The 348-foot Amadea, a Lürssen-built superyacht once seized from a sanctioned Russian oligarch, has slipped off the digital map after departing San Diego, according to maritime trackers and reports, which indicate that its automated transponders were deliberately switched off. The buyer, a company tied to a Dubai billionaire, closed on the vessel this fall, and five days after the sudden blackout, the yacht's exact location still had not been confirmed.
New owner linked to Dubai billionaire
Ownership records now list Beyond Holdings Group Limited as the registered owner of Amadea, and reporting connects that company to Hussain Sajwani, the UAE developer behind Damac. According to Forbes, maritime registries and corporate filings list the new owner at an address associated with Sajwani's business interests.
The sale finalized after a prolonged legal fight
The U.S. Marshals ran a sealed-bid auction that wrapped in September, after a federal judge ordered the yacht forfeited. Amadea was originally seized in Fiji in 2022 at the request of U.S. authorities, according to the Department of Justice, and the government said the mounting cost of custody and maintenance piled up while ownership was contested. Court filings indicate that upkeep costs roughly $100,000 to $200,000 per month, a price tag officials cited when arguing for a sale. The seizure and forfeiture case is detailed by the DOJ.
How the Amadea went dark
Marine tracking services recorded Amadea's AIS signal disappearing on Nov. 14, with reporting indicating that the yacht steamed out of San Diego after its transponders were shut off. LuxuryLaunches cites MarineTraffic data, which logs the blackout, noting that the vessel had remained visible to public tracking throughout its high-profile legal saga until now.
Why ports and courts could cause headaches
Even with the title now transferred on paper, maritime lawyers caution that foreign ports and courts may still regard formerly seized assets as disputed property, particularly when appeals over ownership are not fully exhausted. A judge earlier this year rejected a rival claim to the yacht; however, further appeals and cross-border enforcement moves remain possible, which industry reporting suggests could turn routine refueling stops or port calls into legal flashpoints. SuperyachtNews explains how those kinds of complications can follow a headline-making vessel from one jurisdiction to the next.
Possible routes and what to watch for
Analysts have flagged several logical corridors for a yacht with Amadea's reported range of roughly 8,000 nautical miles, including a Panama Canal transit, a swing out via Hawaii, or an eastbound route through Southeast Asian straits into the Indian Ocean. Every path, though, requires fuel and port access, which makes the vessel vulnerable to extra scrutiny. Trade outlets and ship trackers have highlighted those routes, warning that registration details, crew paperwork, and refueling logistics will likely be thoroughly reviewed if the yacht reappears in a foreign harbor. The Maritime Executive outlines the practical and legal challenges that could arise.
The U.S. Marshals and other agencies did not immediately comment on the yacht's recent movements, and reports indicate that the buyer's representatives have not responded to requests for comment. For now, tracking services and court dockets remain the best clues to watch, and this story will be updated as authorities or ship-tracking data confirm Amadea's next move.
