andiamo yacht missing

Wild Oats XI family’s multi-million dollar cruiser destroyed in blaze at Sydney dock

An investigation has been launched after a multimillion-dollar boat went up in flames in an affluent Sydney suburb overnight.

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A multimillion-dollar motor cruiser once owned by the family behind the Wild Oats XI yacht has been destroyed in a massive fire in Sydney’s north.

Emergency services were called to Woolwich Dock about 8.10pm on Saturday following reports of a boat fire.

NCA NewsWire understand the boat, Andiamo - which is estimated to be worth between $5 and $10 million - was once owned by Sandy Oatley, the son of the late Australian yachtsman and businessman, Bob Oatley.

The family is best known for owning the nine-time Sydney-Hobart-winning yacht Wild Oats XI.

Upon arrival, the boat was found to be fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters worked for some time to extinguish the massive fire, a difficult task given the extent of the fuel load.

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Adam Dewberry said the boat was filled with 4000 litres of diesel when the fire broke out.

“It took so long [to extinguish the fire] because it’s a large vessel, and we had no access onto the yacht itself, it just wasn’t safe to get on board,” he said.

Police have confirmed the fire is not being treated as suspicious.

There are no reports of any injuries.

The Oatley family have been spending time on Hamilton Island for the tourist hot spot’s annual race week, hosted from August 19 to 26.

They are celebrating 20 years of owning the iconic island destination, after the Oatley patriarch purchased the island in 2003 for $200 million.

It is understood two other famous boats usually docked at the Woolwich Dock - where the Oatley’s own the lease - Wild Oats XI and Andoo Comanche, were both docked on Hamilton Island at the time of the fire.

Law Connect - which came in second to Comanche in the 2022 Sydney to Hobart race - was moored at the

dock on Saturday night but was not damaged by the fire.

Officers attached to the Marine Area Command have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fire.

Anyone with information into the incident is urged to call police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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By SuperyachtNews 15 Sep 2021

2019 M/Y Andiamo yacht fire investigation summary

Multiple failings highlighted….

The 37m motor yacht Andiamo was completely lost to fire on 18th December 2019. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released its findings. The full report can be read here  with a SuperyachtNews summary to follow. 

The NTSB investigation presents some highly relevant findings for the superyacht industry and safety standards on privately owned superyachts.  At 19:21 local time, the fire started, and the vessel was on the seafloor a little over two hours later. The vessel was successfully evacuated, and no injuries were reported. The sequence of events preceding its sinking makes for stark reading. 

Andiamo was stern to the dock in Island Gardens marina and undertook day trips with guests in the lead-up. Onboard was the captain, first officer, deckhand, chief stewardess, second stewardess and chef. The chief engineer was on personal leave. As they were preparing for the arrival of a guest, it was noted that the lights were not working in the lower/accommodation deck and the main salon. 

The issue was reported, and the captain began troubleshooting the electrical systems; however, the issue was not resolved without the chief engineer on board. The chief stewardess lit candles in the master cabin to continue preparing, which were placed onto a wooden dresser beneath open curtains. 

Around 19:20, the interior team noticed a burning smell in the main solon followed by a plume of black smoke, and they shouted fire to the bridge to notify the captain, who was still attempting to fix the lighting issue. After determining that he could not locate the fire, he instructed the chief stew to have everyone evacuate the vessel. No fire alarm was sounding, nor was the decision made to activate the general alarm. At 19:23, the second stewardess placed a call to emergency services.

The vessel was equipped with integrated fire detection and alarm system, with smoke and thermal detectors throughout the vessel spaces. The guest lobby was fitted with a manual fire alarm, and there were portable fire extinguishers throughout. Again, the crew reported that no alarm was sounding. The chief officer and deckhand returned from another vessel and reported what they described as a 'fireball' on the aft deck. 

The captain and chef attempted to connect a fire hose and start the fire pump to fight the fire by approaching the galley door from the starboard side; however, they decided that the fire was too far gone at that stage. At 19:24, the crew and only guest were on the dock and alerted neighbouring vessels, and assuming that the fire was electrical in nature, shut down the shore power. The Miami Fire Department arrived at 19:30 and began to fight the fire. With assistance from neighbouring vessels, the fire was deemed under control within two hours, but the volume of water now onboard continued to list the vessel, and it capsized onto its starboard side. 

