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On board Drifter, the sailing yacht owned by music legend Jimmy Buffett

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In the wake of the death of music legend and yacht owner Jimmy Buffett, BOAT International looks back at his 2018 interview where he discusses his love of sailing and his adopted home of St Barths... 

Ask Jimmy Buffett about his boat and his eyes light up. The bard of the ocean is accustomed to answering questions about his music career, but it’s not every day he gets to talk yachts, he tells me with more than a hint of glee. And it’s all connected, after all. Without boats, his decades-long music career and the myriad business ventures it has birthed – from his chain of Margaritaville restaurants and hotels in two dozen locations to a Broadway musical inspired by his songbook – simply would not exist.

“I made a pretty good living with people buying my tapes and putting them on boats,” Buffett says when we meet in St Barths. He first sailed down in 1978 and “never really left” – though he splits his time between St Barths, Sag Harbor and residences in Hawaii and the Bahamas. “Back in the days before Wi-Fi and electronic charts, you only took your most precious things in the way of books and music on board. I’d meet people sailing and they always had, besides chart books, Don’t Stop the Carnival [the Herman Wouk novel about running away to the Caribbean], a Bob Marley tape and a Jimmy Buffett tape.” More than forty years ago he played at tiny St Barths bars like Le Select, a dive still known for its live music and “cheeseburgers in paradise.” He surprises fans by playing at bars where they’d least expect. During a previous Les Voiles de St Barths regatta, Buffett played an unannounced show at the race village, and the crowd of sailors went wild.

Buffett’s stage persona – son of a sailor, laid-back surfer, margarita connoisseur, amiable raconteur – isn’t an act, but exactly what you get in real life. In true island fashion, he wears shorts, a Les Voiles regatta T-shirt and baseball cap, and when I turn up at his beach bungalow/office, he’s just finishing a call with his friend, pro surfer Kelly Slater. Buffett is a surfer himself, from when he was a teenager growing up in Mobile, Alabama. “There wasn’t much surf on the Gulf Coast, we had to go find it. We’d surf hurricanes in the ship channel.” He’s over 70 now, though you’d never guess it, and surfs every day he’s in St Barths.

While most guys his age are making the move from sail to power, Buffett has downsized from a Delta 125 that was the family yacht – “a great boat, but we didn’t use it enough” – to a custom 15.24 metre motor sailer designed by Ted Fontaine , known for his modern-classic Friendship sailing yachts. But Buffett isn’t like most guys his age – he surfs, sails, pilots planes and sells out stadiums. For over 40 years he hadn't missed a summer tour, though he does things a bit differently now. He remembers traveling by bus to 250 shows per year; now he'll play a smaller number with time to scheduled in to enjoy a break in St Barths or Cat Cay.

Buffett took delivery of his boat, built at Pacific Seacraft in North Carolina, in February 2018. “It took twice as long and cost twice as much, but that’s to be expected,” he says with a chuckle. Drifter has a bright seafoam green hull, the same colour as the Alerion that Nathanael Herreshoff sailed to Bermuda. “I’m a Herreshoff guy,” he says. “I love beautifully designed, traditional boats.” This modern motor sailer is a bit of a departure for Buffett, who has been a long-time classics aficionado, owning more than a half dozen vintage sailboats from a Herreshoff Alerion to a Sparkman & Stephens Morris 36.

He used the money he made from his second studio album, A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean , to buy his first boat, a Cheoy Lee Offshore 33, Euphoria . His accountant thought he was crazy, but Buffett called it an insurance policy. “I said, ‘Look, I don’t know if this music thing is going to last, but no matter what, I can sail, I can cook, and I can sing, and I know that I can live on the boat and go where I want.’” The years in the mid-1970s he spent gunkholing through the BVIs on Euphoria , and later a Cheoy Lee 48, Euphoria II , proved perfect songwriting fodder – “I wrote so many songs in that time, Please Don’t Say Mañana if You Don’t Mean It is a favorite that comes to mind.” Buffett’s discography became decidedly more nautical as he lived the life he sang about, which rings true to a large section of his fan base.

Inspiration, though, has always come from the sea. “Growing up, I read everything about the ocean, Moby-Dick , all the classics, and WH Hudson, Idle Days in Patagonia .” Buffett speaks with a soft, slow southern lilt indicative of his Alabama origins, where he was introduced to boats; truly a Son of a Son of a Sailor , as his famed song professes. “I come from a long line of sailors. My grandfather was a sailing ship captain from Newfoundland who moved to the States. My dad sailed and was a marine engineer. I grew up sailing and was a child of the shipyard.” He learned celestial navigation from his grandfather when he was a kid, and Buffett had ambitions to go to the Naval Academy – as he sings in We are the People our Parents Warned us About – but the Universe had other plans for him. “I’ve still gotten to fly off an aircraft carrier, fly the Shuttle simulator and I’m a sailing advisor to kids at the Naval Academy, so it all worked out.”

His college job was working in the shipyard as an electrician and welder, which gave him an appreciation of yacht building and earned him money to start a band. “They needed a PA system, and I had credit at the music store, so I said: ‘I’ll sign for this PA system, and that makes me the leader of the band.’” Buffett says what sailing has taught him most about life is how to be organized. “I run my band like a boat – like I’m the captain.”

Living down in St Barths, there’s plenty of opportunities for racing, but he prefers the cruising life. “I was never a heavily competitive sailor. I want to go somewhere, not just around in circles.” Though that didn’t stop him from helping 51.59 metre gaff-rigged Royal Huisman Meteor win the Bucket in 2009. Buffett was friends with her captain, Dean Maggio, and helped as a helmsman during the race, providing local knowledge of currents. He fell in love with Meteor , but when it came to building his own boat he didn’t want something quite so big or with such a deep draft. Bahamas cruising was a priority.

Buffett had seen an original Palmer Johnson motor sailer his friend had in Cat Cay. “It was a terrible sailboat – most motor sailers are – but I loved the comfort,” he says. He almost bought the boat but didn’t want to be “chasing worms” in an old wooden hull. Maggio tipped him off about the Surfari concept by Ted Fontaine, which intrigued Buffett as it was more efficient than any motor sailer – blending racing yacht performance, offshore capabilities and cruiser comfort. Fontaine is a surfer, too, and the initial sketches included surfboard storage, sealing the deal.

Maggio was Buffett’s build captain for the yacht, which is constructed in lightweight infused epoxy and carbon fiber composite materials to enhance performance. The entire rig is state of the art, with a carbon mast and boom, and sails are controlled entirely from the cockpit, designed with such ease that she could be singlehanded, but will be run comfortably with two people. She has a movable keel that can be lifted for skirting the Bahama Banks or extended for offshore sailing. She’s also sturdy, with a 9,000lb bulb.

Life on board is designed as Buffett likes it – relaxed, with an outdoor galley and a salon that opens directly out to the cockpit, and she’s stocked with plentiful toys, from surfboards to fishing rods. A nearly five metre beam, widest at aft, gives the kind of living space you’d find on a yacht that’s six metres bigger. “Even with eight people on board, she feels spacious. Dean says you have almost as much room for guests as you do on Meteor ,” Buffett says. “She moves nicely through the water and she’s so comfortable. My wife can use her for lunches off Sag Harbor.”

A rarity in the music world, Buffett has been married to his wife for more than 40 years, sailing down to the Caribbean together all those years ago. They have three grown children. “My oldest daughter likes to sail, the other two like to ride [on boats] and fish.” For now Drifter is a one-off, but could be reproduced as a semi-custom series. Fontaine’s creation got plenty of publicity when a video of Drifter sailing in the Bahamas was played on the big screen during Buffett’s Son of a Son of a Sailor tour.

Though the build took longer than expected, Buffett was distracted by an even more time-consuming project as his music was being made into a Broadway show, named Escape to Margaritaville after his biggest hit. He rewrote songs to fit the characters in the musical, which was being crafted by TV comedy writers. “It was important to me and my producer that the writers lived these songs as kids and grew up on the music,” Buffett says. “The New York Times clobbered us, but who cares? It was never meant to be the-a-ter; it’s fun!”

