A small cruise ship in Southeast Alaska towed a 21-foot skiff that had run out of fuel to safety on the night of August 3 even though Mark Zuckerberg’s 387-foot yacht Launchpad sat closer to the stranded boat, according to vessel tracking data and a passenger account.
The skiff, carrying two women, a child and a dog, radioed the U.S. Coast Guard shortly after 9:30 p.m. while traveling between Petersburg and Juneau near Farragut Bay. Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Shannon Shepard said the agency determined by about 9:56 p.m. that the boat was not in distress and issued a marine assistance request broadcast on its behalf.
John Hollingsworth, chief operations officer of the Marine Exchange of Alaska, said his organization repeated the broadcast and successfully contacted the UnCruise Adventures ship Wilderness Legacy, which diverted to help. Tracking data reviewed by multiple outlets showed Launchpad closer to the skiff’s position. The larger yacht slowed near the bay entrance while the 190-foot expedition vessel steamed past it, reached the skiff and began the tow.
Wilderness Legacy towed the skiff roughly nine miles into sheltered Farragut Bay, provided supplementary fuel and helped the occupants find an anchorage. The cruise ship reported the skiff safely anchored around 12:50 a.m. on August 4. The next day its captain, Sean Manske, confirmed the group had reached Petersburg without further trouble.
Michael Love, a software developer from New York City traveling with his son aboard Wilderness Legacy, posted on Bluesky that the captain announced Launchpad had been closer yet did not respond. Passengers reacted with near-unanimous booing. Love later told reporters he found the non-response puzzling and said that in Zuckerberg’s position he would have been glad for the chance to help.
Brian Baker, a spokesperson for Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, said the couple and their family were not on board at the time. The yacht crew was monitoring a different radio channel from the one used for the Coast Guard broadcast. By the time the crew reviewed the request, the assist was already under way. Baker added that the family was grateful everyone remained safe.
Launchpad, delivered by Dutch builder Feadship in 2024 and valued at roughly $300 million, had spent much of the summer in Southeast Alaska. It measures 387 feet and carries a gross tonnage of about 5,528, far larger than the 1,472-gross-ton Wilderness Legacy. No details have been released about who was commanding Launchpad that evening.
The Coast Guard and Marine Exchange emphasized the distinction between a distress call, which carries a legal duty to respond under international conventions, and a voluntary marine assistance request. The skiff’s situation fell into the latter category. UnCruise owner Dan Blanchard noted that rendering such aid is common enough in Alaskan waters that it does not always reach senior management attention. A spokeswoman for the company confirmed the refueling and safe arrival of the skiff’s occupants in Petersburg the following day.
The episode drew online criticism focused on the optics of a high-value private yacht remaining stationary while a smaller commercial vessel completed the tow. Tracking animations circulated showing Wilderness Legacy circling past Launchpad before heading to the skiff. Zuckerberg’s representatives maintained the sequence resulted from radio-channel differences rather than any deliberate decision to decline assistance.
