Octopus explorer yacht: 126 m Lürssen, ice class 1A, 12,500 nm range

In short

When Lürssen delivered Octopus in 2003 she was by a wide margin the largest explorer yacht yet built, and Boat International notes that she is widely considered the first true explorer (Boat International, Boat International). Espen Øino drew her to a brief that pointed to the Finnish icebreaker Fennica: every tender, the submarine and the helicopters had to be carried out of sight, so the stern hides a 36-metre floodable dock and her decks carry two helipads and a hangar for two helicopters (Boat International). With an ice-class 1A steel hull and a range of 12,500 nautical miles at 12 knots she has worked along the Antarctic coast and through the Northwest Passage (Boat International), and in March 2015 her expedition team found the wreck of the Second World War battleship Musashi in the Sibuyan Sea (YachtBuyer). Sold in August 2021, she has since taken charter guests to Antarctica, reaching James Ross Island and Anvers Island, and in 2024 she completed a nine-month refit at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven (Boat International, Boat International).

Videos

Three tours from YouTube, most viewed first.

**On board M/Y OCTOPUS 126.2M (414'01") Lurssen world's biggest explorer yacht**Fraser Yachts · 8 Oct 2019 · 960,336 viewsWatch on YouTube

**126m Lürssen OCTOPUS**SuperYacht Times · 16 Jun 2025 · 46,991 viewsWatch on YouTube

**Antarctica Expedition aboard Octopus Yacht**EYOS Expeditions · 14 Apr 2026 · 88 viewsWatch on YouTube

Photos

The exterior photos date from 2003 to 2023, before the 2024 refit at Lloyd Werft.

Red and white helicopter parked on a marked helipad at sea, open water to the horizon — Helicopter on one of the two helipads

Side profile at anchor

Octopus under way on sea trials in a fjord, a tug alongside and small sailing boats nearby — Sea trials in the Kiel Fjord, October 2003

Teak bridge deck with a bar, the long swimming pool and a round spa pool, open sea beyond the rail — Bridge-deck pool with its glass floor

A shell door folded open in the navy hull just above the water, showing a lounge with steps down to the sea — Beach club opened in the side of the hull

Specifications

Length overall: 126.2 m 126.18 m in Boat International
Beam: 21 m
Draft: 5.76 m
Gross tonnage: 9,932
Builder: Lürssen, Germany; built with a partner yard in Kiel
Build: Laid down 27 April 2001, launched January 2003, delivered 11 December 2003
Exterior design: Espen Øino
Interior design: Jonathan Quinn Barnett (original); Monk Design (2021 update)
Design brief: Look and capability of the Finnish multipurpose icebreaker Fennica (1993); all tenders, submarine and aircraft stowed out of sight
Hull and superstructure: Steel hull; steel superstructure
Ice class: Ice class 1A steel hull; the full class notation is not published
What ice class 1A means: Under the Finnish-Swedish ice class rules: difficult ice conditions, with icebreaker assistance when necessary; hull designed for level ice up to 0.8 m thick
Propulsion: Diesel-electric: eight MTU 16V 4000 M50 diesel engines and two ABB electric motors
Speed: 19 kn maximum; 12.5 kn economical 17 kn cruising in some listings
Range: 12,500 nm at 12 kn; 7,100 nm at 19 kn 12,500 nm at 12.5 kn in YachtBuyer
Fuel capacity: 1,034,000 litres
Fresh water: 193,200 litres
Dynamic positioning: Yes; Espen Øino calls her the first yacht fitted with it
Helicopter: Two helipads, aft and on the foredeck, and a hangar for two helicopters the foredeck pad is for touch-and-go landings (YachtBuyer)
Tender dock: 36 m floodable wet dock on the centreline, opened through a large transom door, with garages for smaller boats on either side
Tenders: Seven, led by an 18 m carbon Delta 54 (30 kn, 450 nm range); also a 9.3 m Vikal limousine tender and four Zodiacs six in Boat International (2021), five in the YachtCharterFleet listing
Submersibles: Pagoo, a custom 10-person submarine built for the yacht; a Triton 3300/6 was due to take its place in early 2023 delivery of the Triton has not been confirmed
Underwater vehicles: ROV rated to 2,700 m; an autonomous underwater vehicle was added later
Diving and medical: Dive centre with a hyperbaric chamber; fully equipped medical suite
Guests: 12 (charter) 26 in the original layout
Crew: 45 42 to 63 in other listings
Refits: Blohm+Voss, 2019; interior update by Monk Design, 2021; Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, September 2023 to July 2024 (20-year survey, full repaint, AV/IT upgrade)
Polar and remote voyages: Antarctic coast and the Northwest Passage; Antarctica again in 2022–23, reaching James Ross Island and Anvers Island
Wreck discoveries: Battleship Musashi, about 1,000 m down in the Sibuyan Sea, March 2015; recovery of the bell of HMS Hood from 2,700 m, 2015 900 m in YachtBuyer
Owner: Private owner. Reported by Boat International to have been delivered in 2003 for Paul Allen (died 2018); sold in August 2021 to an owner who has not been named
Last asking price: €235,000,000, before the August 2021 sale (reported by Boat International)
For sale: Not listed for sale (October 2026)
Charter: Listed for charter (October 2026)
Flag: Cayman Islands

Where is she now

Live AIS position on:

MarineTraffic VesselFinder

IMO 1007213 · MMSI 319866000

Questions

How far can the Octopus yacht travel without refuelling?

About 12,500 nautical miles at 12 knots, according to Boat International; YachtBuyer gives the same distance at 12.5 knots and 7,100 nautical miles at her top speed of 19 knots. Her tanks hold 1,034,000 litres of fuel. How many days she can stay at sea without resupply has not been published.

What ice class is Octopus?

She has an ice-class 1A steel hull (Boat International). Under the Finnish-Swedish ice class rules, 1A is meant for difficult ice conditions with icebreaker help when needed, and the hull is designed for level ice up to 0.8 metres thick (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency). It is not a Polar Class, and the full class notation of Octopus has not been published.

Does Octopus have a helicopter pad and a submarine?

Yes. She has two helipads, aft and on the foredeck, and a hangar for two helicopters. Her original submarine was Pagoo, a custom 10-person craft; in 2022 a Triton 3300/6 was due to replace it in early 2023 (Boat International). She also carries an ROV rated to 2,700 metres and a dive centre with a hyperbaric chamber (Boat International).

Where has Octopus been?

Boat International reports voyages along the Antarctic coast and through the Northwest Passage (Boat International). In 2015 she found the wreck of the battleship Musashi in the Sibuyan Sea, Philippines, and helped recover the bell of HMS Hood (YachtBuyer). After her 2021 sale she cruised Mexico and Brazil, passed the Panama Canal and spent the 2022–23 season in Antarctica (Boat International); her 2024 itinerary included Svalbard and Greenland (YachtCharterFleet).

Who built Octopus, and who was she built for?

Lürssen built her, with a partner yard in Kiel, to an exterior design by Espen Øino, with original interiors by Jonathan Quinn Barnett (Boat International). Her keel was laid on 27 April 2001 and she was delivered on 11 December 2003 (YachtBuyer). Boat International reports that she was delivered for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018; she was sold in August 2021, and the new owner has not been named (Boat International).

Can you charter Octopus, and is she for sale?

She is listed for charter by brokers including Northrop & Johnson (October 2026). She is not listed for sale (YachtBuyer); her last public asking price, before the 2021 sale, was €235,000,000 (Boat International).

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Octopus

Videos

Photos

Further reading

Specifications

Where is she now

Questions

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