Why are these yachts hanging out in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores?

John Mullen • May 25, 2020

Several are floating around on Pleasure Island waterways

Yachts near Robinson Island in Orange Beach, Alabama.
(OBA®) — Waterways around Orange Beach seem to have become inundated with luxury yachts with at least three seen floating on the Intracoastal Waterway and in Perdido Pass during the Memorial Day weekend.

“You don’t see 100-foot Benittis sitting out at Robinson Island very often,” Saunders Yachtworks General Manager John Fitzgerald said with a laugh.

A 100-footer – Jazz – has taken up residence at his dock in Gulf Shores on the Intracoastal south of Jack Edwards Airport. Also seen in the area is the superyacht 164-foot Apricity as well as the 85-foot Come Monday which is taking on charter trips while here. Also cruising around are the 126-foot Le Montrachet and the 90-foot First Boat. The largest boat Saunders Yachtworks can take out of the water is 120 feet.

“There’s two that have contacted us and we only got the one,” Fitzgerald said. “Some of them are just flat out too big for us. The bigger one out there I don’t know much about it. I saw a video of it moving on your website. I don’t know that one. I think that one’s too big to even talk to us or have at the dock or in the yard.

“The 164-foot boat would not be something we could not work on. They are probably at anchor. I don’t know that there’s anywhere (they could dock). Maybe they can go to The Wharf alongside but I’m not sure about that.”

Fitzgerald said with the COVID-19 restrictions in the Bahamas and other Caribbean destinations the boats are having trouble finding a place to dock.

“They were expected to stay until June 1 and now they’ve extended it into June,” Fitzgerald said. “It may even be July 1 before they open the Bahamas but they’ll be up here for a little while.”

Florida’s marinas that can accommodate these floating palaces are full driving traffic to the northern Gulf and up the east coast, Fitzgerald said. 

“They’re around,” Fitzgerald said. “I have a lot of communication with South Florida and they’ve been basically full for yacht dockage. The entire community has been overwhelmed by these boats coming from the south. Boats come here and boats are going up to places like the Carolinas that never go up there to some place to use the boat and where the owner has access to it or they could possibly run a charter trip. Just trying to use the boat somewhere where it’s safe.”

Stock photo of the Jazz luxury yacht.

JAZZ


Yachtharbor.com says the Jazz is Jazz is a 99-foot luxury motor yacht. She was built by Benetti in 2007. With a beam of about 23 and a half feet and a draft of nearly six feet. It is built with GRP hull and GRP superstructure and powered by two 1,000 hp engines, can cruise at 12 knots and can accommodate eight guests in cabins.
Photo of the Come Monday luxury yacht.

COME MONDAY


Yachtcharterfleet.com says the 85-foot custom motor yacht 'Come Monday' was built in 2002 by Breauxs Bay Craft. It is powered by two 1,400 hp engines with a beam of 22 feet and a draft of 5.7 feet. According to a Come Monday Facebook page, it is available for a dinner cruise charter or overnight charter in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. Inquire through private message on the page for details.
Stock photo of the superyacht Apricity.

APRICITY


Superyachttimes.com he 164-foot Apricity yacht was built in 2014 by Overmarine. She features an exterior design by Stefano Righini Design. She cruises at 34 knots and reaches a top speed of 40. She can sleep up to 10 guests taken care of by a crew of 9. It is currently for sale for $21 million according to charterworld.com. 
Stock picture of the luxury yacht Le Montrachet

LE MONTRACHET


Luxury charter yacht Le Montrachet was built in 1986 by Broward Marine and has since been refitted, according to charterworld.com. She can accommodate up to 10 guests and charters in the Bahamas year round. It has twin 1,400 hp motors, is 126 feet long, has a beam of 24 feet and a cruising speed of 11 knots.
First Boat Yacht in Orange Beach

FIRST BOAT


This luxury yacht is 90 feet long, has a beam of almost 26 feet, can accommodate eight guests with a crew of two, has twin 1,600 hp engines, a cruising speed of 26 knots and a top speed of 33 knots. It was built by Mares in 1996, according to yachtcharterfleet.com.


Photo by:  Bradley Deal
David Lindley captured this video of the Apricity Yacht near Perdido Pass

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