Photos by Martin Fine and Chesler Photography
Before and Aft: Megayachts on the Market
April 1, 2002
David Johnson was ready to buy. It was 1999, and the North Carolina real estate developer wanted to purchase a yacht that he could restore and sell again. Johnson saw plenty of 100-footers, but none stood out from the rest. Older boats that had already been restored didn’t suit his tastes, and the hulls he saw didn’t match his definition of beauty.
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Carolinian houses state-of-the-art technology in its 1982 hull, including two 625-hp Caterpillar engines. (Click image to enlarge)Then, while he was in Cannes, France, a 126-foot Feadship caught his eye. The yacht, built in 1982 and christened as Cacique, was original from bow to stern—even the furniture had not been touched. The owner, a Saudi Arabian man, used the yacht once a year, and anchored the boat in Cannes the rest of the time. “It was meant to be used,” says Johnson. “It’s not a floating condominium. One could use it for that, but it would be a waste of what it was built to do.”
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