At this point in his life, that’s what Buffett really wants – to have some fun. “First of all, I can’t believe I made it this far. After an airplane crash [in 1994], falling off the stage [in 2011]… time is short right now, and I’m going to do the things I want to do.” His fans, known as Parrotheads, will be glad to hear this includes continuing to tour. “I love it! Who gets to do this? It’s always been about the fact that people are paying good money to see you, and you owe them a show, and I’ve gotten to live a pretty good life based on people liking what we do. There’s never any disconnect because I couldn’t do it without them. I feel very obligated, dedicated and appreciative, so there’s no reason to stop.” For those who can’t make it to a concert, it’s easy to catch up via a live broadcast on margaritaville.tv or by tuning into Radio Margaritaville on SiriusXM satellite radio. Staff at the McMurdo Station in Antarctica – a place that’s on his bucket list – even sent Buffett a recording of them listening.

Buffett also wants to give back to the places he loves. In 2017, he teamed up with Kenny Chesney and Toby Keith to play a benefit concert for Puerto Rico, and when we meet he’s about to go to the island to visit his Margaritaville Resort employees. “I’m a drop in the bucket, but I’m still going to do what I can with the people who work for us at a human level,” he says. He’s also played free fundraising concerts for St Barths post-hurricanes, encouraging fans to come down and stay at hotels, revitalizing the economy after the storms. “The people who live in ordinary houses here, those are whose homes were destroyed,” Buffett says. At one benefit concert for St Barths he expected an audience of 1,200 – and 5,000 fans showed up. “That got the French saying mon dieu!”

His next career ambition is to finish the book he’s writing – a fictionalized retelling of the recording of his 1979 album Volcano in the Caribbean . “You can’t make up the shit that happened,” he says. It’s clear that even after nearly 50 albums, Buffett still has plenty more stories to tell and adventures to live. As we’re finishing up, he remembers he’s left his surfboard down on the beach. “I gotta go get it – maybe I’ll get in the water. It’s looking like I could catch a wave.”

This feature is taken from the November 2018 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Jimmy Buffett’s Next Yacht

• By Yachting Staff
• Updated: October 2, 2015

Longtime yachtsman Jimmy Buffett has ordered Hull No. 1 of the Surfari 44 by Friendship Yacht Company. She’s a scaled-down version of the builder’s Surfari 58, with an adapted design by naval architect Ted Fontaine to allow for short-handed cruising.

Pacific Seacraft in North Carolina is building Buffett’s Surfari 44, which is scheduled for delivery in November 2016. Buffett plans to use the yacht as a home away from home.

“It’s the perfect extension for living the life he enjoys, whether it’s in Sag Harbor for the summer or the Keys and the Caribbean in the winter,” Fontaine stated in a press release. “A high-performance, auxiliary-powered sailing yacht, it has as strong an emphasis on speed under sail as it does speed under power, which means it goes places.”

Among the Surfari 44’s noteworthy features is what Fontaine calls a “tailgate.” In the yacht’s renderings, it looks like an overly wide swim platform, folding out and spanning 11½ feet of the hull’s 14½-foot beam. When open, it becomes a flush-level extension of the main deck living space.

“It creates a unique, clutter-free area for storing and launching all sorts of water-sports equipment and water craft,” Fontaine said.

The Surfari 44 will be the latest yacht built for Buffett, who will turn 69 in December and continues to play for legions of Parrothead fans on tour. Over the years, he has reportedly owned as many as nine other yachts, including (on the sail side) a 26-foot sloop originally designed by Nathanael Herreshoff and a 33-foot Cheoy Lee ketch, and (on the power side) a 42-foot Rybovich and a 124-foot Delta.

Buffett seems to be an ideal owner of the Surfari 44, whose target audience is experienced yachtsmen who have honed their boating skills to near-professional levels.

“They want to go fast and get there in style,” Fontaine said, “and now that they are approaching their retirement years, their need for speed is being seasoned with a newly appreciated desire for comfort and versatility afloat.”

Follow the Surfari 44 build on Twitter: search #surfari

Learn more from Ted Fontaine: go to www.fontainedesigngroup.com

See more from Friendship Yacht Company: news is posted at www.friendshipyachtcompany.com

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Setting Sail with Jimmy Buffett: Exploring His Iconic Yacht Continental Drifter

Jimmy Buffett is a name synonymous with laid-back island vibes, and his iconic yacht, the Continental Drifter, is no exception to his legendary island lifestyle. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the world of Jimmy Buffett’s beloved yacht, exploring its name, significance, size, specifications, lifestyle, use, entertaining guests, iconic lifestyle symbol, changing locations, and a glimpse into the owner’s biography.

Sailing Through Paradise: Jimmy Buffett and His Iconic Yacht Continental Drifter

Name and significance.

The name “Continental Drifter” is not just a random choice for Jimmy Buffett’s yacht. It carries a deep and meaningful significance. The name conjures images of endless exploration and adventure across the world’s continents. It reflects Buffett’s free-spirited and wanderlust-filled approach to life. Just like his music, which often transports listeners to idyllic tropical settings, the yacht’s name suggests a desire to drift along the world’s coastlines, exploring new horizons, cultures, and experiences. In essence, the name encapsulates the essence of Jimmy Buffett’s music and lifestyle. A place where every journey is an opportunity for discovery and a chance to escape the mundane.

Size and Specifications

The Continental Drifter is not just any yacht; it’s a floating palace designed for maximum comfort and leisure. Measuring approximately 36,5 m / 120 feet in length, this luxury vessel is a marvel of engineering and craftsmanship. Its specifications include multiple decks, each carefully designed to serve a specific purpose. The lower decks feature spacious living quarters with beautifully appointed cabins, ensuring that guests can relax in style and luxury. The main deck is dedicated to entertainment, with expansive lounging areas, a fully equipped bar, and state-of-the-art sound systems for impromptu jam sessions and lively parties. The upper deck provides breathtaking panoramic views of the ocean, perfect for sunbathing and stargazing. With a powerful engine capable of traversing open seas, the Continental Drifter is a true masterpiece of nautical engineering.

Jimmy Buffett Lifestyle and Use

For Jimmy Buffett, the Continental Drifter is not just a yacht; it’s his personal retreat and a means of escape from the demands of the music industry. When he’s not touring or recording, Buffett often sets sail on the yacht, embarking on extended trips to the Caribbean. Here, he can immerse himself in the beauty and tranquility of island life. The yacht becomes his sanctuary, a place to recharge his creative spirit, write music, and simply relax. It allows him to live life at his own pace, embracing the laid-back island vibe that has become synonymous with his name.

Entertaining Guests

A significant aspect of the Continental Drifter’s use is its role as a platform for entertainment. Jimmy Buffett is known for his love of socializing, and the yacht is the perfect venue for hosting friends, fellow musicians, and other notable figures. The spacious lounging areas and well-equipped bar create an inviting atmosphere for guests to unwind and enjoy the good company. The yacht’s top-notch sound system ensures that impromptu jam sessions are a common occurrence, with music echoing over the serene waters. Whether it’s a small gathering of close friends or a larger-scale party, the Continental Drifter is well-equipped to provide an unforgettable experience.

Iconic Lifestyle Symbol

The Continental Drifter has transcended its role as a mere yacht. It has become an iconic symbol of Jimmy Buffett’s carefree, beach-loving lifestyle. It’s an embodiment of the “Margaritaville” ethos, where the worries of the world are left behind, and the focus shifts to relaxation, good company, and living in the moment. This floating paradise resonates with Buffett’s music and brand, making it a tangible representation of his philosophy. For fans and enthusiasts, the yacht serves as a beacon of escapism and an inspiration to embrace the joy of life’s simple pleasures.

Changing Locations

One of the most attractive features of yacht ownership is the ability to change locations at will, and Jimmy Buffett takes full advantage of this perk. He often sets sail to different Caribbean islands, exploring new ports of call and soaking up the local culture. This flexibility allows him to draw inspiration from diverse places, which he then weaves into his music and lyrics. Each new destination becomes a canvas for his creativity, enriching the stories he tells through his songs. The Continental Drifter is not just a mode of transportation; it’s a vessel for inspiration, carrying Buffett to the heart of the vibrant cultures and landscapes that influence his art.

