416ft ‘Octopus’ spotted off Seven Mile Beach
(CNS): One of the world’s largest super-yachts called on Grand Cayman on Wednesday when Paul Allen’s boat Octopus was anchored off Seven Mile Beach. Said to be the eighth largest yacht in the world, the boat belonging to the co-founder of Microsoft measures 416 feet. It has two helicopters (well, one could break down), two submarines and several other boats on board. Allen is one of the world’s wealthiest individuals and is reportedly worth around $10.5 billion.
The Octopus, which is not Allen’s only super yacht (he also owns the slightly smaller Tatoosh), costs over $380,000 per week to maintain and has a crew of more than 60 people. The yacht has a pool on board, a music studio, a basketball court, and side hatches at the water line form a dock for jet skis.
Given such wealth and opulence, one would imagine Allen has no problem understanding the concept of happiness but the billionaire has, according to the Seattle Times, been working on a documentary that explores issues such as that. The three-part documentary series, "This Emotional Life," is being aired on PBS and explores the cutting-edge science that unravels some of the mysteries of emotional health.
"I hope everyone benefits from this series and it provokes new thoughts on how we can improve our lives," he wrote in an e-mail. "Some of the stories the participants tell us are moving examples of how we can all work at finding abetter emotional balance in our lives — just like we work to get physically fit."
When it comes to being a billionaire, according to research on the web site accompanying the series, money can buy happiness — as long as you give some of it away. Researchers found that happiness did correlate to higher incomes, spending money on others and giving to charity.
Category: World News
Catchy title but very misleading CNS. It could be misunderstood by the cursory reader (not a criticism but just a thought) you know that we have some real shallow brains out there mi dear. lol
Happy to have you visit Paul. You’re right off the south coast of my new home in Prospect Pointe. Fishing is great here- enjoy and stay as long as you like! WM
We give so much attention to the wealthy… like a god!
And do you think they don’t give the %%% about us??
There is a reason that this place is not a haven for sail boats and motor yachts. Customs has a VERY bad rep for damaging boats and causing disruption for visiting pleasure craft. Well known to be unfriendly and unwelcoming. Check out sail blogs
And yes, this is newsworthy. We have always seen this yacht here but never have we had details! Thanks CNS. As usual, you give us a valued perspective.
As a person whom frequently clears in /out of Customs and Immigration by boat, i can tell you that the blogs you are reading are out of date, the improvement of these depts. at the dock is 300% over the last couple of years, in fact i was speaking to a couple last month whom had just come up from the eastern caribbean after spending 6 months there,they stated how nice and friendly our guys were compared to the the rest of the caribbean.
As for the large Yachts, they send their tenders in to pick up the officers and then come back with them, so that the vessel does not have to come along side the cargo pier where the damage was being done.this also is done so the firearms can be inspected and either removed or locked and sealed on board the vessel whilst in Cayman waters.
Paul Allen is one of those exceptional people…a multi-billionaire with soul. I am very sorry to hear about his illness. Nice looking boat. He earned it. Fair winds Octopus and crew.
He needs our prayers more than WOW’s now.
In November 2009 Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, more than 25 years after he was treated for Hodgkin’s disease, a spokesman at his company Vulcan Inc. told CNN.
All the money in the world cant buy blessings and miracles, even though he’s the 17th Richest American worth 11.5bil.
PAUL -GET WELL SOON!!!!
Glad to see we’re giving him some good privacy. :-/
http://www.observer.com/2009/o2/yacht-update
Miss. Twyla,
When the North sound becomes available for such mega-yacht entry, he’ll be able to have all that good Caymanian food without coming ashore once the floating sand-bar restaurant opens!! Then he won’t need to come ashore…. oh, but then he won’t come shopping…
I do bet he wishes he could have pulled right up through the North Sound and parked at the Ritz though
Octopus is probably better appointed inside than any accomodation on this island, so I doubt Mr. Allen yearns for the Ritz.
I must welcome Paul Allen and his yacht Octopus as it is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. Many mega yachts look like space ships but this vessel maintains the lines of a ship.
Well done.
