Boat International US Edition – May 2019

ILLUSTRATION Natasha Law

OWNERS’ CLUB

nthedistance,abuzzingcacophonylike

nestofangryhornetsvibratedupbetween

thebuildingsandovertherooftopsof

Monaco.Mychampagnesparkledinthemid-May

sunshine,andIliftedthebrimofmyChanelsunhatto

takeasip.“They’recoming,”someonemurmured.We

shuffledacrossthegleamingteaksundeckandleaned

overthebrasscaprailofanimpeccablyrestored1960s

Feadshiptoviewthestreetcircuit’slegendaryTabac

cornerbelow.

Justthenapackof1970s-eraracecarsdodgedand

wovethroughthebend,jockeyingforpositionasthey

shotdowntheavenuelinedbyarowofstately,historic

Feadships.Asthedistinctive,soul-shakingroarof

vintagehorsepowerrumbledpast,Iturnedtowardmy

husband,Chapman,withaMonaLisasmile.Howthe

heckwerewesoluckytoenduphere?

Butlikethegreatladyintheoldmasterpainting,

Itooalreadyknewtheanswer.The

adventuresthatledusaroundthe

globetotheninthGrandPrixde

MonacoHistoriquewerethanksto

anothergrand,significantladyin

history.Oncelostandforgotten,

shewasnowresurrectedtoaplace

ofadmiration–andshewasours.

Rewindayear.I’vealwayswanted

a1950stugboatbehindourhome

inMiamiBeachasafloatingguest

house.Andwhatbetterwritingnookthanaglass

wheelhouseinthesky?So,dutifulhusbandthatheis,

Chapmanbeganthesearch.Whileheneverfoundmy

dreamtugboat,hedidfindaninterestingvesselforsale

ontheothersideofthecontinent.Sointeresting,in

fact,heimmediatelybookedourplaneticketsand

withindayswemether.

Asthesoul-shaking

roarofvintage

horsepower

rumbledpast,

Iturnedtoward

myhusbandwith

aMonaLisasmile

Searching for a place to write,

Kristin Ducote finds a boat with

a great past and the perfect story

Darling

on Deck

I

Her owner knew she was 82ft and old, but he couldn’t

offer much more detail on her pedigree. Take her

or leave her. We took her on the spot on Chapman’s

hunch alone that under the dust of time she was an

extraordinary piece of history. Fingers crossed, we

began the research to authenticate this old lady with

beautiful bones. Before long, we had the support of

Feadship and the proof that we had indeed found

Anahita V, one of the first Feadships, built in 1952. The

son of her original builder flew from Holland to stand

on her deck. His eyes welled with tears when he heard

her four engines rumble to life, as he remembered that

exact timbre from her christening he attended as a child.

Upon her authentication, we joined the Feadship

Heritage Fleet (FHF), an association for owners of

Feadships more than 30 years old, and received

invitations to club events around the world. When the

opportunity to attend the Historic Grand Prix arose,

we knew it was an experience too rare to pass up.

Besides the itinerary of cocktail parties and elegant

dinners, we were lured by the chance to soak up the

enchantment of some of the most exquisite vintage

yachts in the world. But what we walked away with was

something infinitely better. During that long weekend,

we were overwhelmed by the incredible quality and

warmth of the other FHF members. We made lasting

friendships and shared once-in-a-lifetime moments,

and it was all thanks to that great lady, Anahita V.

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