Let’s be honest — Tiger Woods is a man who’s always played things close to his chest. His swing? Perfected behind closed doors. His personal life? Buried under layers of PR. So naturally, when he went shopping for a superyacht in 2004, he didn’t just buy one. He built an entire Cayman Island holding company called Privacy Ltd. just to hide his name from the transaction. The boat he bought? He named it Privacy, too. You’ve got to admire the commitment. The Tiger Woods yacht has fascinated golf fans, yacht enthusiasts, and anyone who’s ever wondered how the world’s richest athletes actually spend their money. Here’s the complete story — every spec, every dollar, every detail competitors skip.
Why Tiger Named His Boat “Privacy” — and Then Got Sued Over It
There’s a quiet irony in the whole thing. The man spent $20 million specifically to own something the public couldn’t find out about — and it became one of the most Googled boats in the world. Go figure.
Back in 2004, Woods was the most hounded athlete alive. Paparazzi camped outside tournament venues. Every girlfriend, every dinner, every round of golf — documented. He needed somewhere physically unreachable. Water does that. Nobody knocks on your door when you’re anchored three miles offshore. So he commissioned Hull 026 from Christensen Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington — but ran the entire purchase through Privacy Ltd. to keep his identity off the paperwork. He took delivery just before his October wedding to Elin Nordegren. The couple spent their wedding night aboard the tri-deck motor yacht. That’s a detail most articles miss entirely.
Then things got messy. Christensen Shipyards allegedly broke their confidentiality agreement — reportedly using Woods’ name and images of Privacy in promotional materials without permission. Woods sued. He won. The settlement reportedly landed at $1.6 million in his favor in 2006. The builder who built his escape pod then made that escape pod famous. Poetic, in a frustrating sort of way.
Full Specifications: Every Number You Need About Privacy
Pull up any competitor article, and you’ll get a handful of specs scattered through the text. That’s not good enough. The Tiger Woods yacht deserves a proper breakdown — every figure in one place.
Complete Technical Specifications
| Specification | Detail |
| Official Name | Privacy |
| Builder | Christensen Shipyards, Vancouver, WA |
| Hull Number | Hull 026 |
| Year Delivered | 2004 |
| Interior Designer | Carol Williamson & Associates |
| Classification | 155 Trideck Motor Yacht |
| Length Overall | 155 ft (47.2 meters) |
| Beam | 29.5 ft (9 meters) |
| Hull Construction | Composite fiberglass |
| Decks | 3 (Main, Upper, Observation) |
| Propulsion | Twin MTU/Detroit Diesel engines |
| Total Horsepower | 3,600 HP combined |
| Generators | Two 99-kW Northern Lights generators |
| Top Speed | 18 knots |
| Cruising Speed | 16 knots |
| Range | 4,000 nautical miles |
| Fuel Capacity | 12,000 gallons |
| Freshwater Capacity | 2,000 gallons |
| Guest Staterooms | 5 (up to 10 guests) |
| Crew Cabins | 4 (up to 9–13 crew) |
| Purchase Price (2004) | ~$20 million |
| Sale Listing (2011) | $25 million |
| Annual Running Costs | $1.25M–$2.15M+ |
That 4,000-nautical-mile range puts things in perspective. Non-stop. Jupiter Island, Florida, to London — without a single fuel stop. The twin engines churn out a combined 3,600 horsepower and push the displacement hull through open ocean at a comfortable 16 knots. Christensen, for what it’s worth, is genuinely one of America’s finest firms in naval architecture. They don’t build volume. They build once, for clients who demand precision.
What Makes Privacy’s Build Actually Different
Most celebrity yachts get ordered and delivered. Privacy was different. Woods stepped in mid-construction. He bought Hull 026 in February 2004 — when the vessel was roughly two-thirds complete — and then personally directed the remaining modifications. This was actually the first boat in Christensen’s new Advanced Production Series, designed to shorten build time while keeping room for owner customization.
