Builder of award-winning yachts for royalty and champion sailors alike, Palmer Johnson has been one of the world’s most prestigious yachting firms since the company was founded in Wisconsin over a century ago. Now headquartered in glamorous Monte Carlo, Palmer Johnson leads the way in construction of powerful and innovative superyachts measuring up to 267 feet in length for discerning yacht lovers across the globe.
A commitment to quality has been the driving ethos of Palmer Johnson Yachts since 1918, when Hans Johnson and Herman Gmack founded a boat building yard in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The company originally built and repaired wooden hulled fishing boats for the fishermen of the Great Lakes, before shifting to the manufacture of speedy sailing yachts in the late 1920s. In the 1940s the company played its part in the war effort, building over forty rescue boats for the armed forces, and even four large freighters to ensure vital supplies could make their way across the Atlantic.
In 1956 the company was sold to new owner Pat Haggerty and began to focus on the production of luxury yachts. Palmer Johnson quickly became recognized as one of the most stylish and innovative yacht builders around, pioneering the use of aluminium hulls, a move that was quickly emulated by rival firms. By the late 1960s Palmer Johnson was building the world’s largest aluminium hulled yachts, including the record-breaking yacht Firebird launched in 1967. Such success did not go unnoticed, and before too long some of the world’s most discerning yacht buyers were heading to the Palmer Johnson shipyard in droves. In 1979 the firm sold what became perhaps their most celebrated and famous yacht, the 100-foot Fortuna, to King Juan Carlos II of Spain. The Fortuna became Spain’s official Royal Yacht and down the years hosted dignitaries such as the Aga Khan, Prince Charles, Princess Diana and President Bill Clinton. Yet the Fortuna was no mere showpiece: it could reach top speeds of up to 46 knots, making it the world’s fastest yacht for more than a decade. 1996, meanwhile, saw the launch of the Turmoil, a hardy vessel built for trans-oceanic cruising. This yacht featured a jaw-dropping range of 8,000 nautical miles and circumnavigated the globe three times, becoming a testament to Palmer Johnson’s world-leading engineering and design prowess.
Throughout the decades Palmer Johnson also continued to build competitive sailing yachts for champion racers around the world. Their sailing vessel Nirvana was a real hit with sailors, winning the Newport to Bermuda sea trial four years in a row and setting course records in both the Sydney to Hobart race and the South China Sea race.
In 2003 Palmer Johnson built the Cover Drive, a 120-foot luxury yacht that would herald a major turning point in the company’s history. The yacht was delivered to British business magnate Timur Mohamed, who liked his yacht so much that he bought the company. Under his keen ownership the firm relocated their headquarters to Monaco in order to be closer to much valued clients in Europe and Middle East, and shifted their factory to a new, state-of-the-art facility in the Netherlands. The firm also entered into a partnership with naval design group Nuvolari Lenard to craft their new SportYacht and SuperSport lines, models that combined Palmer Johnson’s impeccable engineering standards with modern styling. The company then agreed a 2016 collaboration with iconic sports car brand Bugatti to build a range of smaller day boats, further expanding their potential client base. Yet Palmer Johnson’s ambitions have not ended there, as in 2019 the firm partnered with Korean designers Chulhun Park to design their latest Valkyrie yacht, which, at 750 feet in length will be by some distance the longest yacht in the world when eventually launched.
PALMER JOHNSON MODELS
PJ Explorer 1
Palmer Johnson’s flagship oceanic cruiser, the 267-foot Explorer 1 is designed for long-distance voyaging through the most challenging conditions Planet Earth can throw at you. Originally launched in the mid-90s and continually updated since then, this yacht is one of the toughest, hardiest, and most reliable yachts ever built. Constructed from welded steel plates, the hull is strong enough to be classified as an Ice-Hull, meaning this yacht can safely travel to the polar extremities. An ocean-going range of over 10,000 nautical miles and a maximum speed of over 16 knots comes courtesy of a market-leading Rolls Royce Bergen C25. The yacht has space for a helipad and spacious tender garage large enough for a submarine, and accommodation room for 12 guests and 27 crew. Global explorers lucky enough to take a trip on this yacht need not sacrifice style or comfort, with a large on-deck pool providing the perfect place to relax when journeying through warmer climes. Elsewhere there is also a full hammam spa with sauna, a gym, a full-beam owner’s suite and one of the largest salons you will find on any superyacht.
