Man buys Frank Sinatra's abandoned yacht to embark on high-risk restoration project and reveals the once-luxurious vessel's neglected condition
Published on Apr 07, 2026 at 12:10 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Apr 17, 2026 at 5:04 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Mason Jones
This guy is trying to restore an abandoned yacht that was once used by Frank Sinatra, but it’s going to be a very high mountain to climb.
This is a very old boat, which has been rechristened several times and abandoned more than once.
According to the YouTuber, she’s been abandoned for over 12 years.
There’s a silver lining, though.
The story behind Frank Sinatra’s yacht
This ancient ship is a 75-foot steel yacht built in 1956, which is a very long time ago as far as yachting is concerned.
Originally commissioned in the 1950s by one Victor McCormick – a businessman from Wisconsin – the boat has changed hands a thousand times throughout her history.
She’s had plenty of names, too.
Heidi 3, King Tut, Another Toy 2, and then her current name: Nostalgia 10.
Nostalgia 10 originally cost $500,000 to build (equivalent to $6 million today), but this abandoned yacht hasn’t been at sea in a while.
For the final part of her life before being abandoned, the vessel was used as an Airbnb-style rental in London.
The YouTuber who bought the boat – he goes by The Pethericks on the platform – wants to restore the yacht and make her seaworthy again.
Aside from rust, which was everywhere, there was water ingress, and the boat will certainly need a significant engine overhaul.
It sounds difficult, but probably not impossible.
The difference between this and the other vehicle linked to pop royalty
Frank Sinatra’s yacht made us think of Elvis Presley’s jet.
Sinatra and Presley weren’t exactly from the same generation, but close enough.
They’re both American, and both are icons that will never be forgotten.
While Sinatra left behind this yacht, Presley left behind a jet that another YouTuber restored in record time.
However, the key difference was that Presley’s jet was doomed from the start, which is why the YouTuber turned it into an RV.
With a yacht, no matter how decrepit it is, you can theoretically always make it seaworthy again.
But that’s not how aviation works.
If you convert a jet into an Airbnb and then abandon it completely for over a decade, the chances of making it airworthy again – for legal reasons – are zero.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
