Something is happening in the Port of Hamburg: The scaffolding of the “Dilbar” is being dismantled in the Blohm Voss dry dock. It is still extremely unlikely that the ship will leave the Elbe.
Sunlight at last on board oligarch Alisher Usmanov’s mega-yacht “Dilbar”. After months under a tarpaulin, Blohm Voss slowly dismantled the scaffolding around the ship and uncovered the floating palace. It didn’t look like the “Dilbar” could leave the dry dock for a long time. Because the ship originally came to the Hanseatic city for maintenance work and was not considered to be able to swim for a long time. It is not yet clear whether this has changed.
One thing is certain: the shipyard will certainly not uncover the ship so that it can sail to freedom along the Elbe. Because the sanctions against the owner and his family are unchanged, the ship was frozen months ago by German authorities.
Blohm Voss obviously needs the space
So the question arises as to why things are moving so suddenly. The technically extremely experienced yacht youtuber “Esysman” puts forward the assumption that Blohm Voss urgently needs the blocked dock and is taking the “Dilbar” to another part of the port of Hamburg, where it does not bother. For this, it is said, one probably had to wait for approval from the authorities.
The same thing happened to Andrei Melnichenko’s “sailing yacht A” (IMO 1012141), whose ship left the port of Trieste but has been anchored in sight for weeks.
Blohm Voss will probably be left with the costs for the work and the crew for the time being. As “Esysman” reports, the current team is employed by Lürssen, the parent company of the Hamburg shipyard. This is also due to the sanctions, because Usmanov is not allowed to employ anyone and pay them for work. Earlier reports indicate that a ship like the “Dilbar” causes great expenses on a daily basis.
Also read: Mega yachts and swanky mansions are too expensive: oligarchs are a heavy burden on the state coffers
In the water, the “Dilbar” needs a large crew
During the time in the dry dock, according to “Esysman”, Lürssen needed around five people for the most basic maintenance of the covered yacht. Apparently, when the ship is launched again, the staff will also have to be increased. The expert explains that a ship in the water requires a certain number of personnel so that it can be maneuvered or set in motion in an emergency. He estimates that the “Dilbar” needs between 18 and 22 people for this. When fully operational with guests on board, the “Dilbar” crew should consist of up to 80 people.
If Alisher Usmanow is ever allowed to take delivery of his ship again, the multi-billionaire will probably face a hefty bill.
“The work is for safety” – Lürssen shipyard
The Lürssen shipyard did not give a concrete answer to an inquiry from stern about how the ship would continue and what the next destination of the “Dilbar” was. When asked who would bear the costs for the state-imposed storage of the ship, they remained silent and wrote: “Please understand that we cannot provide any further information on this”. After all, Lürssen provided an explanation for what was happening in the port and partially confirmed the suspicions of the expert. It says: “Work is being carried out on the yacht ‘Dilbar’ to ensure the safety of the ship, the shipyard and the environment. The current work has been reported to the responsible authorities in advance and checked by them and then approved.”
Just a few days ago, Usmanow filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice to free his ship from the Hanseatic city (find out more here). He failed in the preliminary proceedings in record time, and the very wealthy oligarch is still waiting for a date for a proper court hearing.
Which: Esysman Superyachts
