By Poin T. Enn, Yachting
Editor
The 280-foot motor yacht, “Royal Scion,” was spotted in
the channel near Caneel Bay Resort.
This superyacht was built by Camper and Nicholson at
their Portsmouth, England yard in 1951. It was a very modern design for its
time and was originally named “Fiona Mae.” It was presented to Fidel Castro
after it had been confiscated while at anchor in Havana by the Communist Party
of Cuba in the summer of 1966. It has been retrofitted many times with extreme luxury.
The last update included three hot tubs, a tennis court, a modern library with
over 150,000 e-books and a 1,200-square-foot galley designed by Emeril.
Asked about the name change, Raúl said that Fidel didn’t
think it proper to keep the name of the capitalist’s wife on his private yacht.
Also he wanted a more fitting, aristocratic name. “You think the First
Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba should have to put up with a peasant
fishing boat named ‘Maria’? No way, José” said Raúl.
After a couple of years Fidel grew tired of it and gave it
to Raúl. With a staff of over 280, it has a minion for every foot.
An island dinner party is set for August 1st. It
will be hosted by Niles and Susan Chair, long-time Castro family supporters,
with special guest, Elsa Engel, heiress to the Winnebago fortune. Mrs. Chair
said, “The last time ‘Raul,’ we call him ‘Raul’ at our house, was here he kept
saying he wanted to shoot whales that were just outside Hart Bay. He brought
one of those Kalashnikov
BB guns with a scope. Niles and I did what we could to divert his
attention. We knew he’d be on to something else soon. He’s such a dear.”
According to Mrs. Chair, recent visitors to the yacht
included Warren, Sunday and Jimmy Buffet. “Hughie Chavez kept circling in a
dingy, but Raul wouldn’t let him aboard. Chris Christie was there in his famous
Speedo – he always makes such a splash. And George W. Bush who did a lot behind
the scenes to keep the Castros in power,” said Mrs. Chair. “Poor ’Dubya,’ we
call him ‘Dubya’ at our house, was seasick the whole time.”
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