The Microsoft Yacht

Spotted in Ushuaia!

From Wikipedia:

Octopus is a 414 foot (126 m) megayacht owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. Delivered in 2003, it was believed to be the biggest such yacht at the time of its construction.^[1] It is currently the world's 11th largest superyacht, the third largest superyacht not owned by a head of state.

Octopus sports two helicopters^[1] on the top deck (one in front and one on the back), and a 63-foot (19 m) tender docked in the transom (one of seven aboard). The yacht also has a pool, located aft on one of her upper decks, and two submarines (one of them operated by remote control for studying the bottom of the ocean). Side hatches at the water line form a dock for jet skis.

On January 31st 2011 one of the hellicopters of the yacht had to perform an emergency landing on the water just after it took off from the yacht whilst sailing in Ushuaia, Argentina. According to an Argentine Coast Guard officer, no casualties were reported and the aircraft had not leaked oil on the sea either.

The crew shooting hoops on the aft deck.

The irony - if you can call it that - is that the Octopus was moored right across from an Argentinian fishing ship just back from a long trip at sea.  On one side - a billionaire´s mega toy - and on the other, working class sailors unloading frozen fish.

Talked to one of the crew a bit at a bar and it turns out Paul wasn´t on the boat, he just flies in and out for a few days.  A lot of their time is spent entertaining ¨guests¨- Paul´s friends who get to cruise to the ends of the earth and fly around on the helicopters.  Now that would be cool.