Excuse the bad pun, but hey, it got your attention, right? Lone Ranger, the 255-foot expedition yacht that has been traveling the world for the past several years, is now on the market. This is a golden opportunity not only for an owner to purchase one of the world’s most famous megayachts, but also for an adventurous soul to meet his or her match.
Listed by Ardell Yacht & Ship Brokers, the 35-year-old vessel was originally built as a tug named Simson, and for two decades she towed everything from oil platforms to other ships and salvaged foundered freighters and bulk carriers, all in the North Atlantic and sometimes in unforgiving conditions. And the distances she covered on some of these jobs exceeded what some megayachts do in an entire season.
Then along came Frenchman Jack Setton, an avid yachtsman (and major player in the stereo-equipment market in the 1970’s and 1980’s), who wanted a mothership that could safely take him around the world—and one with the ability to tote several tenders that could poke into the bays the mothership was too big for. Extensive research into North Sea trawlers and oceangoing tugs led him to Simson, which was available for sale in Germany. With the help of the late Claus Kusch, who had overseen famous yacht projects like Katalina and Leander, Simson was converted at Malta Drydock Company (now Malta Superyacht Services) from 1993 to 1995. Rechristened Simson S, the expedition yacht grabbed headlines and turned heads worldwide.
Arguably she gained more fame under her present owner, American Peter Lewis, who’s the former head of Progressive, the insurance company known for its unconventional approach (it’ll give you competitors’ quotes alongside its own online, readily revealing whether the competition has it beat). In his personal life Lewis is equally unconventional–witness the fact that he bought Simson S without ever having owned a yacht before. But Lewis did his homework about systems, comfort, and cruising, and after he purchased her in 1997, he had her undergo yet another extensive refit in the port of Miami, at a cost of about $10 million, designed to permit him to cruise the world over the course of several years. And cruise he did: Canada, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, the Leeward and Windward Islands, Spain, Corsica, Sardinia, Italy, Greece, and Turkey were highlights of the yacht’s first year under Lewis’ ownership. Next came South Africa, the Seychelles, the Maldives, Malaysia, Palau, and Micronesia. By the time the new century dawned, Australia and New Zealand had also been covered.
The list of countries goes on and on, but suffice it to say that the yacht hardly stopped moving, transiting the Panama Canal a handful of times and continuing to visit new and familiar ports right up to the present day. Of all her trips, however, perhaps the most outstanding was the one to Antarctica in February 2005. In his terrific book, The Lone Ranger Story: From Salvage Tug to Super Yacht, John Julian shares excerpts of e-mails he received from the yacht’s captain during this voyage. The excitement, despite challenging weather, practically jumps off the page: “The sea water temperature has plummeted to one degree Celsius, so we probably won’t be stopping for a swim. The odd penguin and albatross are keeping us company. The main deck is out of bounds, due to regular wave breaking over the ship’s sides. Boss, guests and crew are all in good spirits and looking forward to the next two weeks.”
In honor of these far-flung voyages as well as the intrepid horseman of TV fame, Lewis christened his yacht Lone Ranger. And hopefully the future owner, who can acquire her for $48 million, will continue to honor her long history.
Joann singer
Your story is unique.
I was able to assist Mr. P. Lewis for 34 years. He was an amazing human being. Who loved a good story, He created just that for himself.