A presidential yacht used by five former US leaders has hit the rental market for $20,000 for three hours.
The 93-year-old ship, christened Fitz Honey The ship, named after JFK’s maternal grandfather, is moored at the Pelican Club event venue in Jupiter, Florida, following an extensive three-year refit.
Over the years, the ship served five presidents – Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy – and is now offered for public use.
A website dedicated to the yacht reveals that it still retains a number of “historical features and components dating back to the yacht’s initial construction in 1931, her role during World War II and her esteemed service to U.S. presidents from 1945 to 1971.”
He goes on to describe it as a “living testament to an important part of American history, reflecting the legacy and luxury of a bygone era.”
A presidential yacht used by five former US leaders has hit the rental market from $20,000 for three hours
The 93-year-old ship, named Honey Fitz after JFK’s maternal grandfather, is moored at the Pelican Club event venue in Jupiter, Florida, following an extensive three-year refit.
Over the years, the ship served five presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Johnson, Nixon and Kennedy, and is now offered for public use.
After her time in the spotlight, the ship was decommissioned by Nixon and put up for auction in 1970.
The wooden boat was built in 1931 by Defoe Boat & Motor Works in Bay City, Michigan, for American businessman Sewell Avery.
However, it was later seized by the government after Sewell refused to settle a weeks-long union strike as president of the former Montgomery Ward department store chain.
It was initially used for military purposes before being converted into a tender for a larger presidential yacht.
But over time it came to be used as a leisure cruise for presidents.
After her time in the spotlight, the ship was decommissioned by Nixon and put up for auction in 1970.
It then changed hands several times and was in a state of near ruin before being acquired by classic yacht restoration enthusiast Charles Modica.
The refit project was led by veteran ship expert Captain Greg Albritton, with the goal of restoring her to her Kennedy-era glory.
During the restoration process, he said WPTV‘We got it back exactly as it was during President Kennedy’s administration.
In one of the guest cabins, there are framed photographs of the Kennedy family enjoying life at sea on the ship.
Following its refit, the 93-foot-long yacht can “comfortably accommodate up to 35 passengers,” according to the website.
Its current owners say the boat is “perfect for a variety of events including corporate functions, luncheons, private parties, intimate weddings, family reunions and much more.”
A spokesperson for the rental company, Lessing’s Hospitality Group, told DailyMail.com that the rental price “does not include food and drink, which are additional.”
The refit project was led by veteran ship expert Captain Greg Albritton with the goal of restoring her to her Kennedy-era glory.
The wooden boat was built in 1931 by Defoe Boat & Motor Works in Bay City, Michigan, for American businessman Sewell Avery.
‘The furniture that is here behind will be exactly the same as what was on the ship.
“We have these little couches here now, but we’re redoing the back of the chair that President Kennedy sat in when he was on the ship. We’re really trying to make it true to history.”
Following its refit, the 93-foot-long yacht can “comfortably accommodate up to 35 passengers,” according to the website.
Some of the highlights include a main salon, a sun deck, a fully equipped galley and a private stateroom.
In one of the guest cabins there are also framed photographs of the Kennedy family enjoying life at sea on the ship.
Its current owners say the boat is “perfect for a variety of events including corporate functions, luncheons, private parties, intimate weddings, family reunions and much more.”
A spokesman for the charter company, Lessing Hospitality Grouptold DailyMail.com that the rental price “does not include food and drink, which are additional.”