If you want to find his yacht on a live map, click here

Jimmy Buffett Biography (Owner of Continental Drifter yacht)

Born on December 25, 1946, in Pascagoula, Mississippi, James William Buffett, better known as Jimmy Buffett, is a multifaceted and accomplished individual. He first rose to fame as a singer-songwriter, captivating audiences with his unique blend of country, folk, and rock music, often referred to as “Gulf and Western” or “tropical rock.” His songs, such as “Margaritaville,” “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” and “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” have become classics and have earned him a dedicated fan base known as “Parrotheads.”

But Buffett’s talents extend beyond music. He is also an accomplished author, with several books to his name, including best-selling novels and memoirs. His writing often mirrors his love for travel, adventure, and the pursuit of happiness.

In addition to his creative endeavors, Jimmy Buffett has ventured into the world of business. He founded the popular chain of Margaritaville restaurants and resorts, bringing his laid-back, island-inspired brand to fans worldwide.

In conclusion, the Continental Drifter is not just a yacht; it’s a vessel that embodies the essence of Jimmy Buffett’s music, lifestyle, and philosophy. With its name, size, luxurious specifications, and the role it plays in his life, it symbolizes the spirit of escapism, adventure, and the pursuit of paradise. Whether he’s entertaining guests, changing locations, or simply relaxing onboard, the Continental Drifter stands as a symbol of the enduring allure of island life and the timeless appeal of Jimmy Buffett’s unique brand of music and leisure. JIMMY BUFFET WIKIPEDIA

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Jimmy Buffett, and the doors of summer slam shut.

It’s Labor Day weekend and it’s been chilly in the mornings, a clear message that fall is on the way.

I recall years ago, a friend Port (he was a sailor and yes, that really was his name) once remarked that on Labor Day, if you listened closely, you could hear the “doors” of summer slam shut.

For most this weekend marks the end of yet another summer season that went by way too fast.  “What happened to summer?  It seems like yesterday that it was Memorial day.”

Yes, summer is over in more ways than one with the passing of singer Jimmy Buffett, THE original summer guy, marking the end of decades of summers that he shared with millions around the world.

On Friday Jimmy Buffet died in his home in Sag Harbor at the age of 76.  It has been reported that he died of lymphoma, a complication of melanoma, in itself a sad reminder of the dangers of living an “endless summer”.  For a guy that embodied “summer” that was a particularly cruel end.

To be sure, Jimmy had a lot of fun over the years and inspired generations to kick back and enjoy life in a world where it seems that everyone is scrambling to climb to the top.  I expect that there are thousands that have taken stock of their lives, in no small part, inspired by the words of his songs.  Perhaps his passing will inspire more to head out for adventure before it is too late.

He wrote in his memoir “ You know that Death will get you in the end. But if you are smart and have a sense of humor, you can thumb your nose at it for awhile .”

In a way, the timing of his passing, on Labor Day weekend, the official end of summer was sadly fitting.

When I remarked to the friend that shared a copy, the message of the book resonated with me but my friend was quick to point out that “your turning 50 is NOTHING like Jimmy Buffett turning 50”.  Fair enough.

For me though, it was a timely read as we had sold our company and I knew that I’d be retiring within a few years, by my 55th birthday, my goal since I was in my early 20s.  It turned out, compliments of the “great recession” that I had to work an extra year and retired six years later at 56.  Not bad for a “newly sort of old guy” that I had become.

Like Jimmy, I too had no particular idea of where life would take me if I looked back when I was young.  The idea of heading to the Bahamas was the extent of it and that was a stretch, never imagining that I would end up in the Caribbean, sailing thousands of blue water miles and would now be leading a group that runs rallies there every year, Salty Dawg .  In many ways, my involvement in this group has come to define my “later years”.

I have booked a slip in Hampton, VA for the month of October to allow me to run Pandora down to VA before the weather gets too cold.  An easy trip might be wishful thinking as according to our weather router, Chris Parker, even late September may prove to be a bit challenging for southbound traffic as the  weather windows for southbound runs are already getting shorter.    Wish me luck on that as it’s only a few weeks until I begin to head south.

On October 26th, a month later, I will head around to downtown Hampton to join in the rally departure festivities, leading up to the start of our run to Antigua on November 1st, weather permitting.

I wonder how many have “cast off the docklines” and headed out to cruise the world, or at least the Bahamas and Caribbean over the years, inspired by Jimmy Buffett.

In my own small way, I hope that I too have done the same for at least a few others that have decided, over the years, after listening to may many webcasts on the Bahamas, Cuba and the Caribbean, to head south to warmer climes,

When it begins to get cold up in the north, Labor Day arrives and the “iron doors slam shut” another opens as the warm tropical waters beckon for yet another season afloat.

Soon enough it will be winter and those who are not lucky enough to head south to the mythical Margaritaville will have to take solace in listening to the laid back summertime ballads of Jimmy Buffett.

And yes, after all those lazy summers, it seems that his passing makes the iron gates of summer slam just a bit louder than normal.

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On Land and At Sea with Jimmy Buffett

When he owned rybovich, triton co-publisher jim bronstien got to know jimmy buffett, who died september 1 at age 76. here, jim recalls adventures, laughs and of course, some amazing boats..

In the yachting industry, many of us are fortunate enough to encounter a few celebrities, musicians and other famous people along the way. For many of them, boating is the reward for that success. But for a select few of these famous folks, it is boating that was always the priority, regardless of the success.

Jimmy Buffett was the latter. Boating and fishing were his lifetime passion and his world revolved around it. The success just made it easier. Through that connection, I was one of the lucky ones who developed a special relationship with him. 

Somewhere in the mid-90’s, Jimmy showed up at my office at Rybovich one day, unannounced. He had just bought a small downeaster boat and wanted us to bring it back to life. When the boat arrived and we did a quick look-over, it became clear that it would cost a lot more to restore this boat than it was worth. I told him that. He was disappointed but appreciated my honesty, and he agreed to donate the boat to a charity as a “Boat once owned by Jimmy Buffett.” Tax deduction!

That was the start of a long-term relationship with Jimmy, both as a customer and as a friend. While we took care of his various boats over the years, from the 62’ Nordhaven to the 90’ Cheoy Lee and 125’ Delta, there was much more than that. Since he was living part time in Palm Beach, we had occasion to get together for lunches, dinners, drinks and more. One day we went to lunch at the famed Rachel’s Adult Steakhouse, the one that has a great buffet, sports and stocks on the TV’s, and lots of girls. “This has everything you could want for lunch,” says Jimmy. I was quickly reprimanded by his manager for taking him somewhere he probably shouldn’t be seen. “Only a couple people recognized him,” I pleaded with his manager. “It’s all fine! Jimmy had a blast! And it was his idea!” 

Another day I was at the yard with one of his best friends and fishing industry icon, Spider Andresen, when Jimmy arrived. During some conversation, Jimmy learns that Spider and I were planning to go shoot sporting clays the next morning and he asks if he can join us. Of course! He didn’t have to ask permission! So, what does Jimmy do? He changes his entire schedule of flying out to rehearse for a concert tour so he can shoot sporting clays with us and his son. 

That was the Jimmy I got to know. Always on the go, impulsive for fun, but thoughtful about it all. And more than anything, Jimmy knew boats. He had it in his blood. Hanging out at a boatyard was his love. As he wrote in an email to me: “ I am rummaging around boatyards all my life anyway so why not build one.”   

So that’s what he did, over and over with many builders. In our case, talks often turned to fishing boats and what we were building at Rybovich, ultimately leading us to jointly bubble up the idea of a semi-production 42’ Rybovich Express Walkaround fishing boat, the first of its kind. Express Walkaround boats were not in the mainstream then. Perhaps we were a little ahead of our time in design and price but the vision, the passion, the details and the fun were all there, down to the custom Jimmy Buffett Martin guitar insignias etched into the corners of the settee. 