Andiamo was initially classed by the American Beuro of Shipping (ABS) in August 2006. However, this was suspended in June 2019 due to an overdue survey. The vessel underwent a yard period from June to October 2019 to bring it back into class compliance. The ABS documented that the fire alarm and detection system was in an “inoperable state”. The remote fire safety shutdown system, the louvres and ventilation fans in the engine room could not be remotely shut down. 

As reported, the ABS returned to the vessel on several occasions. However, the smoke and heat sensors had not been repaired to meet an operational test, and multiple smoke detectors across the vessel failed to provide audible or visual alarms. ABS returned the day before the fire, but the repaired still had not been made. 

The owner of Andiamo deferred all maintenance decisions to the crew. While the crew provided investigators with several invoices, there was no record of work on the fire detection and alarm system. The investigation also highlights that no contact had been made with the manufacturer of the fire detection system or specialists technicians in the months after the ABS recommendations leading up to the fire.

As a result of the fire, the Marshall Islands issued a yacht safety advisory on April 20, 2020, based on its investigations of four registered yacht fires during the previous year. The advisory highlighted three major areas of concern: preventing fires, ensuring fire-detection and extinguishing systems are fully functional, and ensuring yacht crews are prepared to respond to a fire. Identified as a fire risk posed by human activity was: “leaving open flames such candles unattended.”

The fire on Andiamo highlights how vital the time given by early smoke and heat detection can be. Without a sprinkler system, the vessel relied on early detection and action from the crew. Without a functioning alarm, or the ability to close louvres, dampeners and fire doors externally to starve the fire, the fight was effectively over by the time they detected the smoke.

image credit: Miami Fire Rescue

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NTSB investigation: Fire aboard yacht ANDIAMO: unattended candles, inoperable alarms, and $6.78 million in damage.

(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) On December 18, 2019, about 1921 local time, a fire broke out aboard the privately owned super yacht Andiamo  while moored at the Island Gardens Deep Harbour Marina on Watson Island in Miami, Florida. Reportedly, it was owned by Mark Anthony. The crew of four and a guest on board safely evacuated the vessel as the fire quickly spread. While local firefighters and crews from neighboring yachts attempted to extinguish the fire, the yacht capsized onto its starboard side. No injuries were reported, but an oil sheen was observed. Total damage was estimated at $6.78 million: the Andiamo, valued at $6.3 million, was declared a constructive total loss; repair costs for the marina and adjacent vessels were $480,000.

Investigation

Candles lit and left unattended in a yacht’s VIP suite caused a fire that resulted in the total loss of the $6.3M yacht and $480,000 in damage to a Miami marina and adjacent vessels, according to the National Transportation Safety Board’s Marine Accident Brief 21/17.

No injuries were reported in connection with the Dec. 18, 2019, fire aboard the 120-foot-long, 299-gross-ton, private yacht Andiamo. Firefighting efforts resulted in flooding that led to the yacht capsizing onto its starboard side and coming to rest on the marina’s sea floor in about 27-feet of water. An oil-absorbent boom was deployed to minimize the environmental impact from an oil sheen. Adjacent vessels sustained smoke and heat damage and the marina’s nearby power pedestal and dock floats required repair, but the fire did not spread beyond the Andiamo.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Andiamo was moored at the Island Gardens Deep Harbour Marina on pier B. The six crewmembers aboard the yacht were preparing for the arrival of a guest of the owner. During those preparations, two crewmembers reported lights throughout the lower level and the main salon were not working. The lighting issue was not resolved by the time the guest arrived, so a member of the crew lit three candles, placing them on top of a wood veneer dresser directly below a porthole decorated with two curtains. The crewmember extinguished one candle that was flickering, while the other two remained lit, and then departed the suite with the guest.

A few minutes later the crewmember opened the door to the main salon and saw a plume of black smoke about 4 feet high from the deck. Two crewmembers began yelling “Fire!” which the captain heard, and he proceeded to investigate, but he did not activate the general alarm. He instructed a crewmember to have everyone evacuate the yacht and to call for help. Despite the yacht being equipped with an integrated fire-detection and alarm system – consisting of smoke and thermal detectors and manual (pull-type) and audible alarms – the crew told investigators that they neither heard nor saw any fire alarms at that time. The intensity of the fire grew so quickly the crew could not safely initiate firefighting efforts and had to evacuate the vessel.

