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  Photos by Chesler Photography

Megayachts on the Market: The Biggest Broward

Fluto Shinzawa

April 1, 2002

Bruce Schattenburg, managing director of The Sacks Group Yachting Professionals, recalls how he felt when he first saw Inspiration. As he approached the 156-foot Broward Marine yacht, Schattenburg thought it was beautiful and opulent, but Inspiration’s size and lines left him speechless. “It’s almost intimidating when you walk up to it,” says Schattenburg.

By the time you have climbed the spiral staircase from the aft deck to the flybridge, relaxed in the Jacuzzi, and enjoyed a beverage from the bar, intimidation has melted away into pleasure. Inspiration, for sale through The Sacks Group for $15.9 million, is the largest yacht ever built by Broward. Consider amenities such as the yacht’s four-person sauna, baby grand piano, 200-square-foot cedar-lined closet in the master stateroom, and 40-inch Mitsubishi television in the skylounge, and you begin to understand why Schattenburg calls Inspiration the flagship of the Broward fleet.

Inspiration, which was completed in 1997, served its original owner as a floating home in Florida’s Palm Beach. The current owner uses the yacht as a second home and also charters the boat for cruises along the U.S. East Coast and the Caribbean.

Schattenburg and other brokers, however, recommend that you do your homework before committing to such a big-ticket purchase as a 150-foot yacht. Tom George, a broker for MarineMax Motor Yachts, recommends hiring a broker to assist you in your quest for a yacht, rather than trying to find and purchase a boat on your own.

He recently worked with a client who wanted to upgrade from a 92-foot Hatteras. George made some calls, reviewed pictures of possible yachts, and made appointments for his client to tour eight vessels at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show last October. The client narrowed down his choices and decided on a 150-foot Christensen trideck, which is scheduled for delivery in August. “If you go to a boat show without a plan, you’re doomed,” says George. “You can’t possibly see them all. The broker becomes important in steering the client the right way. I lined up appointments for every boat. I knew the captains and I previewed the boats the day before. There’s a tremendous amount of homework, faxing, and e-mails.”