Jimmy was now a boatbuilder! Humorously dubbed the “ Margaritavich series,” his “Last Mango” got a lot of attention and a lot of press, including an iconic kickoff party at the old Bahia Cabana during the 2002 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, where Jimmy put on a free private concert for about 300 invited guests. He offered that to me for no fee instead of signing autographs at the boat show, which he did not want to do. But he did remind me more than once how much he usually charges for private concerts – to which I said, “I could never have paid you that, so thank you very much for the show!”

While that party was memorable for everyone who attended, it was the actual arrival of Margaritavich to the Lauderdale boat show earlier that week that really stood out. On the day we had to bring the boat from Palm Beach to the show, the seas were rough, and we had no choice but to take the Intracoastal to Lauderdale. With Jimmy along for the delivery trip, it became clear we were going to be very late to arrive at our designated time for the inside slip, thus causing about 30 other boats to wait three hours for our arrival in the pouring rain. The talk on the VHF was getting ugly and talk of symbolically destroying Jimmy Buffett CDs was making the rounds. I told Jimmy that it will not be a pleasant arrival. Once we got to the slip, we tied up and left the area so fast before anyone could give us grief. Lo and behold, the next day, the boat was encased in toilet paper by upset brokers and delivery captains. Jimmy found great humor in that whole experience. 

I was fortunate to have also taken a few trips with Jimmy including one memorable night in Ocean Reef with me, Jimmy and Spider for the inaugural 42’ trip. The celebration started with vodka martinis (not margaritas!) and ended with him playing an impromptu show at the local bar until 3 a.m. I am not sure if Ocean Reef has seen that sort of scene since! Jimmy always had a guitar handy or was able to borrow one if need be. On one trip to New Orleans where we were building the hull to the Margaritavich, a small group of us were finishing dinner at a restaurant and Jimmy says, “Let’s go to a bar. I think I own one around here.” We all get to the famed Margaritaville bar on Bourbon Street and Jimmy asks the guy playing there that night if he could borrow his guitar. The guy playing says, “Who are you?” Jimmy replies, “This is my place and you’re singing my songs!” That guy was embarrassed. But it was another fun 3 a.m. night.

Jimmy was a generous guy. He even let my family spend a week on his Cheoy Lee yacht in Eleuthera. I think I bartered a bit for some yard work, but the fact that he offered was special and unexpected. That was Jimmy. Of course, while on the yacht, people often asked if Jimmy was on board. The crew would say, “Yes, Jimmy is here,” and I would wave. 

In exchange, I was able to sponsor Jimmy and his family to become members at a private club in Palm Beach. But to be accepted, he had to have a dinner and meet the membership committee. I picked him up at his house and reminded him this one dinner night required a tie, to which he says, “I only own one tie and it’s at my house in New York!” I had figured as much so I had a couple extra ties in my car just in case. He was accepted into the club.

This was also the era of “5 O’clock Somewhere,” which he famously collaborated with Alan Jackson. At the time, we were building Alan a custom 60’ Rybovich while also creating the 42’ for Jimmy. One day I asked Jimmy if he knew Alan and he says, “No. I heard he’s a great guy and likes to fish also. I need to meet him.” Two weeks later, they met in the Bahamas and connected the Rybovich and fishing dots, and the rest is history! 

Jimmy was a worldwide legend. He will forever be linked to the boating lifestyle, and he always knew that. It was genuine. One day while in his plane flying over the Keys, he looks down at the hundreds of boats and says to me, “See all those boats down there? 90% of them have my music on their boat right now!” Who else in the entire musical planet can say that? 

Jimmy was always on an adventure, always upbeat, always appreciative and as friendly a guy as you would ever meet. 

The motto he assigned to the 42’ was right out of his own song “A Pirate Looks at Forty.” In an email he wrote, “I love the slogan taken from Pirate ‘Got to stop wishing, got to go fishing.’ I think it should be our signature slogan. It says it all without saying it at all.  See you manana.”  

Tight lines and fair seas Jimmy. The world will never forget you. 

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Tagged Jimmy Buffett

weekly rates from $110,000

FORE ACES Yacht for Charter

The 124-foot (37.8m) FORE ACES offers it all, from exceptional luxury to supreme privacy and every imaginable amenity to make your yachting holiday a magnificent experience.

Once a private getaway for former owner and king of island escapism music, Jimmy Buffett, FORE ACES is sure to provide charter guests with their own idyllic escape — picture yourself with a piña colada in hand as it’s always five o’clock somewhere.

Charter guests can enjoy sophisticated formal dining indoors while relishing the rich comfort of the yacht, but enjoying the ever-changing scenery through large picture windows. The superyacht’s interior showcases an elegant styling with warm American cherry wood complemented by soothing tones of blue and light grey. FORE ACES welcomes up to 12 guests in five tranquil staterooms. Her divine on-deck master suite features a king-size bed. Her additional staterooms below deck include a queen VIP, two queen staterooms (one with a Pullman) and a twin stateroom with a Pullman. Each stateroom is complete with an en-suite bath, ample storage for belongings and an entertainment system.

FORE ACES allows charter guests to delight in sea breezes from the yachts vast outdoor living areas; lay back and soak in the sun or cool off in the shade while taking in the views of the charter destination. Five-star meals can be enjoyed while dining alfresco. Her outdoor living areas also offer a Jacuzzi, drop-down TV, ample lounge seating and a wet bar.

Offering a large array of water toys, including standup paddleboards, Seabobs, snorkeling equipment and more, superyacht FORE ACES provides the perfect platform for a fun-filled holiday. Equipped with a 34-foot (10.3m) tender, charter guests can enjoy wakeboarding and water skiing, exploring the destination and reeling in a big one while fishing.

FORE ACES features high-quality materials and technology throughout, which ensures exceptional reliability and uninterrupted enjoyment. The luxury yacht cruises at an economical 12 knots, providing a quiet and comfortable passage to any destination. Equipped with Zero Speed stabilizers, the superyacht has a reduced roll and ensures comfort while at sea and anchored. FORE ACES is ideal for discovering small, secluded anchorages with picture-perfect views, adding to the wonder and enchantment of your luxury charter holiday.

• Completely refitted in 2014, new interior in 2019 and beautifully maintained
• Stylish, comfortable and timeless décor, with oversized windows offering sensational views
• Dynamic deck spaces, offering various options for dining and lounging
• Jacuzzi with drop down TV for an open-air cinema experience
• Excellent water toy inventory that includes a 34-foot (10.3m) towed tender
• Shallow draft with the ability to take charter guests to small secluded anchorages
• Equipped with Quantum Zero Speed stabilizers
• Long-standing, charter-savvy crew, run by Captain Philip

Charter Details

• At-Anchor Stabilizers
• Deck Jacuzzi

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please inquire.

Accommodations

Specifications, toys & tenders.

• 34' (10.3m) Jupiter Center Console towed tender with twin 350hp Yamaha outboards fully rigged for fishing
• 17' (5m) Williams Jet tender
• Waterslide (from Bridge Deck)
• SeaDoo Spark 2-person waverunner
• 2x paddleboards: 2x 12' hard
• Towable Toys
• Water-Skis, Wakeboard
• Snorkeling Equipment
• Fishing equipment - ready for the Bahamas! (2x 50 rods; 4x 30 rods)
• Beach setup (cabana sun shades, folding beach chairs, tables, beach games)

Winter Rates

2023/2024 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

Cruising Regions

• The Bahamas
• Abacos Islands
• Harbour Island
• Eleuthera Islands
• Exuma Islands

Summer Rates

2024 Season. Rates p/week + expenses

• The Americas

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Weekly rates from $110,000

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FORE ACES Delta Superyacht

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FORE ACES has 58 Photos

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If you have any questions about the FORE ACES information page below please contact us .