As per the link below this yacht is registered in Cayman so I believe it legally has to come here
http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2504958260056540217dhnbuS
It doesn’t legally have to come here – if it did, Cayman’s waters would be full of all the vessels registered locally – there are hundreds of them of all shapes and sizes. However, it does come here annually, normally a little earlier between Christmas and New Year.
?!?! If every Cayman Islands registered vessel was legally obliged to visit our shores not only would you see 8 or 9 different mega yachts here every day… but Hog Sty Bay would look like Monaco!! These vessels and their owners come to Cayman because they want to… not because they have to…
How many mega yachts do we have registered? Some of us have for many years been wondering what we get back for all the spending on trips overseas by those in the Shipping Registry
My understanding is the mega-yacht registry is the largest in the world – a result of a lot of hard work by MACI folks.
And, no, I don’t work there. 🙂
Although Ezzard threatened to destroy the business completely by proposing large increasesin fees.
"…because they want to…"
Hence you do not see many of these yachts and their owners here, unsurprisingly.
what is he doing anchored offshore?. He should have been invited onshore to get some white sand in his toes, fresh fruit punch with twist of lime. Turtle steaks fried plaintain white rice and breadfruit…….
The out of control crime rate and the xenophobic attitiude of a lot of locals towards foreigners must have kept him away.
Where is "Caymain"????????
Too bad it didn’t keep you away.
It did keep me away this year. We have been coming to Cayman for about the last 10 years every year with extended family. I used to love coming to Cayman but the last time we came we felt unsafe and like we were no longer welcome. Our only interactions with Caymanians seemed to be at the airport (who were ok), customs (who were rude), the taxi (which was a rip off) and some tour operators (who were moneygrabbing).
My dollars went to Jamaica this year and the people were so much friendlier. There was plenty of culture, plenty of attractions and it didn’t cost the earth to stay in moderate lodgings.
Unfortunately the minority of criminals like this commenter are destroying your islands. You should try and hold on to what little you have left going for you as a vacation destination. Overbuilding by the beach, rising crime, some rude but still moneygrabbing locals and over commercialisation have made Cayman a less attractive place to visit.
The governor or whoever needs to help the people understand that they cannot take the tourists for granted any more, there are plenty of other places that will take our money with a smile.
It’s very interesting that you stopped coming to our island to go to Jamaica. Jamaica has the highest crime rate per capita in the western hemisphere. Take a walk down the streets of the neighborhoods of Kingston, then tell me if you feel safe. Our crime rate has increased slightly, but most of this has been due to the huge influx of Jamaicans to our island. The Cayman people are wonderful caring people. It is the immigrants that have ruined and littered our island.
Jamaica may be bad, but this poster probably never left their all-inclusive resort, and thus never saw that side of things…
On the other hand – a lot of the crime is actually our own Caymanians shooting up, stealing cars and robbing. Old Caymanians are wonderful caring people – the youth are the problem – just look at the average age of the criminals and the shooting victims…
Jack 12:47: It’s hard to believe that you can still believe that crap about Jamaicans being responsible for all the crime. Grow up! And check the nationality of all these gangland criminals plus the inhabitants of Northward plus those sentenced in the US recently for attempting to smiggle guns into Cayman. Sorry, but apart from one or two notorious ones, they’re all our good ole Caymanian boys.
And yes, SOME Caymanians are "wonderful caring people". But SOME are not. That, by the way, is how it is in ALL countries.
Your last sentence is so silly I will not bother to comment on it.
Becuase he does not want to and it sounds fairly crap I suppose.
He does, and I hear he is a fantastic tipper.
Not true, 15% on bill. Drinks water, no large bills from him. That’s why he’s worth what he is. He does however donate alot to charities. I wish him all the best with his health issues.
its been seen off caymain loads of times – whats the news in that?
I agree. Many of these highrollers and celebrities are here annually, so how did this end up being a story? Having worked in tourism & interacted with a number of stars, its always said that they love coming here because they can be quasi-anonymous and just relax without paparazzi, media hype, etc. Lets continue that approach Cayman! 🙂
Why is it mandatory on blogs to always have negative, condescending comments like yours??
Maybe not all of us saw it on "caymain" loads of times like you did! I thought the story was interesting.
and so has tatoosh!!