From Seized to Seas?

1st September 2025

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⚓ Same Yachts, Different Fates: Why the Country Matters

I’ve posted a bit over the last 12 months about the fate of superyachts and their roles as pawns in Geo-Political chess.  However 12 months is a long time in politics and what was previously gridlocked, has become free flowing……. well for some it has!

So why has the outcomes for the likes of Alfa Nero, Flying Fox and Amadea diff from that of PHI.  Is it something to do with the country which held the seizure orders??

Quick overview:-

  • Alfa Nero (Antigua & Barbuda) → Parliament passed a special law to declare her abandoned and push through a sale. Decisive, controversial, but effective.
  • Amadea (Fiji → USA) → Hauled halfway around the world on a U.S. warrant. Now on the auction block because Washington can’t afford to bleed $740k/month forever.
  • Flying Fox (Maldives → EU/US) → Frozen early, then sanctions lifted once the legal and political cost outweighed the value of holding her hostage.
  • PHI (UK) → Seized in Canary Wharf with cameras flashing in 2022. Ownership contested. No legal mechanism to sell. Three years later, she’s still in limbo — a floating case study in bureaucracy.

🚩 The Bigger Picture

The same type of yacht, seized under the same sanctions regime, can have radically different outcomes depending on the flag and forum:

  • Some countries legislate → quick sale, assets moved on.
  • Some countries litigate → court battles, years of delay.
  • Some countries hesitate → yachts stuck, costs mounting, crew and creditors stranded.

👩‍✈️ Why This Matters for Crews & Owners

Every time politics and courts clash, the yacht and its crew are the ones caught in the blast zone. Wages, contracts, vessel up-keep get tied up in red tape. Owners and managers need to know that their people and yacht are protected before a crisis strikes.

TL;DR

👉 Same sanctions. Same yachts. Different outcomes. The difference isn’t the vessel — it’s the country that seizes it. It’s not who you are – it’s where you are!!

#ComplianceAsAService #CrewFirst #PersonalisedProtectedPayroll

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