NOT AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

Motor yacht FORE ACES (ex NITA K, CONTINENTAL DRIFTER III, Defiant), is a luxury yacht measuring 37.80m (124') in length. Built by the American shipyard Delta Marine in 2003, she received a refit in 2021. The tri-deck superyacht FORE ACES features interior and an exterior design by Delta Design Group. She is able to accommodate up to 12 guests in 5 cabins.

M/Y FORE ACES boasts a distinctive Stars & Stripes blue hull colour which pays tribute to American Maritime tradition in battle and in sport. Previously named Defiant, she was named after an 18th century Navy warship, honouring past and present American soldiers. This hull colour was first seen on an America’s Cup racing yacht in the early 1980s, reflecting her owner’s interest in sailing.

The 124’ yacht is a semi-displacement, composite motor-yacht with a relatively shallow draft of 6’, making her perfectly suited to cruise shallow ports and locations that most large yachts cannot. Built for the enjoyment of and adventure and exploration, this luxury yacht combines modern low maintenance and efficiency with traditional appeal.

FORE ACES features a light, bright and comfortable interior with a classic, understated satin cherry decor and large windows. Her large salon features comfortable couches and seating area to port with 2 occasional chairs and an entertainments system to starboard. Further forward is the adjoining formal dining area that is separated from the salon by a servery table. On the upper deck is a sky lounge with more entertainment options, a comfy couch and a wet bar.

Superyacht FORE ACES is able to accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 cabins. Her Master cabin is located on the main deck forward and has a king size bed, bath/tub, shower and toilet. There are 4 guest cabins below, accessed from the main salon forward. The VIP cabin features a queen size bed with steam shower and toilet. There is a double cabin with shower and toilet, a queen cabin with pullman, shower and toilet and a guest cabin with a single bed. The yacht is fully air conditioned throughout and the crew has a separate companionway, heads and shower.

Yacht FORE ACES has wonderful exterior spaces that offer a variety of areas to entertain and enjoy the outdoors while surrounded by spectacular views.

There are 2 main exterior dining areas including an al fresco dining area for 10 guests on the covered aft deck or dining on the aft sky lounge deck, either under cover in a banquette style fixed seating format or for 10 around teak table and chairs under a large umbrella or for dining under the stars.

FORE ACES Specifications

The flybridge is equipped with full control and docking stations, a Spa Pool and a retractable bimini, allowing guests to enjoy the sun or shade.

FORE ACES has a GRP hull and superstructure. With Zero Speed stabilizers, 5 cabins and lots of outside space to relax, this luxury vessel is capable of exploring in comfort and style.

Yacht Accommodation

FORE ACES can accommodate 12 guests in 5 cabins. The Master cabin has a king-size bed, bath/tub, shower and toilet. There are 4 guest cabins below, accessed from the main salon forward. A VIP cabin has a queen-size bed with a steam shower and toilet. A Guest cabin has a double bed, shower and toilet. A Guest cabin has a queen bed, shower and toilet. A Guest cabin has a single bed. FORE ACES is fully air-conditioned throughout. The crew has a separate companionway, heads and shower.

Amenities and Extras

We do have available further amenity, owner and price information for the 37.80m (124') yacht FORE ACES, so please enquire for more information.

FORE ACES Disclaimer:

The luxury yacht FORE ACES displayed on this page is merely informational and she is not necessarily available for yacht charter or for sale, nor is she represented or marketed in anyway by CharterWorld. This web page and the superyacht information contained herein is not contractual. All yacht specifications and informations are displayed in good faith but CharterWorld does not warrant or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the current accuracy, completeness, validity, or usefulness of any superyacht information and/or images displayed. All boat information is subject to change without prior notice and may not be current.

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BuffettWorld

Last Mango Boatworks – Performance Apparel for a Great Cause

November 25th, 2020.

What started as the name of a boat has turned into a simple way to make a difference; you purchase apparel and Last Mango Boatworks gives the proceeds to charity. Mr. Buffett once said, “It takes no more time to see the good side of life than it takes to see the bad.” Last Mango Boatworks is a way to give back to the community and supporters while providing high quality performance gear with a charitable purpose.

Proceeds from sales at Last Mango Boatworks go to Buffett’s Singing for Change charity and Freedom Fighter Outdoors , an organization that creates unique outdoor experiences for injured military service members.

Last Mango Boatworks is running the following specials now through Monday, November 30th at midnight:

• Any order will receive a Last Mango Boatworks sticker
• Any order of $50.00 or more will receive a Last Mango Boatworks sticker and a Last Mango TM The Case SlapLitTM LED Drink Wrap
• Any order of $100.00 or more will receive a Last Mango Boatworks sticker, a bag of Last Mango Boatworks “Even Keel” coffee and a Last Mango TM The Case SlapLitTM LED Drink Wrap
• Any order of $150.00 or more will receive a Last Mango Boatworks sticker, a bag of Last Mango Boatworks “Even Keel” coffee, a Last Mango TM The Case SlapLitTM LED Drink Wrap and a Last Mango Boatworks TM Iconic Sun Mask/Gaiter

All while supplies last.

In addition, sign up for the LMBW newsletter at lastmangoboatworks.com to receive a promo code for 20% off your total order.

Take a look at the men’s and women’s apparel and accessories now at lastmangoboatworks.com !

Buffett’s Yacht Now Available for Charter

February 9th, 2013.

The luxurious yacht, can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms, all with their own ensuite bathrooms. With a professional crew of 6, including a first class chef and a full compliment of “toys” – 30’ RIB fishing/diving/waterskiing shore excursion boat, paddleboards, surfboards, fishing gear and lots of memorabilia.

The yacht is small enough to get into small secluded coves and anchorages, where larger vessels can’t go and yet is very sea kindly, in large part due to her “Zero Speed” stabilization system, which also makes “rolly” anchorages a pleasure, so one can watch the sunset and not spill the Margaritas!

She is equipped with the latest equipment, including over 400 movies and thousands of songs on hard drive, satellite TV and high speed internet for those that can’t “un-tether”. She even has a 50” drop down TV on the flybridge with a large “daybed” so you can snuggle up and watch your favorite movies under the stars, while feeling the warm Caribbean breeze!

You can also charter Jimmy’s Cessna Caravan floatplane ! One of the cool things that Buffett suggests you can do with the yacht and plane is to motor west through the Panama Canal, play in the Pacific Ocean and then fly over to the Atlantic side… swimming in both oceans in the same day.

Watch Jimmy’s personal pitch for the yacht below:

Head on over to cd3.me for more information and to see a gallery of photos.

Buffett Donates Boat to USM

December 5th, 2011.

The world famous singer-songwriter was on hand Monday morning at the Gulf Coast Research Lab in Ocean Springs to help dedicate the new boat. The Miss Peetsy B was originally built as a navy boat in 1973 by Uniflite. The 33-foot vessel will be used to ferry school children through the marshes of South Mississippi and on excursions to Deer Island. USM officials said the boat will also be available to the public for programs like Sea Camp, ecological tours of the Biloxi Bay, and trips to Deer Island. The boat was donated to the university by Buffett. The man who invented the Margaritaville brand attended USM years ago.

More from the Sun Herald :

“We’re all here because our mother valued education so much. It was sort of a building block in all of our lives,” said Lucy Buffett. Uniflite originally built the 33-foot navy vessel in 1973. Jimmy Buffett’s longtime friend, Jimbo Meador, found the boat and shepherded the project. “We’ve been working with them for a little over year to design and get a boat that meets our needs and allows us to do educational programs cost effectively,” said Chris Snyder, Director of the Marine Education Program. The Buffetts first got involved with the GCRL following 2010’s oil spill. “At the time, I was angry but I had to put that anger somewhere,” said Jimmy Buffett, who once considered being a marine biologist. After donating a boat to help the university with oil spill cleanup, the Buffetts spoke with USM President Martha Saunders to see how they could help local children understand the value of the Gulf Coast. “When you ignite the minds of kids and show them the ocean for the first time, it’s a life-changing experience,” Buffett said.

Buffett graduated from USM in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in history. He also helped out the university last year during the Gulf oil spill.

Buffett Tops List of Favorite Boating Songs

August 11th, 2011.