Those distinctive large oval windows on the exterior? Trimmed in black, giving Privacy its recognizable profile — that was Woods’ call specifically. The composite fiberglass construction over conventional steel drops significant weight without sacrificing structural integrity at this length. Two dedicated 99-kilowatt Northern Lights generators run the whole electrical system, day and night, anchored or underway. There’s no “powering down” on Privacy — the systems run continuously.
Equipped with a missile defense system and an anti-paparazzi laser shield, the Roman Abramovich Yacht fleet represents the pinnacle of high-tech maritime security.
Inside Privacy: A Room-by-Room Walkthrough
Walk through the main entrance, and warm cherry woodwork hits you immediately. Floors. Ceilings. Bulkheads. The staircase banister. Carol Williamson — the interior designer — chose a palette of cream, golden brown, and white throughout, with white silk wallpaper lining the stateroom walls. It doesn’t feel like a boat. That was obviously the intention.
The staircase itself is worth a mention. Transparent treads with the cherry handrail. When you walk up, it genuinely looks like you’re stepping on glass. A three-person elevator sits just to starboard of the entrance foyer — not something you expect on a 155-footer, and not something you’d find on most comparable vessels. The main salon flows directly into the dining area, separated by a single partition. Embedded in that partition is a 50-inch plasma television on a swivel mount — positioned so it faces the saloon from one side and the dining table from the other. Woods could watch ESPN during dinner without turning his head. That’s not accidental design.
Stateroom Layout
| Cabin | Bed Type | Position |
| Master Suite | Owner’s quarters | Forward |
| VIP Suite | Full suite + en-suite bath | Aft |
| Queen Cabin 1 | Queen-size | Amidships |
| Queen Cabin 2 | Queen-size | Amidships |
| Gym / Former Twin | Converted workout room | Amidships |
One of the original twin staterooms was stripped out and converted into a proper workout facility — treadmill, exercise bike, free weights. The galley includes a Miele espresso machine installed by specific order. Twelve-seat dining, a walk-in refrigerator, and a fully stocked bar on the upper deck. Four crew cabins comfortably sleep nine, with reports suggesting the extended roster occasionally pushes to 13 during major deployments.
The $150,000 Scuba Station — The Detail Nobody Explains
Here’s what every other article gets wrong. They mention the decompression chamber. They list it as an amenity, like it’s the same as a hot tub. It is absolutely not the same as a hot tub.
Woods is a certified free diver. Not the kind who splashes around in a mask and snorkel — the kind who trained without air tanks, descending past depths that require serious maritime diving expertise. He spearfishes. He dives past 120 feet. So when he spec’d out Privacy, he didn’t add a scuba station as a lifestyle accessory. He built a $150,000 professional gas-blending system into the vessel — a setup that mixes helium, nitrogen, and oxygen in precise ratios for technical deep diving. Helium in the mix is the key detail: it allows safe breathing at depths that would incapacitate or kill a diver on standard air or nitrox.
Alongside the blending station sits a pressurized inflatable decompression chamber — capable of treating a diver with decompression sickness right there on deck. These chambers are standard equipment on commercial dive vessels and underwater research ships. They are rarely found on private yachts. The full scuba and dive-support system on Privacy reportedly costs more than the median American home. Competitors list it. None of them explains it. Now you’ve got the full picture.
Water Toys, the Vespa Garage & Everything Else Onboard
Beyond the diving setup, Privacy carries a recreational inventory that reads like someone gave a very athletic person an unlimited budget and told them to pack for a month.
Full Onboard Equipment List:
- 3 SeaDoo personal watercraft
- 2 ocean kayaks
- 2 Vespa scooters — stored in a dedicated garage bay on the vessel
- $150,000 helium/nitrogen/oxygen gas-blending dive station
- Pressurized inflatable decompression chamber
- 8-person deck jacuzzi
- Stainless steel deck BBQ and full bar
- Home theater with swivel plasma television
- Full gym (treadmill, exercise bike, free weights)
- Miele espresso machine (galley)
That Vespa garage is genuinely one of the more interesting decisions on the whole vessel. Standard yacht garages hold tenders — the small boats used to get ashore. Woods repurposed that space for two motor scooters. Pull into any port, roll the Vespas off, and move through town like a regular person. No limousine, no security detail, no recognition. It’s the same logic as the boat’s name, applied to shore excursions.
