How Oceanco's Draak transformed from luxury yacht to companion vessel

Originally constructed by Dutch shipyard Oceanco, the 92.8-metre colossus Draak has swapped the luxurious life of a superyacht for a working companion vessel for Oceanco's aptly named Leviathan. BOAT explores the depths of this transformation and looks back on her history ahead of her debut at the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show.

Read more: /Oceanco's 93m rebuilt superyacht Draak redelivered and cruising Scotland

Draak is one of the biggest yacht transformations ever undertaken

She has gone by several names, but as she waits for her moment in the Monegasque sun, Oceanco's almost 93-metre yacht Draak has embraced another, more functional persona.

In June 2014, the Dutch shipyard delivered a boat known as Equanimity to her owners, making her one of Oceanco's largest yachts alongside Jeff Bezos' Koru and the 117-metre Infinity.

In the summer of 2026, BOAT announced she had been repurposed as a companion vessel to Oceanco's Leviathan, an 111-metre yacht owned by American video game designer Gabe Newell, who not only commissioned the yacht, but also made a successful play for the shipyard itself.

This was no light refit; Draak underwent a complete radical transformation from a luxury pleasure yacht used to hosting celebrities, to a functional, heavy-duty research and support vessel.

She was the first yacht built to the Passenger Yacht Code

A standout feature during her glory days was the sheer amount of space for guests. Up to 26 guests could be comfortably accommodated across nine cabins, with further space for a 28-strong crew.

This was thanks to the Passenger Yacht Code (PYC), a maritime safety standard allowing yachts to carry between 13 and 36 passengers. Draak was the first yacht to be built in line with this standard.

London-based designer Andrew Winch collaborated with Oceanco to create her Asian-inspired interiors, using materials such as wenge wood, gold leaf, bamboo and marble.

Her facilities included a spa and beach club, equipped with a sauna, hammam, "experiential shower", plunge pool and beauty salon. Above sat a 20-square-metre pool and her raised aft deck housed a fully certified helipad. Her master suite housed a lounge, study and private exterior deck with a whirlpool, three VIPs, three doubles and two twin staterooms.

She has one of the most infamous ownership histories in yachting

In 2018, Draak was seized by the Indonesian authorities at the request of the US Department of Justice, which had been investigating the 1MDB scandal and believed the yacht had been bought with embezzled funds.

She was eventually handed over to Malaysia in July 2018, which later sold it in 2019 for $126 million to a casino company called Genting Malaysia, with assistance from brokerage firm Burgess.

She was renamed Tranquillity in 2019 and, between 2020 and 2023, underwent light maintenance and refits. She was officially retired in June 2023 and renamed Draak in the summer of 2026, marking a significant step in her epic transformation.

She is an award winner with celebrity status

Draak has played host to some of the biggest names in the world of pop culture. In the summer of 2019, billionaire businesswoman Kylie Jenner celebrated her 22nd birthday on board off the coast of Capri, Italy. Accompanied by her then-boyfriend rapper Travis Scott and mother Kris Jenner, she was snapped relaxing on board her sundeck, enjoying breakfast at the 12-seat dining table and taking a 21-metre plunge from the upper deck.

Her star status is bolstered by several major wins at prestigious award shows. In 2014, Draak took home The Finest New Yacht of the MYS award at the Monaco Yacht Show and Best Yacht of the Year (over 82 metres) at the World Yachts Trophies awards.

The following year, she was a finalist at several high-profile awards, including the Asia Boating Awards, the International Superyacht Society Awards, the World Superyacht Awards and The ShowBoats Design Awards. 

In 2016, she won Best Power 65m+ at the International Superyacht Society.

Read more:/Spotted: Celebrities on superyachts

Draak is now the companion vessel to Leviathan

Draak's next iteration is to be a companion vessel for Oceanco's Leviathan. Defined by its ability to carry extra crew and heavy equipment, Draak was chosen with the support of brokerage firm Y.CO and will assist with the exploration and research operations of Inkfish, an organisation owned by Oceanco's owner, Newell, and operating across his fleet. Its mission is to provide researchers with access to remote environments.

The operational separation between the two vessels will allow Leviathan to dedicate its time to marine research and diving programmes. Draak will effectively absorb the logistical footprint, freeing up Leviathan from traditional design constraints.

Read more: /Inside Gabe Newell's 111m superyacht Leviathan

Almost every part of the yacht has been rebuilt

The project brought together Oceanco’s Life Cycle Support team, co-makers and owner’s representatives YTMC and Inkfish, alongside the crews of both Draak and Leviathan. Her main engines, generator sets and emergency generator all received major overhauls. Environmental systems were updated to support the vessel’s compliance profile.

Draak’s wheelhouse was reimagined as an "open, highly functional space", equipped with an updated navigation and communication suite. The AV/IT infrastructure was replaced by Alewijnse, which saw more than 18 kilometres of cable rerouted through existing pathways.

Several exterior modifications were made, including an extended boarding platform at the stern to accommodate retractable fenders and swim stairs. The helipad on her upper deck aft was removed to make space for a large tender deck, equipped with heavy-duty C-davits. A 12.6-tonne jib crane was also integrated on the upper deck aft for easy deployment.

The team preserved as many of the existing finishes and materials to minimise waste, while focusing on reducing maintenance and cleaning where possible.

Stainless-steel handrails were given a bead-blasted finish to reduce the need for constant polishing. Low-traffic exterior areas reuse Draak's original teak decking, while high-traffic areas use Bolidt synthetic decking. The hull was repainted in an off-white colour to align with the fleet while reducing the frequency of wash-downs.

She was rebuilt around a new philosophy

German interior studio Vedder converted Draak's beach club and spa into a fully equipped dive centre with a decompression chamber, while the main deck saloon was transformed into a large crew mess, with a dedicated "chef’s lab" for crew and guests. New "adaptable" cabins have been installed to increase crew capacity when required.

Newell prioritised a "human-centric" design for his yacht to allow them more time to focus on "higher-value experiences". In collaboration with Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout, naval architect Lateral Naval Architects and designer Mark Berryman, Leviathan upended the traditional narrative surrounding guests and crew. In place of a traditional main saloon is a large communal dining area and shared recreational spaces for both guests and crew.

To celebrate the human story underlying this herculean transformation, Newell commissioned a piece of glass engraved with 3,000 names of people who collaborated on the project, bearing the Oceanco-designed Leviathan logo, which can be seen when viewing from certain angles.

Where will Draak be seen next?

Following her completion at Oceanco’s Life Cycle Support facilities in Zwijndrecht, the Netherlands, Draak hit the water for sea trials in May 2026. In June, BOATPro's AIS fleet tracker located her in Scotland on the way to the Port of Greenock. As of August, Draak is currently accompanying Leviathan as she sails around Norway.

Yacht enthusiasts can take a closer look at her extraordinary transformation at the 2026 Monaco Yacht Show alongside around 120 yachts.

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