When The Other Woman was launched in 1991, many felt the 192-footer really should have been a motoryacht rather than a motorsailer, given her decidedly power-oriented styling. Take a look at the image at left, taken several years ago, and you’ll probably agree.
The current owner agrees, too, which is why the yacht, now known as Islander, is a few weeks away from being formally recommissioned as a motoryacht.
CharterWave broke the news about the refit last week, speaking with Fiona Maureso, a charter broker with Peter Insull’s Yacht Marketing, which holds the central agency. I contacted Maureso this week and learned a bit more. “It’s not just a refit, it’s a complete makeover!” she says. The owner is the son of the previous owner, having inherited Islander when his father died. He’d envisioned changing the yacht for a few years and finally embarked on the transformation last winter, taking the yacht to an undisclosed yard in Jacksonville, Florida.
The first step: removing the masts and rigging. The keels were also removed, replaced with aluminum plating. All the hydraulics and “thousands of feet of associated cabling and hydraulic lines” were also eliminated, Maureso says. “In short, according to the captain, you would never know that she had been a sailboat!” See the altered photo below, courtesy of Insull’s, to get a sense of what she will look like when done. Note the more motoryacht-like nav mast; the rest of her profile remains essentially unchanged.
Islander, featuring upgraded communications, navigation, and entertainment systems, including WiFi, should be finished in March. I’ll be speaking with the owner and the captain at that time and will have more details, including photos. I look forward to seeing whether the Steinway grand piano in the saloon and stained glass work along the spiral stairway remain. I’m also curious as to whether the four guest staterooms will keep their theme names: Rose, Emerald, Taupe, and Berlewood.
In the meantime, since Islander was previously available for charter, the yacht is accepting offers for late-season bookings in the Caribbean. Islander is also for sale, for $19.995 million.
Grace Deagazio
Is she The Other WOman designed by Paula Smith?
Diane M. Byrne
Yes, that was the original name. Though, the designer you mention is Italian, so her name was spelled Paola.
Cordell t lemere
A real shame…was a very unquic motor sailer…now a common white birding every day belching motor ship….
Its like shearing off her hair…her slide up keel to9ft draft&silent running wind twin masks..SAD ONLY of
Heartless Richy riches greed&the rich$aimless ….2/3s of client base lost..owell*”multese falcon”still around..
Spouse the grand piano&oil renderings got trashed to??? At least oon you tube we can still in you her real sperit
Lance Winterburn
I help build the other in brisbane 1988 worked on lot of various tasks associated with those beautiful masts got sea trial wat a wonderful experience anf now wat a shame im sure Eddy will not be happy up in heavn.
Scott Lawson
She was a real pleasure to work on, I was always in awe of her beauty. Must agree removing those masks she is not the same! Would love one day to find her and do a walk through again!
Clinton Herrin
I worked on the boat and installed various electronics when the masts were taken off in Greencove,FL
Margaret Boyles Brown
My family and I sailed and motored on the Other Woman 4 times with the original owner and by ourselves – trips of a lifetime.