Google co-founder's $450M superyacht takes hours to refuel
What's the story
Google co-founder Sergey Brin's superyacht, Dragonfly, is so massive that it can't be refueled at regular marinas. The 466-foot vessel recently docked at Gibraltar's commercial bunkering facilities for fuel, a sight captured by the YouTube channel Gibraltar Yachting reveals. The video shows the enormous yacht next to Gibraltar's bunkering facilities with large fuel-storage tanks in the background.
Refueling process
Not a small task
Refueling a yacht as big as Dragonfly is no small task. Gibraltar's bunkering infrastructure, designed for large vessels, can pump fuel at rates of up to 80 metric tons per hour.
A hypothetical 500-metric-ton refill would take around 6 hours 45 minutes and cost between $690,000 and $720,000.
If the vessel needed a 1,000-metric-ton uplift, it would take about 12.5 hours and cost between $1.38 million and $1.44 million.
Size constraints
Why Dragonfly uses commercial ports for refueling
Dragonfly is too big to be refueled at conventional marinas.
Gibraltar's Ocean Village Marina can accommodate superyachts of around 100 meters, but Dragonfly is over 142 meters long.
This means it has to use Gibraltar's larger commercial port facilities for refueling, highlighting the unique logistical challenges of ultra-large private yachts like this one.
Strategic advantage
Why Gibraltar is a strategic stop for many vessels
Gibraltar's strategic location at the entrance to the Mediterranean makes it an ideal stop for Dragonfly.
The Strait of Gibraltar is one of the busiest maritime routes in the world, with thousands of commercial vessels passing through.
This creates a demand for large-scale bunkering infrastructure like Gibraltar's fuel facilities, which have several storage tanks holding thousands of metric tons of marine and automotive gas oil.
Advanced features
More about Dragonfly
Dragonfly is not just a floating mansion but also a technologically advanced vessel.
It uses a diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system powered by two MAN 16V28/33D diesel engines, each weighing some 44 tons and producing roughly 9,760hp.
The yacht has five decks with facilities like a glass-bottom swimming pool, spa, gym, games room, cinema, and beauty salon among other things.