An Australian mining billionaire who’s building an exact replica of the Titanic also owns a $30 million superyacht that has now run aground twice in the last year.
Clive Palmer’s 180-foot vessel, named Australia, had to be pulled out of a sandbank with the help of a tugboat last week as it sailed along the Gold Coast of Queensland, according to Australia’s 9 News.
It is not known if Palmer was aboard the ship at the time.
The Australia includes a jacuzzi, two sundecks and multiple bars and is ranked as the 655th largest yacht in the world, according to the Super Yacht Times.
Last week’s incident is the second time the vessel has run into trouble in recent months. In October, the Australia got stuck on a sandbank off the coast of Singapore’s Sentosa Island for several hours as it was leaving port.
“It’s very difficult to make this kind of mistake, so maybe they had some problem with the motor,” a local resident told the Sydney Morning Herald at the time. “This is just at the exit of the marina, and it is absolutely very clear that you can’t put the boat between those two buoys. You can’t do that. Even if you are a jet skier like me, you know that.”
In 2013, a smaller yacht owned by Palmer, a $3.6 million cruiser named Maximus, lost power and nearly sank after it hit a rock off the Gold Coast. Palmer was entertaining guests on board at the time when they were forced to don lifejackets as flares were released and an emergency call was issued, as reported by the Telegraph.
“The passengers seemed a bit panicked because it could have turned into a nasty situation,” Steve Pomas, a search and rescue controller, told the paper at the time.
“It can be quite dangerous whenever you are dealing with a boat of that size and it’s challenging,” he said, while noting that he had come to Palmer’s assistance a few years earlier “when he ran aground in a similar-sized boat.”
Maximum was eventually towed to a nearby marina, and Palmer has since sold it.
Despite his troubles on the seas, the tycoon has been in the process of financing and building a replica of the Titanic, dubbed Titanic II, since 2012.
After years of delays, Titanic II is now being constructed at a Chinese shipyard, according to Reuters. Once completed, the oceanliner will have the same interior and cabin design as the doomed 1912 ship, plus modern enhancements like a greater beam for stability, a welded hull, stabilizers to reduce roll, and a safety deck. There is also air conditioning and an up to 900-person crew.
The intended launch date was originally set for 2016, but has been pushed back three times to 2027. Titanic II‘s still-unscheduled maiden voyage will follow its predecessor’s planned journey from Southampton, U.K. to New York City — part of what Palmer has said will be an “authentic Titanic experience.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.