September 10, 2014 – San Francisco Bay
All sorts of vessels transit the waters of San Francisco Bay, but none as unique as Russian gazillionaire Andrey Melnichenko’s 390-ft megayacht simply named “A”. After a South Pacific tour and a stint in the Northwest this summer, she appeared on the Bay this week, turning heads everywhere she went.
Looking decidedly Nemo-esque, the megayacht “A” is one of the most distinctive vessels on the planet. – Photo Matthias Kabel
Looking to many like a 21st-century version of Captain Nemo’s Nautilus, “A” is a curiosity wherever she goes. We first saw her last summer in Tahiti, where her brief visit generated a classic anecdote on bureaucracy. The story around Papeete was that Melnichenko and his entourage had planned a lengthy stay in the French Polynesian archipelagos, which undoubtedly would have trickled a boatload of Central Pacific Francs into the territory’s struggling economy — “A” reportedly chalked up a half-million dollars in fuel cost alone while in Seattle recently. But when authorities learned that Melnichenko’s wife, Serbian model Aleksandra Nikolic, had a miniature Maltese dog on board, they insisted it be put in quarantine, just as any cruiser’s raggedy mutt would have to be. That unwavering stance was a deal-breaker, so “A” promptly left, much to the frustration of many Polynesian businessmen.
Big yachts like to leave a trail of money behind wherever they go. But Tahiti missed out on a load of trickle-down cash last summer due to a quarantine snafu. No wonder though. After all, love them as we do, the French are the original bureaucrats. – Photo Latitude / Andy
She was back in French Polynesia again this year, though, and we’re told she now has a specially approved quarantine area aboard for the pup, Vala.
Sailing With Devious, 2014 