The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell

Free: Mr Allen offered the Octopus for the expedition at no cost to the government

The Hunt For HMS Hood's Bell: Billionaire Offers To Fund Recovery So That It Can Be A Memorial To 1,415 Crew Who Drowned When Warship Was Sunk By The Bismarck In 1941 -- Daily Mail

A US billionaire has offered to lead an operation to recover the bell of the sunken battle cruiser HMS Hood, which was sunk in 1941 and killed 1,415 men, for free.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said US philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul G Allen has offered his private yacht be used in the search to recover the bell at no cost to it.

HMS Hood, which was a state-of-the-art vessel for its time, is the largest Royal Navy vessel to have been sunk, causing the biggest loss of life suffered by any single British warship.

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My Comment: Kudos to Paul Allen for doing this.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts For The London Olympics

Octopus, the £130m super-yacht of Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, enters South Dock in the Canary Wharf the weekend before the games begin.

Invasion Of The Super-Yachts: They've Got Swimming Pools, Helipads And Even A Mini-Submarine. How The World's Mega-Rich Are Turning London Into A Floating Olympic Playground -- Daily Mail

This could be Monaco, or an exclusive resort on the Med as the world’s most lavish superyachts jostle for space. Their perfectly scrubbed decks bristle with security guards, while hot tubs bubble and helipads wink at the sky.

This is the playground of billionaires, oligarchs and A-list celebs. There are rumours that Roman Abramovich’s sumptuous $1billion boat will arrive tomorrow.

At 557ft, the Russian tycoon’s Eclipse is the largest private yacht in the world. It has two swimming pools, two helipads, a dedicated disco hall, 30 cabins, a cinema, a mini-submarine, and even its own missile defence system. Abramovich’s master suite is armour-plated and protected by bullet-proof windows and a laser system designed to dazzle long-lens photographers.

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My Comment: Here is an easy prediction .... the best Olympic parties will be on these yachts.

The Super Yachts Luna And The Octopus Together

Battle of the boats: The Luna (left) and the Octopus sit alongside each other in the Mediterranean close to the town of Antibes

My Yacht's Bigger Than Yours! Battle Of Boats As Billionaire Roman Abramovich Is Put In His Place By Microsoft Boss's Larger Vessel -- Daily Mail

He is used to having the biggest and best of everything.

Yet Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich was put in his place yesterday by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.

The billionaire Russian's 377ft yacht named Luna was moored close to the town of Antibes in South East France, making quite an impression on the coastline.

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My Comment: This article is slightly dated .... but it is always fun to see two super yachts together.

Billionaire Paul Allen’s Super-Yacht Octopus Joins The Search Flotilla

Missing Palau Plane: Billionaire Paul Allen’s Super-Yacht Joins The Search Flotilla -- Inquisitr

Paul Allen, the billionaire Microsoft co-founder, has graciously lent his super-yacht and two helicopters aboard the vessel to search for a missing plane carrying two Palau police officers and one American pilot. The plane disappeared over the weekend after pursuing a large Chinese boat which was involved in an illegal poaching operation in a Palau marine reserve.

Allen’s 414-foot yacht comes equipped with a remote-controlled submersible, two helicopters, and a submarine. The yacht is named the Octopus and was sailing in the region in support of James Cameron, the film directory who recently took to an expedition to explore the depths of the Mariana Trench which is located just a little ways off from Palau.

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Update #1: Billionaire Paul Allen's yacht involved in search drama on high seas -- The Australian/AP
Update #2: Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s yacht helping Coast Guard search for lost plane off Palau -- Washington Post/AP
Update #3: Billionaire’s yacht hunts for lost plane off Palau -- Chicago Sun Times/AP

My Comment: He is doing the right thing.

Super Yacht Octopus Makes A Port Of Call At Guam

World Class Vessels Make Port Stops On Guam -- PNC

The Octopus, a mega yacht owned by Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen is currently docked at the Port. The 414 foot yacht comes with a pool, two helicopters , and two submarines... one of which is operated by remote control.

Inchcape Shipping Services is the agent for the ship, Inchcape General Manager Ariel Dumapit tells PNC that the Octopus arrived Thursday morning and is scheduled to leave at 10am Saturday after re-fueling and changing crew. Its not known why the ship is on Guam or whether Allen is here too.

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Editor: The Octopus has a website dedicated to it (it is here), and the Wikipedia entry has some additional information. Superyachtfan has some more information, including photos of the interior.