World's biggest toybox next to Star of India

On December 19, San Diegans and tourists alike were flustered by a 215-foot "space-age" catamaran docked near the Star Of India, across the street from the San Diego County Administration Building.

"Is this a kind of hovercraft?" asked Mark A., one of my NextDoor neighbors. "[It's an] unusual vessel .... parked at the Embarcadero."

That Sunday, Hodor, the matte-grey-colored multi-hulled watercraft, floated on North San Diego Bay waters while its crew viewed North Harbor Drive and the downtown San Diego skyscrapers. Al P., a Mountain View resident, said he fabricated parts for the circa-2019 Hodor. "I asked the chief engineer if it was named after the character from Game Of Thrones, and he said, 'Yes, [like the character,] we have to carry everything.'"

Local boaters and offroaders refer to Hodor as the "world's largest floating toy box."

"In the huge garage, below its decks — Hodor is carrying nine jet skis, four Yamaha quad bikes, two Yamaha side-by-side ATVs, four Yamaha TW200 trail motorcycles," local school teacher Jeff Feehley explained to me on December 27. "Hodor is badass," continued Felipe Mojica, a local offroad racer who races in the Baja 1000. "Those 700cc quads in Hodor's garage used to be in the 1A class at the SCORE International events; they had the biggest engine at the time, around 2001-2005. And those side-by-sides are great for the dunes at Glamis and Gordon Wells, they have a Fox suspension, and the engines are like 1000cc, they're fast."

Both Feehley and Mojica analyzed the ship's toys depicted on the SuperYacht Times website. On the site, it speaks about the onboard helicopter propped on the boat's landing pad, a fleet of five tenders on its aft decks — and a remotely operated underwater vehicle "on the foredeck, which is launched using a special crane .... "

I asked Feehley — who is one of the 297 members of San Diego Bay and Ship Watchers on Facebook — about the symmetrical contraptions sticking out underneath the helicopter pad and the rear of Hodor. "It's a $1.2 million boat powered by five outboard engines. That's the most impressive 'toy': a 56-foot Nor-Tech center console. I'm not sure about the horsepower, but I'd bet they are at least 600 horsepower each; if that's the case, it's 3,000 horsepower."

Feehley added that Hodor houses two Laser dinghies and a Hobie Cat. "The leftover space is already earmarked for a soon-to-be-delivered SeaMagine Aurora-3 submersible (private submarine)."

Per SuperYachtFan.com, Hodor's price tag without its toys was about $30 million when launched from the Astilleros Armon ship-building factory in Spain in 2019. The annual running cost of Hodor is between $3-$5 million, more than the price to purchase an EleMMent Palazzo Superior — the most expensive RV in the world.

"I've seen Hodor a couple of times this year around the San Diego Bay," Feehley continued. "Most recently, it was tied up at the Kona Kai Resort on Shelter Island. Not sure what it costs to dock a superyacht there. It would be between $4k-$5k a day if I were to guess. My estimate is based on slip rentals around the area at $20 per foot. Hodor is 216 feet long. Fuel is a lot more expensive in the yachting world, approximately $5 a gallon, and Hodor holds over 40,000 gallons."

Suppose people aren't 'blown out of the water' with the aforementioned- dollar figures yet. In that case, it should be noted that Hodor is a support ship that follows a larger superyacht reportedly docked behind the Marriott two weeks ago.

"Lonian is the name of the 285-foot yacht Hodor is attached to," Feehley noted. "It's the superyacht for yachts. More about the owner and his boats can be found online; his name is Lorenzo Fertitta, former owner of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). Their last known position was in the Sea of Cortez, north of La Paz on December 24."

While some locals voiced their disdain towards Lonian and Hodor on the NextDoor, Facebook, and Reddit pages — Scott L.'s online voice was the 'calm at sea.' "Those who are fortunate enough to purchase and use these large yachts support thousands of people and businesses worldwide. The global yacht industry is approaching $85 billion a year. San Diego alone has many businesses, large and small, that provide services and supplies to these yachts. In total, an estimated 46,000 employees work in San Diego's maritime industry."