Investigation revealed the American Bureau of Shipping reported on Oct. 2 the fire-detection and alarm system for the vessel was inoperable. Visits from ABS indicated that despite the crew’s repair attempts, the system and alarms were still not functioning over two months later, at the time of the fire. If fully functional, the fire-detection and alarm system would have alerted the crew of the fire’s location at its onset, which would have allowed for a direct response and fire-suppression efforts. Investigators determined the crew’s failure to complete timely repairs to the fire-detection system, known to be inoperable for two months, contributed to the severity of the fire.

“Candle usage on a vessel, whether attended or not, poses a fire risk,” the report said. “The abundance of flammable materials on board can allow a fire to quickly spread out of control.”

Bottom line: Unattended Burning Candles, Inoperable Fire-Detection System Caused $6.78M in Damage

Source: NTSB

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28m yacht Andiamo destroyed by blaze in Sydney

Written by Dea Jusufi – BOAT International

The remains of a yacht destroyed by a fire have now largely sunk at the historic Woolwich Dock in Sydney Harbour. Believed to be the 28.4-metre Andiamo built by Azzura, the incident happened on 3 September. 

Firefighters arrived on the scene to find Andiamo fully engulfed in flames after they responded to an emergency call at around 20.03pm local time on 2 September.

Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) superintendent Adam Dewberry explained that upon arrival the fire was threatening to spread to adjoining vessels until an onsite employee had them moved to safety with no damage.

Fire crews managed to contain the blaze by 6am but the yacht itself was destroyed and later sunk into the harbour. The FRNSW remained on site in case of reignition and to manage any potential pollution. Dewberry said that “over a 14-hour period we had 18 fire trucks and 72 firefighters rotate through the operation”.

The blackened remains of Andiamo were still visible above the surface of the water on Sunday morning when the FRNSW handed the site back to the dock manager. The containment booms that had been placed at the entry to the dry dock are now being used as a mooring to contain any oils and other pollutants.

While tackling the blaze, firefighters filled the vessel with water, which is in part why she sunk. It also understood that she had recently been refuelled, which made the fire more difficult to contain.

Speaking to BOAT International, Dewberry said: “The owner or custodian of the vessel will engage a contractor to salvage the yacht and make good any pollution issues. This will be monitored by our maritime authority.”

No injuries have been reported and the cause of the incident remains unknown. Once the yacht has been refloated and lifted out of the water, the fire will be investigated by the local police with assistance from a FRNSW fire expert.

Original Article here

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Welcome Aboard Andiamo

This 92’ LOA Symbol yacht offers great spaces for entertaining or relaxing quietly enjoying the breathtaking views of the islands. Andiamo is Italian for “Let’s Go!” and with this yacht that’s exactly what you’ll do. Whether it’s snorkeling in the Bahamas or Keys or fishing for “The Big One” Andiamo is the perfect adventure yacht for you and your friends/family. During the day if water activities are on your list, we have water toys for all. Andiamo offers a 14’ tender, 2 paddle boards, snorkel equipment for 6 and towables and more. If fishing is on your list we have your covered with heavy and light tackle, live bait tanks and plenty of ice and freezer space to keep your catch cold.

Dining and entertaining couldn’t be any better. Andiamo features a chef’s kitchen to be able to create memorable dining experiences. Don’t worry Andiamo is fully equipped with full size oven, grill, Traeger and ample refrigeration and multiple ice makers, so your drink will never be warm.

With the aft deck table and bar you can enjoy not only your meal but the sunset as well. Step inside and be enveloped by the soft seating in the salon and an open galley with dining area. Each area of the yacht offers satellite television. Andiamo features 1 Master with King size be, 1 VIP with Queen size bed and 1 guest room with twin beds. All suites offer satellite television with DVD access, private bath with shower and luxurious finishes.

The only thing missing on Andiamo is YOU! Contact us today for availability and additional information of itineraries offered.

CRUISE THE ISLANDS

Tender Yamaha Wave Runner FX Cruiser high output (3 person) Towables 2 Paddle Boards Snorkel Gear Water guns, noodles Heavy and light fishing tackle Live bait tanks for the sport fisher looking for the BIG CATCH!

