Mark Zuckerberg – whoever is boarding his superyacht in Seattle this week – brought Wingman.
While Meta founder and CEO’s 387-foot yacht Launchpad is drawing attention for its journey through the Ballard Locks and into Lake Union, the 262-foot support vessel is docked for a few minutes at the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal at Pier 91.
The Wingman has been called a “floating billion dollar garage” and is designed to carry all the various toys one might need at sea and in port, from helicopters to small tender boats and other personal aircraft. A ship’s crane is used to transfer heavy loads across the water.
The ship is visible from the Magnolia Bridge and the Elliott Bay Trail along the waterfront, stopping at an area used by larger ships to load and unload passengers. The headquarters of online travel giant Expedia is overseas.
GeekWire checked with the security guard at the entrance to the terminal who confirmed that Wingman arrived on Wednesday. The Launchpad sailed into Seattle on Tuesday afternoon. Both vessels fly the flag of the Marshall Islands, a common registry for superyachts due to its “attractive tax structure,” according to Yacht Law Partners.
@media (max-width: 600px) { aside.callout { float: none !important; max-width:100% !important; margin-left:0 !important; margin-right:0 !important; } aside.callout .callout-img { display:none !important; }}
The white and black boat blends easily into a place that usually caters to such large vessels. Bicyclists and pedestrians using the trail showed no interest in the Wingman that draws people to Lake Union to view the Launchpad.
It’s not clear why Launchpad and Wingman are in Seattle this week, but their presence has taken on some mystery because of layoffs that have affected nearly 1,400 regional Meta employees.
When going through the locks, a crew member on the Launchpad revealed that the ship was out of town for the FIFA World Cup, and planned to “come and go.”
Formerly known as U-81, the Wingman is reportedly a $100 million vessel, and was built in 2022 by Dutch company Damen Yachtbuilding. According to Superyacht Fan, it can accommodate up to 18 crew and eight guests in four cabins.
By late morning, Wingman and Launchpad were still at their ports in Seattle.
