Classic Yacht Santa Maria, Most Expensive Feadship of Her Era, for Sale

If Henry Ford II were still alive, the former Ford Motor Company chief (for three decades) surely would be delighted. The 108-foot (33-meter) yacht Santa Maria, which he took delivery of 51 years ago, is still cruising. Not only is she a rarity for her age, but also she’s a history-maker.

In the early 1960s, Ford was considering building a yacht with Feadship. In 1961, Frits de Voogt, Feadship’s “grand master” naval architect, flew to the United States to meet with him. De Voogt was in his early 30s, three years into running the naval-architecture studio. Ford, meanwhile, was just a decade older, but had already turned around his family’s famed automotive brand. In Ford’s Fifth Avenue apartment in New York City, overlooking Central Park, the two men came to a meeting of the minds. Within two weeks, the contract to build the yacht Santa Maria was done.

the aft deck of the classic Feadship Santa Maria

That’s not all. Her steel keel was the first one laid in a brand-new shed at the then-named Van Lent shipyard. Additionally, during construction, Ford made an unannounced visit, wanting to see the work completed so far. The media response to the renowned businessman—and his attire, a sweater—was, in a word, epic. To top it all off, Feadship confirms that the yacht Santa Maria was the most expensive project to take shape in its sheds in the early 1960s. (The contract price, though, remains confidential, still to this day.)

the Feadship yacht Santa Maria stateroom

Passing through several owners’ hands since delivery in 1963, the yacht Santa Maria has additionally retained her classic good looks. Thankfully, each set of owners resisted temptation to rip out her classic wood wheel and knock down non-structural walls. But, they have had her undergo regular maintenance as well as multiple upgrades. For instance, the original diesel engines are no longer aboard. The current Baudouin engines went into place in 2019. She further gained electric zero-speed stabilizers three years ago. Due to age, significant parts of her steel hull required replacing, with much of that work taking place over the past year.

Because of the care given to her all these decades, the yacht Santa Maria is a member of the Feadship Heritage Fleet. Besides benefitting from the prestige and camaraderie of the Fleet, buyers have several advantages aboard. The classic superyacht has a graceful canoe stern with a seating area nestled directly against it, for instance, ideal for shore-gazing. Plentiful shores are in reach thanks to a 2,100-nautical-mile cruising range at 11 knots, too. All 10 passengers can gather on the sundeck, which has plenty of room for loose sunlounges besides the built-in hot tub. Dining up here is possible as well. Of course, even though the yacht Santa Maria is a grand old lady, she still can carry plenty of watertoys. In fact, she’s for sale via Edmiston’s central agency with a 20-foot (6.2-meter) Ribeye tender, a wakeboard, a SeaBob, waterskis, and more.

Santa Maria currently is in Spain, at the STP shipyard undergoing routine upkeep. Among the tasks for completion this winter are repainting her hull and replacing teak decking. Her asking price is €4.495 million (about $4.68 million), VAT paid.

Edmiston edmiston.com

Feadship feadship.nl