• Jimmy Buffett – “A Pirate Looks at Forty”
• Styx – “Come Sail Away”
• Craig Morgan – “Redneck Yacht Club”
• Crosby, Stills & Nash – “Southern Cross”
• Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett – “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere”
• Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffett – “Knee Deep”
• Kenny Chesney – “Boats”
• Beach Boys – “Sloop John B
• Lyle Lovett – “If I Had A Boat”
• Hues Corporation – “Rock the Boat

Buffett’s Boat Undergoing Cosmetic Work

February 3rd, 2011.

Jimmy Buffett’s M36 daysailor is currently undergoing some cosmetic redesign at Morris Yachts in Bass Harbor, Maine:

Singer Jimmy Buffett’s M36 daysailer is undergoing cosmetic redesign at the Morris Yacht service yard in Bass Harbor this winter. The boat will be finished with a new aft-facing navigation station, air conditioning, and a faux-finish paint job on its carbon fiber mast, meant to mimic the look of spruce.

Bahamas News Archive from BahamasB2B.com

Jimmy Buffett’s Luxury Yacht For Charter In The Bahamas

“Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”, singer, songwriter and entertainer, Jimmy Buffett is making his 124’ luxury motoryacht available for charter for the first time! Renowned for his songs of sailing in the Caribbean, Mr. Buffett is making the lifestyle available to a fortunate few who wish to charter his 3 deck, 124’ Delta motoryacht, which is based in St. Barths in the winter and the Bahamas in the summer.

The luxurious yacht, can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms, all with their own ensuite bathrooms. With a professional crew of 6, including a first class chef and a full compliment of “toys” – 30’ RIB fishing/diving/waterskiing shore excursion boat, paddleboards, surfboards, fishing gear and lots of memorabilia.

The yacht is small enough to get into small secluded coves and anchorages, where larger vessels can’t go and yet is very sea kindly, in large part due to her “Zero Speed” stabilization system, which also makes “rolly” anchorages a pleasure, so one can watch the sunset and not spill the Margarita’s!

She is equipped with the latest equipment, including over 400 movies and thousands of songs on hard drive, satellite TV and high speed internet for those that can’t “un-tether”. She even has a 50” drop down TV on the flybridge with a large “daybed” so you can snuggle up and watch your favorite movies under the stars, while feeling the warm Caribbean breeze! All of this and more for the comparative bargain of $65,000 per week (plus expenses).

So for those that may be “Havana Daydreamin’”, “come on down, the waters warm and the blenders whirring”!

Source:  PR Web

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Welcome to the Bahamas News Archive

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Marriott Is Opening a New All-Inclusive Resort in the Dominican Republic 

The Bahamas’ Abaco Beach Resort Is Back and Better Than Ever

Jimmy Buffett’s old boat is in town. 

It’s a crisp December afternoon in Abaco, and “Fore Aces” is in Boat Harbour, a 124-foot-long message that one of the most important marinas in The Bahamas is very much back. 

It’s not a surprise to the legendary singer-songwriter’s former yacht here in Abaco; this is The Bahamas’ boating Mecca, a place that’s drawn the navally inclined to its electric blue waters and green-hilled islands and cays for centuries. 

And for nearly seven decades, they’ve started or ended or stopped along on their journeys in one place: the Abaco Beach Resort and Boat Harbour Marina. 

“This is the crossroads of the Abacos,” longtime owner Manny Alexiou tells Caribbean Journal . “We’re the hub.”

And so the dramatic reconstruction and transformation the resort has gone through over the last 15 months since Hurricane Dorian is that much more significant — both for Marsh Harbour and the Abacos at large. 

Alexiou is speaking inside the sparkling new lobby of the hotel, which overlooks the resort’s beach, the aforementioned marina and the Sea of Abaco. 

In many ways it’s a completely new resort, with a sleek, fresh decor, upgraded rooms and, most importantly, a new energy. 

The marina is pristine, too, with boats like Fore Aces joined by a new wave of charter yachts and boats of varying sizes. 

So are the beach and the campus itself, home to everything from a giant chess set to a playground. 

And then there’s the restaurant, the Pool Bar & Terrace at Marinaville, led by the wonderfully talented Chef Deja Rutherford. 

The latter has already become Marsh Harbour’s place to be, thanks to a steady diet of Goombay Smashes and some outstanding food, including the spectacular fish bites that should somehow find manage to find their way into your order every time you dine here (“The secret ingredient is fresh fish,” Rutherford says). 

And it’s all the more remarkable given that all of this was done in a period that saw a hurricane followed by a pandemic. 

What hasn’t changed, even amid all of these challenges, is the raw beauty of the Abacos, the blue and the green and the joy of hopping from the boatyards on Man-O-War Cay to lighthouse-gazing in Hope Town to pulling up a dinghy to the empty sands of Matt Lowe’s Cay. 

And the Abaco Beach Resort is where you do it from.

“You come and you can enjoy all of Abaco’s experiences right from here,” Alexiou says. 

And that’s what travelers and adventurers have done for decades, and what they’re doing here once again.

Because while it may not be his boat anymore, it certainly knows how to find that one particular harbor. 

For more, visit the Abaco Beach Resort . For more on The Bahamas travel protocols, see here . 

See more in the latest CJ Video below.

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Avianca Is Launching New Flights from Montreal to Colombia 

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Freeman Boatworks x Merritt Boat Works collaboration for Jimmy Buffett

Jul 18, 2019

It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere…

Many of us in the boating world is familiar with Jimmy Buffet- the island hopping entertainer who is primarily known for his music. In November of 2017, Jimmy buffet bought a used Freeman 33 foot catamaran when he found out the waiting list for a new Freeman was several years. However, this was no typical Freeman fishing machine- it had a custom pilothouse fixed to it by Merritt Boat and Engine Works. 

(Jimmy Buffett with his custom 33 Freeman- via Freeman Boatworks Facebook)

Fast forward 2 years and the name Jimmy Buffett was finally at the top of the list to have his new Freeman catamaran built. This time he would opt for a 42 foot model with a seafoam green hull. Not long after it was announced that he would be partnering with Merritt once again- so the hull and quad Yamaha 300 outboards were soon being shipped from Freeman’s facility in Summerville, South Carolina to Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works in Pompano Beach, Florida. Following the release of the drawings for this one-of-a-kind boat, a crowd of boating enthusiasts formed a thread on The Hull Truth to share their findings of the build as well as discuss their opinions on it. This thread became so popular that Merritt themselves started to post updates with photos throughout the build for fans to see. It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.

(Freeman 42 Pilothouse drawings- via Merritt’s Instagram)

Over time this group of fans was able to see Merritt’s signature quality touch being put on a Freeman. Many of the onlookers claimed this to be their “dreamboat” while others voiced concern for the added weight of the enclosure sacrificing some of the performance in regards to the ride quality, efficiency, and speed. Merritt however, had this thought out already by creating the pilothouse out of carbon fiber- which is known for being extremely lightweight without sacrificing strength.

(Merritt employees making sure everything in the model is perfect before creating the real enclosure out of carbon fiber- via THT)

In addition to the stellar work by Merritt, those following the build also praised how involved Jimmy Buffett was throughout the entire process. Being found on site quite frequently.

(Jimmy on-site- via THT)

The build is still in progress but was recently splashed for testing. Keep up with the build or review more of the details here! 

Sources: https://www.facebook.com/289963931032105/posts/jimmy-buffett-just-took-possession-of-this-freeman-33-pilot-house-its-five-ocloc/1913103215384827/

https://www.thehulltruth.com/boating-forum/989182-freeman-merritt-42-outboard-cat-fisharound-jimmy-buffet.html

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Jimmy Buffett Yacht: The Continental Drifter III

October 31, 2022.

Jimmy Buffett is a musician. His most famous song is "Margaritaville". Additionally, his other songs include the hits "Come Monday” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise”. He also owns two restaurants, Margaritaville Cafe and Cheeseburger in Paradise . Both named after his famous songs. Additionally, he had a cameo in the 2015 film Jurassic World , where he was seen holding two margaritas. Furthermore, he has also written music for various movies. Such as the films Summer Rental , Fast Times at Ridgemont High , and Urban Cowboy . Check out the Jimmy Buffett yacht below.