ACCOMMODATION

Andiamo’s interior configuration has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 6 guests overnight in 3 cabins, comprising a master suite, 1 VIP, 1 twin cabin. She is also capable of carrying up to 3 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Specifications

M/Y Andiamo is 92’ LOA  and was built in 2010 Interior refit 2017 by Rodriquez Interiors

Powered by 2 MTU (12V 2000 M93) 1,800hp diesel engines and propelled by her twin screw propellers M/Y Andiamo is capable of a top speed of 22 knots, and comfortably cruises at 10 knots. With her 2,900 gallons fuel tanks she has a maximum range of 700 nautical miles at 10 knots.

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Police investigate after luxury vessel destroyed by fire in Sydney

Only debris remained after crews were unable to extinguish the blaze that engulfed the vessel

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Police and fire investigators are looking into the cause of a blaze that destroyed a luxury motor cruiser in Sydney .

Police said emergency crews were called to a dock fire on Clarke Road at Woolwich on Sydney’s lower north shore just after 8pm Saturday to find the 27-metre vessel fully engulfed.

Crews worked to extinguish the fire but the vessel was destroyed, with only debris left floating on the water.

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ANDIAMO YACHT CHARTER

23.2m  /  76'1   lazzara   2001.

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Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Two VIP cabins
• Sleeps 6 guests
• Shallow draft and fast speeds for reef exploration

Luxury yacht Andiamo combines style, performance and comfort for unforgettable charter vacations

The 23.2m/76'1" motor yacht 'Andiamo' by shipyard Lazzara offers flexible accommodation for up to 6 guests in 3 cabins.

If you're looking for a family-friendly yacht with plenty of onboard amenities, Andiamo is the perfect choice, promising superb charter vacations whatever the destination.

Guest Accommodation

Built in 2001, Andiamo offers guest accommodation for up to 6 guests in 3 suites comprising a master suite and two VIP cabins.

Performance & Range

Her low draft of 1.4m/4'7" makes her primed for accessing shallow areas and cruising close to the shorelines.

Based in the magical waters of the Caribbean all year round Andiamo is ready for your next luxury yacht charter. Let Andiamo Discover the magical places, food and experiences of the the Caribbean.

Motor yacht Andiamo boasts an impressive array of outstanding amenities for truly out-of-this-world charter vacations that you’ll never forget.

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Summer Season

May - September

$21,000 p/week + expenses

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Caribbean Bahamas

HOT SPOTS:   Florida, Miami

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October - April

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‘Where Is Navalny?’ A Search Is On for the Missing Russian Dissident.

Aleksei A. Navalny, the imprisoned opposition leader, did not appear at a court hearing two weeks ago and has not been heard from since. His allies are trying desperately to find him.

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By Ivan Nechepurenko

After two weeks without word from Aleksei A. Navalny , Russia’s most prominent opposition figure, his lawyers and allies, fearing the worst, are running a frantic campaign to find him.

Their efforts have included requesting information from dozens of Russian prisons and taking to social media to raise awareness of Mr. Navalny’s disappearance and to call on the Russian government to reveal his whereabouts.

Many Russians living abroad have gone to their country’s diplomatic missions to protest. Some have held up posters saying “Where is Navalny?”

Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin, told journalists on Friday that the Kremlin had “neither the possibility, nor rights or desire to trace the fate of convicts,” referring to Mr. Navalny.

Here is what we know about Mr. Navalny and his disappearance.

When did Mr. Navalny disappear?

The last time Mr. Navalny’s lawyers heard from him was on Dec. 5. The following day, one of his lawyers waited for seven hours outside the penal colony where Mr. Navalny was being kept but was not allowed to see him, Kira Yarmysh, a spokeswoman for Mr. Navalny, said . Mr. Navalny then failed to appear by video link at a scheduled court hearing the next day, Dec. 7.

In the days after Mr. Navalny’s disappearance, his allies grew more alarmed as letters sent to him went undelivered and the authorities declined to reveal his location to his lawyers. On Dec. 11, officials in the prison colony that had been holding Mr. Navalny — in Melekhovo, a town about 160 miles east of Moscow — told his lawyers that he was no longer listed among its inmates, Ms. Yarmysh said.

Mr. Navalny was scheduled to appear for various court hearings on Monday, she added . One of the courts at which he was supposed to appear suspended his case because it could not locate him, Vyacheslav Gimadi, a member of Mr. Navalny’s legal team, posted on social media .