Privacy at Major Tournaments: The Floating Hotel Nobody Invited You To
Nothing made Privacy more famous than watching it appear outside major championships. The Tiger Woods yacht didn’t just dock nearby — it became his tournament headquarters. Woods didn’t book hotel rooms like everyone else. He sailed his own.
Tournament Appearances:
| Year | Event | Venue | Docking Location |
| 2006 | U.S. Open | Winged Foot GC, New York | Local marina |
| 2018 | U.S. Open | Shinnecock Hills, Long Island | Gurney’s Montauk Yacht Club |
| 2019 | PGA Championship | Bethpage Black, Long Island | Oyster Bay Marina |
The 2019 PGA Championship is the best example. Privacy was sent to New York two weeks before the tournament started. The crew sailed her up from Jupiter Island — using a comfortable portion of that 4,000-nautical-mile range — and docked at Oyster Bay. Woods then commuted to Bethpage Black from the water each morning. During the 2018 U.S. Open, Long Island’s notorious traffic turned the player commute into a daily ordeal. Woods skipped it entirely — docked at Gurney’s Montauk Yacht Club, stepped off the boat, and headed straight to Shinnecock Hills. Smart, if you can afford the fuel bill.
The Divorce, the $25 Million Listing & the Second Boat
Tiger’s marriage to Elin Nordegren collapsed publicly in 2010. During the settlement — widely reported at around $100 million — Woods reportedly put Privacy on the negotiating table. Elin said no. The annual operational overhead running past $2 million a year made it a liability rather than an asset for someone who had no particular interest in maintaining a 13-person crew.
By March 2011, Woods listed Privacy for $25 million — above his original purchase price, justified by what he described as exceptional maintenance and upgrades. A local yacht builder, John Staluppi of Millennium Super Yachts, was blunt about it when the Palm Beach Post asked for his take. His assessment: unless a buyer specifically wanted Tiger Woods’ boat for bragging rights, the realistic market value was closer to $20 million. No buyer came at $25 million. The listing quietly expired.
Around this same period, Woods commissioned a second vessel — a 62-foot custom sportfisher called Solitude, built by Garlington Landeweer Marine for approximately $3.1 million. Purpose-built for deep-water diving and spearfishing, not entertaining guests. It’s docked at Pirate’s Cove Resort & Marina, roughly 10 minutes from his Jupiter Island estate. After the divorce, he kept Solitude. Privacy stayed too.
Privacy vs. The World’s Biggest Celebrity Superyachts
Everyone builds this table. Nobody builds it with enough boats or enough context. Here’s the version that actually tells you something useful about superyacht market valuation across the celebrity spectrum.
| Celebrity | Yacht | Length | Est. Value | Builder | Crew | Unique Feature |
| Tiger Woods | Privacy | 155 ft | $20M | Christensen | 9–13 | $150K pro dive station + decompression chamber |
| Greg Norman | Aussie Rules | ~180 ft | $70M | Custom | 12+ | Higher cost-per-foot than Privacy |
| Steven Spielberg | Seven Seas | 282 ft | $200M | Oceanco | 35+ | Cinema, helipad, 2 tenders |
| Larry Ellison | Musashi | 288 ft | $200M | Lürssen | 30+ | Japanese-inspired bespoke craftsmanship |
| Paul Allen | Octopus | 414 ft | $200M | Lürssen | 60+ | Private submarine + recording studio |
| Jeff Bezos | Koru | 417 ft | $500M | Oceanco | 40+ | Largest sailing superyacht ever constructed |
| David Geffen | Rising Sun | 453 ft | $590M | Lürssen | 45+ | Basketball court, temperature-controlled wine cellar |
| Roman Abramovich | Eclipse | 533 ft | $1.5B | Blohm+Voss | 70+ | Missile detection system, two helipads, submarine |
Eclipse costs 75 times more than Privacy. Koru is nearly three times the length. None of that is really the point. Those vessels require staff the size of a small corporate office and logistical infrastructure that would make a naval commander nervous. Privacy was built for one man to disappear. Different tool, different purpose. On its own terms, Privacy is extraordinary — and frankly, the dive station alone puts it in a category no other vessel on this list can claim.
