An American ICON
INTRODUCING
BUILT IN 1939. RADIANTLY RESTORED. ONE OF ONE.
fraternal vessel to jfk’s presidential yacht
There are yachts, and then there is The Washingtonian—a floating chapter of American history, first commissioned in 1939 for financier A.J. Drexel Paul, crafted by the revered John Trumpy & Sons. Few objects exist today that so completely embody an era of taste, discretion, and refined leisure.
Built just months apart, The Washingtonian shares her DNA with Sequoia—the storied Trumpy yacht later commissioned as the official Presidential vessel and favored by John F. Kennedy. While Sequoia hosted moments of state, diplomacy, and history, The Washingtonian remained her discreet civilian counterpart—crafted to the same exacting Trumpy standards of mahogany, symmetry, and grace. In every line, a whisper of the White House on water.
Restored with obsessive fidelity, her lines remain unbroken, her presence unchanged. Mahogany gleams. Chestnut walls hold stories. The water parts not just for a boat—but for a legacy.
specifications
built
1939, Mathis Shipyard
dimensions
62 ft × 16 ft 8 in
draft
Accommodations
3 cabins + crew
4 ft
propulsion
Twin GM 471 diesels, genset
condition
Fully restored in 2010
Certification
USCG—30-charter capability
Heritage, Reimagined
Beneath her sculptural form lies a soul shaped by nearly a century of whispered conversations, moonlit crossings, and champagne at anchor. She is not a yacht for the hurried or the loud.
For the Collector of Experiences
The Washingtonian is not offered to the market. She is offered to the right steward. A collector of stories. A patron of elegance. A family or foundation seeking not just an acquisition—but an heirloom.
An Heirloom in Mahogany
Hand-laid woodwork, burnished brass, and symmetry from an era of precision. Her interiors are an ode to forgotten craftsmanship—chestnut paneling, curved joinery, and fixtures made not by machine, but by men with calloused hands and generational skill
A Vessel of Filmic GracE
She doesn’t move—she glides. Every silhouette belongs on 35mm. The Washingtonian turns heads not with flash, but with stillness. Her long sheerline, white hull, and whispering engines feel pulled from a Slim Aarons frame or a Cary Grant reel.
Charter-Certified, Invitation-Only
U.S. Coast Guard–certified for thirty guests—but only a few will ever board. Equipped for elegant gatherings, yet owned for private serenity. She is the rare classic that can legally host—and tastefully impress—without sacrificing discretion.
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Who Will She Belong To Next?
The Washingtonian could captivate a royal collector, elevate a boutique charter fleet, or anchor a private legacy. Here, we imagine three distinct owners—each drawn to her for different reasons, but united by reverence for timeless craft.
Ali
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
The Preservationist with a Palace at Portofino
With a family art collection that includes Ottoman sabers and a rare Bugatti Type 57, Sheikh Tariq is not interested in trends—only permanence. For him, The Washingtonian is a floating museum piece, worthy of his Mediterranean marina, to host dignitaries, designers, and descendants under a shaded teak canopy.
David
NEWPORT
The Gentleman Collector with a Taste for Lost Craft
A third-generation shipbuilder’s son turned financier, Charles seeks one meaningful acquisition a decade. The Washingtonian is not his first yacht—but it may be his last. For him, ownership is about ritual: sunrise espresso on the aft deck, linen journals in the wheelhouse, and preserving a thing of beauty for whomever comes next.
EMMA
PALM BEACH
The Tastemaker Who Sells Time, Not Trips
Emma operates a boutique charter fleet in Newport catering to CEOs and Hollywood producers. She sees The Washingtonian not as an asset, but a statement—offering clients the rare experience of cruising aboard a vessel that once shared lineage with a Presidential yacht. Every hour aboard is a story sold.