In a response to written questions, Ms. Yarmysh, who did not confirm that Mr. Navalny had been moved, said that his allies have been expecting that he would get transferred to a new penal colony.

“The fact that he had been sent out now means that it happened because of the presidential election,” she wrote.

Where could he be?

As part of his last sentence, delivered by a Russian court in August after a conviction for supporting “extremism,” Mr. Navalny was scheduled to be transferred to one of Russia’s “special regime” colonies, known for their harsh treatment of inmates. There are at least 25 such prisons, scattered across Russia from the country’s European part to the Arctic Circle and the Far East.

But he had not been moved by early December. Mr. Navalny suggested in a series of social media posts in November that the reason was because Russian investigators were unwilling to travel to remote special regime colonies as they pursued further cases against him.

If he has now been moved to one of those penal colonies, that might explain his current disappearance.

Detainees being transferred to remote prisons in Russia can spend long weeks being shuttled between trains in special prison rail cars and have little or no access to the outside world.

By law, relatives should receive notification within 10 days after an inmate’s arrival at a new destination, usually by mail, and such a letter can take up to 20 days to arrive, said Yevgeny Smirnov, a Russian lawyer. According to Mr. Smirnov, the Russian prison system considers information about such transfers a state secret.

“A transfer between prisons is the most dangerous time for a convict,” Mr. Smirnov said in a response to written questions. “During that period, they change a multitude of transit points and remain without any way to contact the outside world,” he added. He also noted that, based on past experience, prisoners could be in transit and incommunicado for two to three months.

Last week, Baza, a Russian news outlet, reported that Mr. Navalny had been transferred to a detention center in Moscow to await trial on another criminal charge. But Ivan Zhdanov, the head of Mr. Navalny’s anticorruption foundation, reported that the group had checked all Moscow detention centers without finding him.

On Saturday, Olga Romanova, a Russian prison rights activist, said on Facebook that Mr. Navalny was undergoing treatment in a prison hospital in the city of Vladimir, near Melekhovo. But that assertion has not been verified.

Why was Mr. Navalny imprisoned?

Mr. Navalny, 47, is the only Russian opposition figure of the past decade to mount a significant political challenge to Mr. Putin. He established a robust organization, drawing thousands of Russians to his rallies nationwide, and engaged many young people in politics.

He has been in custody in Russia since his detention in January 2021 in a Moscow airport, where he arrived after spending months in Germany recovering from poisoning by a nerve agent. Mr. Navalny and Western governments accused the Kremlin of poisoning him, which Russian officials denied.

Since then, the Russian authorities have brought forth a multitude of new charges against Mr. Navalny. According to Ms. Yarmysh , he is currently a defendant in 14 criminal cases and faces potential sentences of up to 35 years in prison.

What activities did he pursue in prison?

Since entering the Russian prison system, Mr. Navalny has filed a string of lawsuits against the authorities.

A lawyer by profession, he has filed suits demanding access to decent dental care, complaining about loudspeakers in his cell that repeatedly aired Mr. Putin’s speeches and protesting against wiretapping in a room he uses to meet with lawyers.

Despite his imprisonment in increasingly harsh conditions, Mr. Navalny has remained a significant voice in Russian political life. With the help of his lawyers and political allies, he has published articles and manifestoes , and regularly posts on social media.

Since Mr. Navalny’s disappearance, his allies have called on his followers to vote for any candidate other than Mr. Putin in the presidential election in March , aiming to amplify the visible dissent against Mr. Putin’s policies, including the invasion of Ukraine.

Ivan Nechepurenko has been a Times reporter since 2015, covering politics, economics, sports and culture in Russia and the former Soviet republics. He was raised in St. Petersburg, Russia, and in Piatykhatky, Ukraine. More about Ivan Nechepurenko

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Putin says Russia is in dialogue with the US on exchanging jailed Americans Gershkovich and Whelan

Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich stands in a glass cage in a courtroom at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, will remain in detention until Jan. 30, a court in Moscow ruled on Thursday. The hearing took place behind closed doors because authorities say details of the criminal case against the American journalist are classified. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

U.S. Ambassador to Russia Lynne Tracy speaks to the media after hearing on Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich’s case at the Moscow City Court, in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gerhskovich, arrested in Russia on espionage charges, will remain in detention until Jan. 30, a court in Moscow ruled on Thursday. The hearing took place behind closed doors because authorities say details of the criminal case against the American journalist are classified. (AP Photo/Dmitry Serebryakov)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures during his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (Vladimir Gerdo, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

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MOSCOW (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday Moscow is in dialogue with with the United States on the issue of bringing home jailed Americans Paul Whelan and Evan Gershkovich and the Kremlin hopes to “find a solution,” even though “it’s not easy.”

