A giant turtle-shaped yacht, which is also being described as a floating city, tops the list of many items that were not on our Bingo cards for 2022. Nevertheless, here we are. According to CNN, an Italian design firm, Lazzarini Design Studio, has drafted designs for a massive boat resembling a tortoise with its flippers extended. The vessel is so large that its designers have not even referred to it as a superyacht, but rather as a terayacht. As such, it was appropriately named Pangeos, a reference to Pangea, the ancient supercontinent that once comprised nearly all of the Earth’s landmasses. The ship, according to Lazzarini, will be large enough to accommodate hotels, apartments, condominiums, shopping centers, parks, and other amenities for up to 60,000 visitors. Even when Pangeos is not docked near land, visitors will be able to visit thanks to the yacht’s ship and aircraft ports. This is helpful given that the company does not currently anticipate a strict itinerary, but rather anticipates that the turtle will simply coast around the globe.
The boat, measuring 1,800 feet in length and 2,000 feet at its widest point, will be the longest floating structure ever constructed. That is assuming, of course, that it is constructed, which is an additional obstacle in and of itself. According to the Pangeos website, “the terayacht needs a terashipyard,” which does not exist at present. The project requires a 200-mile-wide and 180-mile-long yard, as well as the excavation of approximately 0.4 square miles of the sea with a circular dam. Once the yacht has been constructed, the dam can be opened to deluge the surrounding area and effectively launch the vessel. Currently, Lazzarini recommends the coast of Saudi Arabia as the optimal location for construction.
Since the aim of most boats is to minimize drag, they rarely deviate from the standard V shape and are even less frequently shaped like marine animals; however, Pangeos’ flippers are more than a mere anomaly. According to the company, the boat’s extremities will capture kinetic energy from the waves, allowing it to sail indefinitely without producing any emissions. In the event that additional power is required, the rooftop would also be equipped with solar panels; electric engines are also incorporated into the design.
According to the company, the total cost to construct the colossal vessel will exceed $8 billion. Additionally, construction will require a minimum of eight years, and Lazzarini does not anticipate that it will even begin until 2025. The business has devised a strategy to reduce both the high price and the lengthy wait time. Designed as an NFT crowdfunding project, the company is selling “Unreal Estate,” allowing buyers to purchase virtual boarding tickets, hotel rooms, and even houses for a metaverse version of the yacht, which the company claims will be available for (virtual) boarding by 2023.
