Presidential yacht used by John F. Kennedy now available for charter

The legendary presidential yacht Honey Fitz has joined the charter market for the first time with Lessing's Hospitality Group.

Delivered in 1931, the 28.3-metre has been used by five US presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy.

Honey Fitz was built by Defoe Boat & Motor Works in 1931 and originally owned by Montgomery Ward tycoon, Sewell Avery, who named her Lenore.

In time, the yacht took on the unofficial role of "presidential yacht". Honey Fitz was of special importance to Kennedy, however, who renamed her after his maternal grandfather John Francis Fitzgerald and cruised frequently with his family. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy also redesigned the yacht's interiors in the early 1960s, which proved to be a passion of hers – she would later help curate the interiors of the 99.1-metre Christina O, owned by her second husband Aristotle Onassis.

In 2020, Honey Fitz underwent an extensive, historically sensitive restoration that saved her from "complete deterioration". Overseen by Charles R. Modica, the refit lasted three years with the yacht making her official reintroduction at the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show.

Honey Fitz can accommodate up to 35 passengers and features a main saloon, formal dining, a sundeck, a fully outfitted galley and a private owner's suite. Several functioning parts of the vessel date back to 1931, World War II and the presidential eras from 1945 to 1971, though the refit focused on the period during the Kennedy Administration.

Honey Fitz will be based at the Pelican Club in Florida and available for private charters alongside dockside events, including weddings and parties.