Alaska cruise ship tows stranded skiff after billionaire's yacht fails to answer call
A small cruise vessel in Southeast Alaska diverted to assist a 21-foot skiff that ran out of fuel, while Mark Zuckerberg's yacht was observed nearby but did not respond to the request for help.
A UnCruise Adventures cruise ship, the Wilderness Legacy, altered its course on Monday night to tow a 21-foot skiff that had run out of fuel between Petersburg and Juneau into Farragut Bay. The vessel, familiar with Alaskan waters, refueled the skiff and later confirmed the occupants reached Petersburg safely.
Passengers on the cruise reported that the captain announced the nearby presence of Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot, $300 million yacht Launchpad, which had not answered the radio call for assistance. Vessel-tracking data showed the yacht slowing near Farragut Bay while the cruise ship performed the rescue.
“There was near-unanimous booing when the captain announced this,” posted passenger Michael Love on Bluesky.
The U.S. Coast Guard, after receiving the request at about 9:30 p.m., determined the situation did not meet the criteria for a distress call and issued a marine assistance broadcast on the vessel’s behalf. The Marine Exchange of Alaska relayed the broadcast, which was picked up by the Wilderness Legacy.
“We did assist the Coast Guard with callouts on our radio and (were) able to hail the Wilderness Legacy who ended up rendering assistance,” said John Hollingsworth, chief operations officer of the Marine Exchange.
UnCruise spokesperson Sarah Scoltock confirmed the cruise ship’s captain, Sean Manske, coordinated the tow and refueling, and later received confirmation that the skiff’s crew arrived safely in Petersburg.
This incident follows a similar rescue by another UnCruise vessel, the National Geographic Quest, which aided a family in Glacier Bay two weeks earlier.