Does Tiger Still Own Privacy? The 2024–2025 Situation
This is the question every competitor ignores — and it’s the one most people actually want answered.
The short version: probably yes, but nobody’s confirmed it definitively. In 2022, AutoEvolution reported quiet sale rumors with no confirmed broker listing. The vessel has never appeared on any public brokerage platform at an active price since the 2011 attempt. MarineTraffic tracking data cited by Yacht Harbour has placed Privacy near West Palm Beach, Florida — matching its known home port at Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach. The yacht’s name is reportedly still covered with a tarp at the dock — the same maritime registry of obscurity it was born into.
Think about what Privacy has witnessed. Marriage. Divorce. The scandal. Career-threatening knee surgeries. Years of absence. The 2019 Masters win. A near-fatal car accident in 2021. Through all of it, that boat has been sitting at the same marina, name covered, crew maintained. At this point, it’s less a depreciating asset and more a permanent fixture of the man’s life. Whether it’s officially his or has been quietly transferred — that information is exactly where Tiger Woods always intended it to be.
What Does It Actually Cost to Run Privacy Every Year?
Let’s get concrete. Here’s a realistic annual cost breakdown based on comparable vessels of this gross tonnage and crew size:
| Cost Category | Annual Estimate |
| Crew salaries (9–13 staff) | $500,000–$800,000 |
| Fuel (12,000-gallon tank) | $300,000–$500,000 |
| Marina and docking fees | $100,000–$200,000 |
| Hull maintenance + dry-dock cycle | $200,000–$400,000 |
| Insurance (flag state compliance) | $100,000–$150,000 |
| Provisions and operating supplies | $50,000–$100,000 |
| Annual Total | $1.25M–$2.15M+ |
These numbers are why Elin walked away from the boat in the divorce. Even receiving one of the largest celebrity settlements on record, paying $2 million annually to maintain a vessel you don’t personally use makes zero financial sense. The refit and dry-dock cycle alone — typically required every three to five years for a vessel this size — can run $500,000 or more in a single yard visit. This is a commitment, not just a purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is Tiger Woods’ yacht called?
Tiger Woods’ yacht is named Privacy, purchased in 2004 through his Cayman Island holding company, Privacy Ltd.
Q: How big is the Tiger Woods yacht?
Privacy stretches 155 feet long across three full decks, sleeping up to 10 guests and carrying up to 13 crew.
Q: How much did Tiger Woods pay for Privacy?
Woods paid approximately $20 million at delivery in 2004 and later listed it for $25 million in 2011.
Q: Who built Tiger Woods’ yacht?
Christensen Shipyards in Vancouver, Washington built Privacy as Hull 026, with interiors by Carol Williamson & Associates.
Q: Where is Tiger Woods’ yacht now?
Privacy is last tracked near West Palm Beach, Florida, docked at Old Port Cove Marina with its name kept covered.
Conclusion: The Final Word on Tiger Woods’ “Privacy”
In the world of professional sports, many athletes buy luxury assets for show, but for Tiger Woods, Privacy was always a functional necessity. Whether it was serving as a high-stakes “floating hotel” during a U.S. Open or a quiet sanctuary to recover from career-altering injuries, this 155-foot vessel has been the one constant in a life lived under an intense global microscope.
As we move through 2026, the yacht remains a symbol of Tiger’s “old-school” approach to fame—one where boundaries are non-negotiable and the price of peace is irrelevant. It isn’t just a boat; it is a $20 million fortress that has outlasted sponsors, marriages, and rivals. While newer, larger superyachts may dwarf it in size, few can match the pedigree and specialized functionality of the ship built specifically to help the greatest golfer of all time disappear.
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Disclaimer
The information provided in this article regarding the tiger woods yacht is for educational and entertainment purposes only. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of technical specifications, ownership status, and financial valuations as of 2026, these details are based on publicly available maritime records, news reports, and expert estimates. Yacht ownership and location are subject to change, and this content does not constitute financial, legal, or professional maritime advice.
