim-up bar, will likely be the daytime center of attention.

While the yacht has an abundance of lounges and dining areas, both formal and informal, the showtoppers are the main saloon and main foyer just beyond it. A wood-burning fireplace in the saloon is a primary focal point—as is a piano custom-made for Amadea. The foyer, meanwhile, has a two-deck-high atrium (left) and built-in settees on both sides.

As for toys, three tenders come with the yacht. A 36-foot (10.97-meter) limo tender is one of them. A same-size sports tender and a 29-foot (8.8-meter) beachable tender are the others. Although a helicopter isn’t presently onboard, the superyacht does have a certified helipad.

Finally, Amadea auction bidders should note that she carries a crew of 36, accommodated in 21 cabins. Both the first officer and the captain stay on the bridge deck.

Personal visits to see and inspect the 20-knot-top Amadea prior to the auction are available by appointment. Bidders must submit a $10-million deposit. Court records from the arrest and forfeiture proceedings reveal an appraisal value of $230 million.

Amadea Auction AmadeaAuction.com

Fraser Yachts fraseryachts.com

National Maritime Services vesselarrest.com