The yacht has five bedrooms and over five bathrooms, with over 2,000 square feet of space inside. It is painted a beautiful white and blue color. The yacht is 124 feet long as well. Additionally, there are also many toys aboard this large ship. Including diving equipment, paddle boards, and various fishing gear. Furthermore, there is a large sun deck, living room, and dining area. Buffett’s superyacht is available for public charter. For $65,000 a week you can call this luxurious yacht home. Moreover, is there anything this yacht does not offer? Lastly, would you like to live in this yacht? Please leave your thoughts below.

Specifications: Jimmy Buffett Yacht

Bedrooms: 5

Bathrooms: 5+

Square Feet: 2,000+ sq ft

Price: $65,000/wk

Jimmy Buffett Yacht Net Worth: $900 million

Photos: Jimmy Buffett Yacht

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Rent Jimmy's Continental Drifter III - only $65k/week

Moderator: SMLCHNG

Post by surfpirate » February 9, 2013 3:46 pm

Re: Rent Jimmy's Continental Drifter III - only $65k/week

Post by pupnpony » February 9, 2013 4:05 pm

Post by drunkpirate66 » February 9, 2013 4:47 pm

Post by capnbobby » February 9, 2013 4:50 pm

Post by BahamaBreeze » February 9, 2013 4:58 pm

Post by LIPH » February 9, 2013 5:28 pm

Post by BahamaBreeze » February 9, 2013 5:35 pm

Post by chippewa » February 9, 2013 5:42 pm

Post by jayparrot46 » February 9, 2013 5:47 pm

Post by dnw » February 9, 2013 6:41 pm

Post by Snowparrot » February 9, 2013 8:33 pm

Post by conched » February 9, 2013 8:44 pm

Snowparrot wrote: I'm wondering if he'll rent that seaplane instead.

Post by Bicycle Bill » February 9, 2013 9:08 pm

BahamaBreeze wrote: $65,000 per week (plus expenses)....hope he doesn't mean you have to pay for that haul of Landshark.

Post by BahamaBreeze » February 9, 2013 9:44 pm

Post by dnw » February 9, 2013 9:50 pm

Bicycle Bill wrote: BahamaBreeze wrote: $65,000 per week (plus expenses)....hope he doesn't mean you have to pay for that haul of Landshark.

Post by surfpirate » February 9, 2013 11:22 pm

Bicycle Bill wrote: I'd be more worried about whether the $65K/week included the skipper and the crew .... I can't imagine Jimmy just handing someone the keys to the yacht like I would (maybe) hand 'em the keys to my bike lock.  Or perhaps their services are also part of "the expenses".

Post by BahamaBreeze » February 9, 2013 11:26 pm

surfpirate wrote: Bicycle Bill wrote: I'd be more worried about whether the $65K/week included the skipper and the crew .... I can't imagine Jimmy just handing someone the keys to the yacht like I would (maybe) hand 'em the keys to my bike lock.  Or perhaps their services are also part of "the expenses".

Post by Carolinadreamin' » February 10, 2013 2:06 am

Post by BahamaBreeze » February 10, 2013 2:20 am

Carolinadreamin' wrote: I wish I could rent it just to say I slept in Jimmy's bed! : )

Post by RainTree » February 10, 2013 5:41 pm

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• May 9, 2023

Jimmy Buffett's 'Last Mango' is a Yacht Rock Dream Machine

Last Mango Boatworks , the team behind the custom catamaran built for legendary singer Jimmy Buffett , has released a video depicting the boat's evolution.

The custom-built 42' Freeman was built in collaboration with Freeman Boatworks , Merritt Boatworks , and Pipewelders Marine . It was named Last Mango in homage to Buffett's 1985 country-tinged album " Last Mango in Paris ."

The hull comes courtesy of South Carolina's Freeman Boatworks, who built the one-of-a-kind platform to give Buffett additional creature comforts and performance compared to smaller boats he'd previously run. The hull was also reshaped to accommodate a custom pilothouse built by Merrit Boatworks in Pompano Beach, Florida. A custom tuna tower courtesy of Pipewelders Marine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida was added on top to make the 42-foot offshore fishing boat a truly unique vessel.

For those unaware, Buffett is a longtime boater while his music has been a staple of yacht rock playlists since the early 70's. The "Margaritaville" singer has spent his downtime aboard a number of boats over the years, most recently a 50-foot (15.25 m) Pacific Seacraft sailboat named Drifter .

But the Last Mango was several years in the making.

"So this project starts three years ago," says Scott Cothran, Director of Sales & Marketing for Freeman Boatworks. "This very educated guy named Vinny calls, very educated boat talker asking very educated questions about doing some kind of pilothouse and wanting design information. I got off the phone and looked at one of the guys I work with and said: 'that guy is fishing for information. He is a competitor. Don't answer calls from that guy.'"

That 'Vinny' was Captain Vinny LaSorsa, Buffett's longtime boatswain.

For Vinny, chauffeuring Buffett around Charleson, South Carolina four years earlier was the inspiration for reaching out to Freeman.

"So four years ago, a few of my friends had ridden on Freeman boats, and I actually saw a 33' Freeman zooming around Charleston Harbour, and they got my attention."

With Buffett's approval, LaSorsa reached out to Freeman, only to be rebuffed as the company was wary of the seemingly knowledgeable 'captain' who implied having a mysterious boss.

According to Cothran, "Then I get a phone call from one of the guys in South Florida, saying: 'you need to quit blowing this Vinny guy off.' I asked who does he work for, because he's gotta be a competitor. He knows way too much about boatbuilding and about the marine industry. And he's got some mysterious boss that clearly doesn't exist. He goes: 'his boss is Jimmy Buffett. Answer the dang phone call.'"

(Photos courtesy Captain Jimmy LaSorsa)

After confirming that LaSorsa and Buffett were indeed real, and serious buyers, Freeman began putting their team into order.

It all began with Buffett explaining his vision.

"We met Jimmy Buffett when he came to my house to talk about the build for his awesome new Last Mango," says company president Sally Freeman . "What was so great was that he bought a boat from us when he could have bought a boat from anyone in the whole wide world, and he chose a Freeman. That's pretty darn cool."

With Cothran leading the charge, and the ultra-knowledgeable LaSorsa watching over his shoulder, the growing team began allocating plans for a custom 42-foot Freeman catamaran that would utilize a pilothouse rather than a centre console.

"You don't understand the stuff that's gotta come together," says Cothran. "We gotta get with Yamaha, we gotta get with Garmin, we've gotta get JL (Audio). All these parts have gotta come together, they've gotta be perfect, and they've gotta happen very quickly. Doing a boat in record time, we've got to involve every bit of our team, our best of our best. They're gonna do it in a short amount of time, and we're still running full production on everything else. We're racking our brain trying to think of how we're going to do all this while still keeping the quality of everything along the way."

The pilothouse would prove to be one of several features requiring outside expertise. To fabricate a pilothouse for a hull that had never had one, the team added Roy Merritt of Merritt Boatworks to the mix.

"Jimmy Buffett came to us about a project," said Merritt. "I wasn't too keen on the idea, but between Vinny and Jimmy there's always a certain amount of arm twisting that goes on, if you know what I mean. When you're a builder you like doing different things, and that's what interests me. So we agreed to do it. Jimmy went ahead and purchased the boat, and we went ahead designing the pilothouse and what was going to go in it. We mocked it up, and we built it."

The final touch came from Pipewelders Marine, who added a custom stainless steel tuna tower, effectively turning the Last Mango into a fully customized offshore dream machine.

"Probably the highlight of the build was that so many people poured their heart and soul into it, and then Jimmy flies in to meet everybody at the plant," said Cothran. "It was a really cool experience. He signed stuff and hung out with everybody. It shows the common touch he has. That was fun."

