Captain Clive Palmer in a Titanic $40m yacht splurge

Billionaire Clive Pal­mer has taken delivery of a new 56m ­superyacht, believed to have set him back about $40m | SEE INSIDE

Clive Palmer on the Brisbane River. Picture: Mark Cranitch

It’s not quite Titanic II, but larger-than-life businessman Clive Pal­mer has just taken delivery of a new 56m ­superyacht, believed to have set him back about $40m.

The Queensland billionaire, who has claimed to be building a replica of the ill-fated Titanic – a project that has yet to come to ­fruition – has taken possession of the world’s 584th largest ­super­yacht, a ­Gibraltar-registered luxury vessel named “Australia’’.

Mr Palmer, who is funding an anti-lockdown advertising blitz with his United Australia Party, took delivery of the vessel this week. While the luxury yacht is a big step up from his current 35m, $8m runabout Nancy Jean, it is easily overshadowed by James Packer’s latest 108m acquisition.

Clive Palmer’s newly acquired superyacht named Australia on the Brisbane River. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen

The Italian-made vessel has undergone several name changes since it was built in 2012, previously being known as Bash and Ulysses before being renamed in May this year.

It was listed for sale in late 2019 and languished on the market for more than 480 days with an asking price of €22.95m before a deal was reached in December.

A spokesman for Mr Palmer would not comment on the arrival of the superyacht on the Brisbane River this week, with the crew in two weeks’ quarantine on the ­vessel. The superyacht can house up to 12 guests and as many crew.

The bathroom on board.

It has an owner’s suite, a split-level space with an ­observation lounge, and a kingsize bed. The “VIP suite” boasts huge ­windows overlooking the bridge deck, and two double staterooms and two twin staterooms are positioned on the lower deck.

There is a bar and jacuzzi and it offers easy access to the water with storage for several jet skis, towable toys and even a floating swimming pool.

The gin palace was previously a charter vessel throughout the Mediterranean, with hire rates starting at €294,000 ($460,000) a week in the low season rising to €322,000 in the high season.

The saloon and bar.

Mr Palmer loves to entertain on his yachts, motoring along the Brisbane River, around Hamilton Island and off the Gold Coast, where he recently went on a spending spree, buying up several of the most expensive canal-front mansions.

Last year, the former federal MP held a now-infamous party cruising the Brisbane River aboard Nancy Jean on the night of the October 31 Queensland state election.

The one-time Nationals donor, who quit the party in 2013 after a falling out with then Queensland premier Campbell Newman, ­invited former state Liberal ­National Party presidents Gary Spence, Bruce McIver and David Hutchinson.

The dining room.

Photographs that emerged of the three past LNP presidents partying with Mr Palmer angered LNP members and was partly blamed for a subsequent move to reform the party structure.

The new purchase is the latest cash splash in a slew of recent big purchases by the businessman.

In August, Mr Palmer added a $20m Sovereign Island mega-mansion to his collection of more than a dozen residential and commercial properties.

The owners cabin.