Putin spoke about Whelan and Gershkovich during his year-end news conference in response to a question about a recent offer the Biden administration made to secure the two men’s release. The U.S. State Department reported it earlier this month, without offering details , and said Russia rejected it.

“We have contacts on this matter with our American partners, there’s a dialogue on this issue. It’s not easy, I won’t go into details right now. But in general, it seems to me that we’re speaking a language each of us understands,” Putin said.

“I hope we will find a solution,” he continued. “But, I repeat, the American side must hear us and make a decision that will satisfy the Russian side as well.”

Speaking to reporters in Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the U.S. has “put multiple offers on the table,” including “one significant offer that we made as recently as a few weeks ago.”

“We have seen those offers rejected every time by the Russian government,” he said.

Miller said Washington would welcome Russia engaging seriously in talks that would lead to the release of Gershkovich and Whelan but that “so far we’ve seen them refuse to take us up on our proposals, and we hope that they will change the way they handle this going forward.”

Whelan, a corporate security executive from Michigan, has been jailed in Russia since his December 2018 arrest on espionage-related charges that both he and the U.S. government dispute. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, was detained in March while on a reporting trip to the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, about 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) east of Moscow. He was accused of espionage — Russia’s Federal Security Service alleged that the reporter, “acting on the instructions of the American side, collected information constituting a state secret about the activities of one of the enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex.” He has been behind bars ever since.

The Lefortovo District Court in Moscow on Nov. 28 ruled to extend his detention until the end of January, and the appeal Gershkovich has filed against that ruling was rejected by the Moscow City Court at a hearing Thursday.

Gershkovich and the Journal deny the allegations, and the U.S. government has declared him to be wrongfully detained. Russian authorities haven’t detailed any evidence to support the espionage charges.

Gershkovich is the first American reporter to be charged with espionage in Russia since 1986, when Nicholas Daniloff, a Moscow correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, was arrested by the KGB. He is being held at Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, notorious for its harsh conditions.

Analysts have pointed out that Moscow may be using jailed Americans as bargaining chips after U.S.-Russian tensions soared when Russia sent troops into Ukraine. At least two U.S. citizens arrested in Russia in recent years — including WNBA star Brittney Griner — have been exchanged for Russians jailed in the U.S.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has said it will consider a swap for Gershkovich only after a verdict in his trial. In Russia, espionage trials can last for more than a year.

Lynne Tracy, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, attended the court hearing for Gershkovich’s appeal on Thursday and told reporters that “Evan’s ordeal has now stretched on for over 250 days. His life has been put on hold for over eight months for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“Although Evan appeared as sharp and focused as ever today in the courtroom, it is not acceptable that Russian authorities have chosen to use him as a political pawn,” Tracy said after the hearing.

AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.

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Nancy Mueller's epic voyage on Andiamo

Following the sale of her food business, Nancy Mueller embarked on one of the greatest yachting adventures of all time. Aboard the 42.5m Feadship motor yacht Andiamo her 10-year global voyage of discovery, diving and photography covered more than 130,000 nautical miles. This is Nancy Mueller's story .

The idea of cruising the world on a yacht had been inspired by earlier travels with my late husband, Glenn. We were both stunned at the sight of the many beautiful yachts stern-to in Portofino, with flowers and uniformed crew on the aft decks. The vision stayed in our minds through years of racing sailboats on San Francisco Bay and taking smaller cruising yachts from British Columbia to Acapulco. I didn't abandon the dream, even as a widow, and then remarried to Bob, and when I sold Nancy's Specialty Foods, I knew the moment had come.

One thing I had learned from all those years of sailing was how I liked to use a yacht. I wanted it to have the capacity and comfort of a cruising superyacht, but with the look of a sailboat, so as not to look too glitzy and glamorous gliding into native bays in far away places. During the three years I spent creating my vision for the yacht, I dreamed and planned for every space on board, always aiming for function over form, practicality over show and usability for myself and my guests. I also had the all-important name-generation brainstorming sessions with friends and settled on the Italian Andiamo it evoked my plan: 'let's go'.

