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Regarding the final cost of the ECLIPSE

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by JM23, Feb 12, 2010.

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  1. JM23

    JM23 New Member

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    Hey all,

    It's great to finally become a member of this board. I've been a lurker for a while! I have read that the final cost of Roman Abramovitch's new yacht, the Eclipse, has ballooned to somewhere around $1.2 billion. How is the cost of the Eclipse so disproportionately more than comparative yachts? The second largest yacht in the world, DUBAI, is said to have cost somewhere between $350-$400 million. I understand that the Eclipse has a number of spectacular features such as the anti-missile defense system and that crazy anti-paparazzi shield, but does that account for the Eclipse being $800 million more than the second largest yacht, Dubai?

    Thanks for any insight.

    Josh
  2. Henning

    Henning Senior Member

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    Most likely. With yachts, the vessel itself isn't really all that expensive, a similar sized commercial vessel would be about one forth the price. There is a large variable in the fit out costs. The cost you're hearing may be inclusive of some very expensive art work as well. Also remember that the size of a vessel pretty much increases cubically to its length, i.e, it's not only longer, but wider and taller as well. Plus, we don't know what the build efficiency was either. "Change orders" can get outrageously expensive as a singular change desired can require the the removal/re-design/re-manufacture of multiple components. Often there are multiple major change orders in the construction of a personal yacht.
  3. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Hi Josh, the yacht Dubai has a long history and we don´t really know all the costs, but was she built today, the price would probably have doubled.
  4. ArcanisX

    ArcanisX Senior Member

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    And the last but not the least, bear in mind that these are... unaudited numbers, so to say.
    Basically, speaking about "cost of a megayacht" people could speak about many different things even if they are not actively trying to obscure/mislead, which happens too. The cost for Eclipse could include such "elements of the project" as a marina, support vessel, and so on. The cost for Dubai is another obscure matter, what with it being sold and resold multiple times. Easily could be that the construction itself was more expensive then what's said, but some of that cost is suffered by some intermediate who had to resell it at loss.
  5. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    I would find it hard to believe that "Eclipse" could cost 1.2 Billion. The largest cruiseship in the world, "Oasis of the Seas" cost that much. She is nearly 1,200 feet long and probably not far from 200 feet BOA. With Eclipse being a bit larger than "Dubai" I find that hard to believe. As for missle defense systems and lasers etc, those were initially rumoured elements and details to the yacht. Is there concrete proof that she carries these things?
  6. CODOG

    CODOG Senior Member

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    Its probably the rugs. Scrotum crunchingly expensive little things they are. I have myself experienced the phenomenon of a 6' x 4' patch of pointless point work costing more than the entire household worth of carpet. I suspect a feminine hand at work here, under no restraint other than a raised male eyebrow and faintly quivering lower lip.
  7. jsi

    jsi New Member

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    Hmmm -

    Well, then, there is the famous Morgan quote;

    "J. P. Morgan: (1837-1913, Founder of US Steel, the first billion-dollar company in the world.)

    If you have to ask how much something costs, you can't afford it.

    found three different sources for the origin of this quote.

    1. When J. P. Morgan saw a yacht he wanted, he was reported to say something like, "I'll take it." When the salesman asked if he wanted to know how much it cost before making a decision, Morgan uttered the famous saying.

    2. When a friend mentioned he was thinking about buying a yacht and asked Mr. Morgan how much one cost to maintain, Morgan's response was the quote.

    3. During a business meeting when a prospective customer inquired about the cost of something J. P. Morgan gave the quote as an answer."


    jsi
  8. Felipe

    Felipe Senior Member

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    Not believe what you read, particularly about Eclipse. The source of those rumors, as whith most of the info on the yacht, is not reliable. The antipaparazzi "shield" is already installed in other yachts (including Pelorus), works very poorly, an anyone of us could buy it, its just flash lights installed in the handrails. Dubai is actually larger than Eclipse when measured by volume, not length, and volume is what makes a yacht larger, not length. But Dubai´s interiors, horrible like you have never seen before, are probably relatively cheap, done locally, at much lower prices than Germany. My guess is Eclipse should probably cost around 500 to 600 million, never more.
  9. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    Well alot of the finished work on "Dubai" appears to be mosaic in nature and hardwoods, maybe labour wise, a bit cheaper as it was done in the region but that does not trod on the quality work done!
  10. TimL

    TimL New Member

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    cost

    Another thing to take into consideration is the price in what part of the world. Was the price quoted in dollars, euros, etc. The us dollar is down quite abit from years ago. Now you see yachts built in europe costing about 25 to 30 percent more for an american buyer than they were 5 years ago. Let say your looking at 100 foot yachts built in america and europe. The american builder quotes 10 million and the european builder quotes 13 million (due to the weak american dollar). I hope I made sense.
    Tim
  11. Emerson

    Emerson New Member

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    ^^That

    Great point Tim, depending on when the money was spent it really could have shot up by 30%.
  12. Riknpat

    Riknpat Senior Member

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    a billion here a billion there

    As you mentioned, there are anti missle systems (surface and air) , rumoured anti submarine tracking and defence, emergency escape systems and "that crazy anti paparazzi system". I suspect that answers your question about cost. Seen what we taxpayers cough up for a cute little destroyer these days?

    Which begs the question - do you need permits to sail around with this stuff? Another thread bemoaned the trouble we could all get into carrying mere guns to defend ourselves from pirates. So knock 'em off with a ship to ship guided missle? Apparently thats OK. I know the systems on the Eclipse are "purely defensive" but what local customs or police force could tell the difference? Is there one? Or maybe Roman can't actually go anywhere with all that weaponry but bob around mid ocean. A bird in a guilded cage.