"This was a great build," added Mark Hanke of Merritt Boatworks. "It was a one-off build. It's one of the projects that brought a lot of the guys together to show the quality and craftsmanship and trades, from your carpenters, to your painters, to your electricians, to your mechanics."

Captain Vinny summed it up nicely: "You're only as good as who you work with. I took an idea and a dream of Jimmy's and was fortunate to have him believe in me enough to carry out his vision. Throughout carrying out that vision we've had so many people willing to be right there for me, to help me make sure that I succeed. I don't think it can get any better than that."

You can check out the story of the Last Mango below:

#news #culture #freemanboatworks

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Yacht Club pays tribute to Jimmy Buffet at cruise

The last words Jimmy Buffett whispered to his daughter just as he passed were, “Have fun!”

In true Canyon Lake Yacht Club style, boats assembled at the Holiday Harbor Guest Docks for music, food, beverages and just plain old fun. The crowd of parrotheads that stormed the docks were ready for a Buffett buffet, and they weren’t disappointed.

As is Yacht Club tradition, finger food was displayed on various boats for party goers to sample as they wandered the docks from boat-to-boat. One Yacht Club member remarked that it was like going to the best buffet restaurant and having the pick of delicious dishes to sample.

Of course, one of the best parts of the event was the island sounds of Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band playing the entire time.

Hale and Susan Gammill settle in behind their Jimmy Buffet buffet during the Canyon Lake Yacht Club Jimmy Buffet Party Sunday. The finger foods at each of the boats are sampled by all those at the event. Photo by Cindy Cameron

After 90 minutes of partying at the docks, the revelers boarded boats for the requisite slow cruise around the Main Lake before forming a solemn circle of boats in Catfish Cove for a floral salute to Jimmy Buffett.

As partygoers sang “Margaritaville,” flowers were tossed into the center of the circle as a symbolic “goodbye and thanks for the memories” statement of gratitude to the iconic personality who spawned an entire industry of good times, beaches, islands, sailing, tropical drinks and, of course, cheeseburgers.

The party continued into the night with swimming and floating around the tied-up boats while other boats took off to cruise the Main Lake or east lake in the warm and beautiful night.

In one of Buffett’s songs he intoned, “Now I’m a reader of the night sky and a singer of inordinate tunes. That’s how I float across time, Livin’ way past my prime.”

For the crowd that gathered to celebrate Jimmy Buffett at the Yacht Club’s Party on the Water, Jimmy was no longer living way past his prime because he has entered the realm of the immortal.

Commodore Ron Wilbur reported that the Yacht Club has now grown from 62 members last year to 280, with more applications for memberships coming in daily. Wilbur also shared that club members now have reciprocal rights to Yacht Clubs with 300,000 members in the U.S. This means that Canyon Lake Yacht Club members will be welcomed into other Yacht Clubs and their facilities around the country.

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The Friday Flyer

Charter Jimmy Buffett’s Yacht, The Continental Drifter III

Cruising the Caribbean aboard a 124 foot luxury yacht is on most people’s bucket list. Now what if that yacht was owned by none other than Jimmy Buffett himself, adds a little bit of BANG to the story you could tell doesn’t it.

Jimmy Buffett is now chartering his 124 foot motor yacht called the Continental Drifter III. For $65,000 a week you’ll be able to charters this sleek vessel and its crew of 6 for an adventure of a lifetime. Anyone want to chip-in with me?

This luxury yacht comes with all the bells and whistle, as well as some amazing toys. It can accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 staterooms. The Continental Driffter comes with a professional crew of 6, which includes a top notch chef and captain. You have a wide variety of “extras” that include a  30’ RIB fishing/diving/waterskiing shore excursion boat, paddleboards, surfboards, fishing gear and of course lots of Buffett Margaritaville gear.

Jimmy himself tells us the yacht is small enough to get into small secluded coves and anchorages, even up jungle rivers in Panama. The boat also was designed with a “Zero Speed” stabilization system, which negates most of the wave motion when you are at anchor. Don”t want to spill those drinks!

This will blow your mind, but you can also charter Jimmy’s Cessna Caravan floatplane ! I would have let Buffett himself tell you all about what you can do with the plane and the yacht in the video he put out, but it looks like that video has been pulled down from YouTube. The video had Jimmy sitting in the captain’s chair describing the boat for prospective charters. Here are a couple photos of the Continental Drifter III to wet your appetite though.

(Photo from gvpeel.com)

(Photo from stbarthstalk.com)

If I see the video pop back up I’ll be sure to add it to this post.

So who wants to go in on a charter with me?

RumShopRyan

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Jimmy Buffet’s New 1200-HP Power Catamaran

Jimmy Buffett’s new fishing machine is a 1,200-hp power cat designed for speed and comfort

These days, the Son of a Son of a Sailor (you may know him as Parrothead-in-Chief Jimmy Buffett) doesn’t like to hang around when he’s heading out to his favorite fishing spots. That’s why the “Margaritaville” chorus leader’s newest boat—a stunning, 42-foot, custom power catamaran dubbed Last Mango and painted Buffett’s favorite shade of seafoam green—can top out at more than 60 mph and cruise effortlessly at 40.

“We have four Yamaha F300 outboards, so 1,200 horsepower in total,” says Vinnie LaSorsa, Buffett’s longtime captain and BFF (Best Fishing Friend). “At 6,000 rpm we’ve seen 61 mph. It’s a fun boat that gets us there and back fast.”

“Since we took delivery, we’ve been using it a lot,” LaSorsa says. “We’ve probably put 400 hours on the engines and covered over 7,000 miles. It’s been all over the place.”

Buffett, who splits his time between homes in Montauk, Palm Beach, and “a little trailer in Malibu,” had pretty specific requirements for his new boat. After years casting a line from his beloved West Palm Beach–built Rybovich Express sportfisher, it seems Mr. B was looking for something that went a little faster, but not at the expense of comfort. He loved the look, performance, and smooth ride of the ultra-sleek, 42-foot power catamaran from South Carolina–based Freeman Boatworks. But, according to LaSorsa, he really wanted a boat with a pilothouse instead of an open center console. 

“We talked long and hard with Billy Freeman about building us a pilothouse version of the 42, but they were too backed up with orders. We had to come up with a plan B.”

The solution? Freeman agreed to provide a stripped-out 42 hull and deck to the revered nautical artisans at Merritt’s Boat & Engine Works in Pompano, who designed and built a custom carbon-fiber pilothouse and finished off the boat.

As LaSorsa notes, “Jimmy only had three requests: power-opening windows for the sides of the house, shock-absorbing seats, and a retractable power awning for the cockpit. Oh, and 58 rod holders so you can fish from pretty much anywhere on the boat.”

Why was a pilothouse so important to the 73-year-old singer-songwriter? According to Captain Vinnie it can get cold and foggy up in the Northeast, so it provides a warm retreat. Then in the midday heat of Florida and the Bahamas, it becomes an air-conditioned haven.

As you might expect, Last Mango boasts a very cool sound system. Designed for the boat by JL Audio, it pumps out Buffett’s favorite playlists through speakers in the cabin, cockpit, bow, and even up on the tower.

“When Mr. B’s on the boat he’s pretty much exclusively at the helm,” adds LaSorsa. “Being behind the wheel for him is the relaxing part.”

Any scary moments while out on the ocean? LaSorsa says he won’t forget a trip to the Bahamas earlier this year, in an area southwest of the Berry Islands known as The Pocket. “We were heading down to the Exumas and got into a heavy southeaster with wind against tide. The seas were a solid 8 to 10 feet. The boat did pretty well, but it was not comfortable. It was the roughest conditions I’ve been in.”

Even when Buffett isn’t wetting a line, it’s rare to see Last Mango tied to the dock. LaSorsa is the founder of Freedom Fighter Outdoors, a charitable organization that works with injured service members. With Buffett’s support and occasional participation, LaSorsa organizes fishing expeditions for wounded veterans. To help raise money, Buffett and LaSorsa created the Last Mango Boatworks website   selling cool Last Mango –logoed apparel, jewelry, and more. 

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