I hired Doug Sharp, of Sharp Design in San Diego, to develop the naval architecture specifications and Glade Johnson, of Glade Johnson Design in Seattle, to design all the interior spaces. Once that was done, I shopped with the two 'spec books' among several yards, and the project was awarded in 2000 to the Royal Van Lent shipyard of Feadship. It took three years to build Andiamo, and the yard converted the design specifications into a fine superyacht that won the ShowBoats Design Award in June 2003, for the Best Full-Displacement Superyacht under 45 metres. The detailing within the classic dark-blue hull and white superstructure was typical of the workmanship of Royal Van Lent.

The design started with the galley, and a pot drawer large enough to handle the needs of eight owner/guests and 10 crew. This was a small restaurant kitchen afloat, and we worked outwards from there. The sundeck had a full galley with an Alto-Shaam oven for keeping dishes warm, a range, dishwasher, ice machine and two 'fridges. The sundeck was used for cocktails, dining and Tongan dance shows; with an eight-person hot tub for warming up after cold dives. The aft deck had an expandable table to accommodate four to 12 diners supplementing the 12-guest dining saloon. We never flew in supplies, instead using the freezer to store meats and poultry, and buying fresh foods in local markets.

If food was a central plank to my concept for the boat, then diving was the other. Andiamo was fitted with a nitrox system to enhance the safety of the (approximately) 2,000 dives we made during the course of the circumnavigation. Two tenders with drivers and a dive master carefully shepherded guests and crew members from dive spot to dive spot, seeing the most incredible marine creatures imaginable. It fell to Captain Raymond Heer to plan most activities. The weather played a crucial role in deciding where we could cruise. Hurricanes were skirted in the Caribbean, while typhoons, monsoons and so'-easters were avoided in South Asia.

It's fair to say we broke new ground on many of our excursions. How many yachts have sent tenders up the Metamami River, West Papua? Or cruised to Wabag in Northern Raja Ampat? Or been to Timor-Leste? Or been 110 miles up the Sepik River, Papua New Guinea? And how many were in Myanmar before the military junta relaxed its oppression? Andiamo has done all of that and much more. How did we accomplish this? Having run a business I learned to listen to my team in making decisions. All planning was done together and since the captain and crew were included on all excursions, there was a vested interest in making them meaningful and hassle-free. The captain achieved this over and over. It would not have worked without him.

I also typically brought aboard guests who liked to scuba dive and wanted to see the world who would join me to explore the slopes of Mount Kinabalu and the Kinabatangan River in Borneo, or Inle Lake and Bagan in Myanmar. People who wanted to see the Komodo dragons, the mandarin fish in Palau, castles in Montenegro, the war rooms in Malta and how Dubrovnik was rebuilt after the war. Then there were hammerhead sharks on Cocos Island off Costa Rica, wineries and ancient Greek temples in Sicily, bears in Anan Creek, south east Alaska, whaling history in Nantucket, the post-9/11 rebuilding in New York City I still haven't mentioned all our destinations. A lot of South Asia is still unexplored by yachts and they were not ready for us in many places. Bali kicked us out as we were unwilling to deposit 10 per cent of the yacht's value while visiting. Instead, we were welcomed by Timor-Leste. We also checked into Ambon and the Banda Islands, with such incredible diving that we went back years later.

A wonderful benefit of visiting all these places was the history we learned. It was fascinating to learn of the exploitation of the Bandanese by the Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie (VOC the Dutch East India Company); and then of the VOC's bankruptcy as it lost its monopoly. The trading of Banda's British island of Run for the Dutch island of Manhattan was a stunning change in the course of history.

I loved travelling in the comfort of my own yacht. The espresso machine was always ready, as was the pasta machine in the able hands of our chef Rose, a reminder of the Italian Riviera. We collected indigenous art along the way, and I have incorporated much of it into my home. The photographs take me back to the smells and sounds of the lands we visited. Now Andiamo _has been sold, and I may not build another superyacht, but for anyone considering doing so, it is the experience of a lifetime. Just plan to be aboard a lot, as it is a seductive lifestyle. I had to go home periodically to see my family, but it was hard to leave Andiamo.

Photographs by Ian Roman

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