The year was 1985. While many Americans were obsessing over names like Muffy and Biff, Jim Moran, an automotive retailer and avid yachtsman in Florida, was focused on the name Gallant Lady. In fact, 1985 was the year he took delivery of his third Gallant Lady from Feadship.
The 131-foot (40-meter) megayacht was also his first traditional motoryacht from the Dutch builder. His prior two Gallant Lady yachts were each sportfishermen, one of which is even in the photo immediately above, taken at the launch. Even with the styling difference, though, this Gallant Lady still boasted features commonly found on fishing boats. Note the crow’s nest and the good-size cockpit. The exterior looks of the yacht came as much from Moran’s own imagination as they did from De Voogt Naval Architects. As for the 26-foot-beam (8-meter-beam) interior, the decor and relaxation spaces, focused around frequent entertaining, were executed with a good deal of input from Moran’s wife Jan (below, at left, next to her husband).
This Gallant Lady was put up for sale when the Morans began building their next yacht, going on to be rechristened Lady Kathryn and several subsequent names like Victory Lane. She’s currently cruising as Lady Sandals.
The Morans built a total of five more Feadships, all christened Gallant Lady of course, with the last one delivered in late 2006. Sadly, Jim Moran, who owned more than 200 yachts in his lifetime, passed away about six months later, in April 2007.
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