Step Aboard a Restored Presidential Yacht That Once Belonged to JFK and Jackie O.
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Amidst the turmoil and uncertainty 2020 had to offer, designer Jack Fhillips received the project of the lifetime: a complete restoration of the presidential Honey Fitz yacht that is most often associated with JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
The nearly 100-year-old vessel needed an extensive architectural overhaul to save it from "certain demise," according to Fhillips. Charles Modica, a longtime client and local developer in Palm Beach County, had recently purchased the run-down ship and was seeking a historical interiors transformation that would replicate the decor of the Kennedy era as closely as possible.
Preceding Air Force One, presidential yachts (affectionately known as "Floating White Houses") were important destinations for escaping the "claustrophobic tension" of the Oval Office, Henry Kissinger wrote. They were used for everything from meetings with prominent world leaders to pleasure cruises down the Potomac after a tough day of running a country.
A revolutionary yacht in terms of speed upon its inaugural launch in 1931, the Honey Fitz served five consecutive U.S. presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Richard M. Nixon, after being originally commissioned for Sewell Avery of Montgomery Ward, one of the most prominent retail behemoths of the day. Though Nixon renamed the boat Patricia in honor of his wife, and it has since been renamed and repurposed by various private owners, the ship has since been known as Honey Fitz in popular culture once JFK took the helm, and Modica sought to restore the vessel to its highest prominence.
"After 50 years of practicing, this project was a perfect and natural fit for my firm," says Fhillips, who has a background in historical preservation as well as interiors, and has worked on many private yachts as a resident of Palm Beach County.
The Honey Fitz first went through a three-year restoration process that required a complete overhaul of beams, subfloor, decks, and the superstructure of the yacht in line with experts in traditional shipwright methods, wooden yacht craftsmen, historical records, and U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
Fhillips finally got to take the reins with the interiors in January 2023 after combing through archived photographs, footage, and articles written about the ship, alongside the Honey Fitz's captain and first mate. The team was able to piece together an immaculate interiors refitting and restoration that honors the ship's most historic (and glamorous) era during the Kennedy administration. Below, you can see a side-by-side view of the ship setting sail in 1961 and today.
"We serendipitously located the original company, Bielecky Brothers, in Queens, New York that Jackie Kennedy sourced for all the rattan furniture on the aft deck," Fhillips says.
To make honor the yacht's storied past while adding new design elements, Fhillips says, "We located copies of hand sketches of built-in sofas Jackie Kennedy drew on White House stationary that was recreated by a very talented man, Brad London, of Total Refit, Inc."
Those sofas are the focal point of the main salon, and the team also recreated the rattan oxbow club chairs, then styled the space with Kennedy family photos that would have been on the ship during the 1960s, as well as memorabilia. Plenty more Kennedy mementos can be found in the stateroom, residing in a vintage blue leather suitcase.
Modica had an English Regency-era antique dining set that was appropriate of the time that makes a perfect pairing with the Lisford Waterford crystal servingware reminiscent to the pattern gifted to JFK by the People of Ireland. The built-in buffet was rebuilt to its original integrity as well.
"My favorite spot on the boat would have to be the aft deck," Fhillips says. "It is so historically correct, from the iconic Kennedy captain's chair, to the black telephone JFK used to the left of the chair. The rattan furniture was recreated, and we even located vintage gout stools which were seen in old photographs."
Exterior
Fhillips and his team of experts spent three years restoring this iconic vessel to its former glory. First launched in 1931, Fhillips has prepared this yacht to look as good at 100 as it did on its first day at sea.
Main Salon
Fhillips had the iconic custom Jackie O-designed sofas recreated with help from Total Refit, LLC., which were covered in Perennials fabric. Vintage military campaign-style side tables, Chairish. Carpet, Pom Rugs.
Dining Area
The English Regency-era mahogany dining set was from the client's personal collection. Draperies, David's Workroom.
Dining Area
Fhillips brought in Waterford's Lismore cut crystal that is reminiscent of the pattern gifted to JFK by the People of Ireland.
Bar
Even the yacht's bar space is based on the design during the JFK administration. The design team relied on archival photographs, footage, articles, and the knowledge of wooden yacht craftsmen.
Kitchen
The sleek galley kitchen may seem futuristic compared to its 1960s heyday, but its layout and design is still in line with how it looked during the Kennedy administration.
Stateroom
The stateroom features custom embroidered Ralph Lauren pillows by Annapolis Pillow Company. Fhillips found the vintage Singer sewing stool on eBay.
Bathroom
The stateroom and bathroom are peppered with Kennedy memorabilia collected throughout the project. The 19th-century ship scene oil paintings are similar to the art selected by the Kennedys.
Aft Deck
Fhillips commissioned replicas of the Bielecky Brothers furnishings Jackie Kennedy originally selected for the deck, while Canvas Designers Inc. recreated the iconic JFK custom captain's chair. Vintage gout stool, eBay.
Aft Deck
All of the outdoor furnishings were covered in various Perennials fabrics.
While this ship has completed its service to our country's presidents, it's certain to have a glamorous new era as it enters its next century. The Honey Fitz will now serve for use on limited charters and fundraising events, an ever-present reminder of the enduring legacy—and style—of both John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
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