Classic Celebrity Captains
By Christina Bohnstengel
When reminiscing about yesteryear and the glory of decades gone by, the nostalgia for the classics can be as palpable as the salty ocean spray. Such is the case when it comes to Old Hollywood celebrities and their vintage vessels.
While nouveau Hollywood has seen the likes of Johnny Depp at the helm of his 156-foot Turkish motoryacht and Nicolas Cage in his 140-foot Italian luxury yacht, the opulence of boating began in Hollywood long ago.
- Errol Flynn’s boating obsessions started in 1929 when his father purchased the Australian vessel, “Sirocco.” Flynn pursued the passion for the remainder of his life, later buying his own 75-foot wooden windjammer, in addition to a Barbary and a 118-foot schooner.
- Humphrey Bogart honed his boat racing skills on the 55-foot “Santana” to such degrees that earned him awards in the San Clemente Island Races and the Voyagers Yacht Club Channel Island Races.
- James Cagney captained 68-foot B.B. Crowninshield built in 1907 by the San Francisco-based W.F. Stone Boat Yard.
- John Wayne, John Barrymore, Henry Mancini, Peter Gunn and Buddy Ebsen all have well documented adventures on the open seas, proving that classic luxury recreation never goes out of style.
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