PJ SportYacht 210
The SportYacht 210 is the most luxurious vessel yet launched by Palmer Johnson, not to mention one of their largest at 210 feet. The yacht is immediately recognisable due to its extra-long bow at front and a raised skybridge inspired by the crow’s nests of old barques which provides a lofty cockpit with 360 degree views. A sleek, arrowhead-style superstructure designed by Nuvolari Lenard and semi-displacement aluminium V-hull provide excellent aerodynamics through both wave and wind, while MTU 16V engines power the vessel to top speeds of 28 knots. Interiors are lavishly styled in modern Italian motifs, with hand-stitched leather furnishings and surfaces finished in black African wenge wood, white onyx, polished marble and bleached teak. Fold-down balconies to starboard provide the perfect place for al fresco cocktails, while large on-deck salons, a dining room and capacious state rooms can easily accommodate up to 12 guests. A rear beach club on the aft deck leads down to a full-beam swimming platform that is as close to the water as possible due to a lack of transom.
PJ63
A new concept for Palmer Johnson, this powerful dayboat boasts an ergonomic, carbon-composite monohull that cuts through the water at top speeds of up to 36 knots. Designed in partnership with luxury car brand Bugatti, the PJ63 is a very modern interpretation of the classic motoryachts once built and raced by Bugatti’s founder Ettore back in the 1930s. It includes titanium plating to the exterior for lightweight durability, and two sponsons on either side for unparalleled stability both on the move and at rest. Interior spaces are decked in your choice of maple, blue oak or ochre-brown bubinga wood, and are spacious enough to house up to four guests with further room for crew. One of the most stylish high-performance dayboats ever launched, expect to see this vessel outpacing the pack and cutting figures of eight across the waters off the Amalfi Coast soon.
PJ SuperSport 72M
While some yachts may be designed with a trans-Atlantic range, and others painstakingly crafted to provide the ultimate in entertaining space, the PJ SuperSport 72m provides you with both. Built with a combined aluminium and composite superstructure and hull, the yacht also features a wave-piercing bow for extra stability and a top speed of around 30 knots. A CCP Driveline propeller system ensures that the yacht uses up to 50% less fuel than comparable vessels, while also guaranteeing low maintenance while out at sea. Yet it is perhaps the leisure space afforded by this 236-foot yacht that marks it out as special. Three rear sundecks provide plenty of room to host the grandest and most sumptuous of parties, while an aft-deck beach club with full-bow swimming platform is one of the largest on the market at 968 square feet. The large main deck salon is big enough to include a winter garden stocked with tropical plants and lush foliage, while the forward lounge includes extending balconies for intimate moments under the stars. There is room for up to 14 guests across lower-deck cabins and two large main-deck VIP suites, while crew quarters have space for up to 17 staff. Interiors can be customized according to your every whim, while standard furnishings are designed in a classic beach-side look with distressed wood, marine accents, cream fabrics as well as floor-to-ceiling wrap-around windows.
How to Buy a Palmer Johnson Yacht
If you’re interested in purchasing a Palmer Johnson yacht, a Staten Island Yacht Sales professional can assist you in your buying needs. All employees are trained to identify as many ways as possible to improve your experience when purchasing a Palmer Johnson yacht. As a 100-percent customer-driven business, SI Yachts delivers every time.
How to Sell Your Palmer Johnson Yacht
Staten Island Yacht Sales has the experience and the product knowledge to sell your Palmer Johnson yacht. Selecting the right full-service brokerage firm when selling your yacht improves the likelihood of a seamless and timely transaction. Listing your Palmer Johnson with SI Yachts, you can be certain it is in the hands of dedicated professionals. Over 50 years in business, our devoted Sales Professionals work attentively to provide you with first class representation.
