After three years of work and $40 million in investments, this man transformed an unassuming cargo ship into a luxury megayacht.
There’s labors of love and then there’s this ambitious project.
It’s called ‘OK’, but this yacht is way more than its name indicates.
This is a truly extraordinary build, and the owner’s reason for taking it on will leave you stunned.
The world of megayachts is a place of big spending and bigger ambitions
You don’t get to create something with the word ‘mega’ in it without spending a lot of dough.
We’ve seen how much this industry thrives off creative vision.
Whether it’s Steve Jobs and his ultra-silent superyacht or Bill Gates and his hydrogen megayacht, there’s been ample case studies in the ingenuity of superyacht design.
Joining those lofty ranks is the OK.
Way back in the 1980s, this vessel was a semi-submersible heavy-lift vessel.
None of that screams ‘luxury’ or ‘relaxation’, does it?
It’s giving hard graft and official business.
But things are all different.
Designed by Timur Bozca and built by the Japanese company Oshima Shipbuilding Co Ltd, it has a beam (width) of 32.01 meters, a draught (the depth of a boat below the water line) of 6.26m and a volume of 11,296 GT (gigatons).
But despite those impressive figures, this still only comes in at 12 in world rankings of the biggest yachts.
Two engines fuel this titan of the sea, with 201,000 liters of fuel onboard.
All of that sounds very impressive, but one lingering question is ‘Why?’
Here’s why this cargo ship turned megayacht was built
According to the Daily Mail, the idea behind the OK was to create the feeling of being on an ‘undiscovered island’.
Now that is certainly a flex.
You might be tempted to brush that off – surely no yacht could recreate that feeling, right?
Well, the OK certainly makes a valiant effort.
Whoever the mystery billionaire owner is, they’ve certainly put the vessel to work when it comes to storage.
Up to 70 ‘toys’ can be stored onboard, ranging from a sailing yacht to a seaplane.
This really is like a kid’s vision of what they would do if they had billions of dollars to work with, and we mean that in the best possible way.
A cargo ship becoming a megayacht might not be the traditional humble beginnings story, but it certainly feels applicable.
The world’s biggest yachts
Azzam — 180.6 m / 592 ft (Lürssen, 2013) – Longest superyacht in the world; capable of speeds exceeding 30 knots despite its massive scale.
Fulk Al Salamah — 164.0 m / 538 ft (Mariotti, 2016) – Custom-built support vessel for the Omani Royal Fleet with a steel hull and broad 24-meter beam.
Eclipse — 162.5 m / 533 ft (Blohm + Voss, 2010) – Long associated with Roman Abramovich; equipped with two helipads, a 10-meter pool, and anti-missile defense technology.
Dubai — 162.0 m / 531 ft (Platinum Yachts, 2006) – Serving the Royal Family of Dubai; features space for 72 guests across multiple grand decks.
Blue — 160.0 m / 525 ft (Lürssen, 2022) – Utilizes eco-conscious diesel-electric hybrid propulsion and advanced wastewater treatment systems.
Dilbar — 156.0 m / 512 ft (Lürssen, 2016) – The world’s largest superyacht by interior volume (15,917 GT), housing an 82-foot indoor swimming pool.