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Luxury Yacht Giants Unite: Nautor Swan and Sanlorenzo Group Merger

• By Yachting Staff
• August 27, 2024

Nautor Swan, which is best known for building sailing yachts from 28 to 131 feet long, has passed 60 percent of its ownership to Sanlorenzo Group, which also includes the Sanlorenzo superyacht shipyard and the Bluegame range of open and fishing powerboats.

The plan is for Sanlorenzo Group to have 100 percent ownership of Nautor Swan by April 2028, at the end of a four-year transition period.

“I have dedicated 26 years, together with a skilled and professional team, to developing and transforming this already famous and iconic shipyard into an international brand recognized for quality, elegance and reliability, the key elements at Nautor Swan’s core,” Leonardo Ferragamo, Nautor Group president, stated in a press release. “Today, my goal is to propel forwards a brand that is so beloved and respected and ensure its longevity by entrusting it to one of the world’s leading nautical groups, led by Massimo Perotti, one of the most brilliant entrepreneurs in the marine industry.”

Perotti, the CEO of Sanlorenzo Group, added in the same press release: “Signing this agreement represents another milestone for our strategy. … We are talking about a niche brand, ultra-exclusive, whose philosophy is aligned with the one we have in Sanlorenzo.”

Nautor Swan was founded in 1966. The Boatbuilding Technology Centre in Pietarsaari, Finland, is expected to remain the main production site for its yachts, while the partnership with Sanlorenzo Group will allow for more research and development, including the use of new materials and sustainability options in construction and outfitting.

The Sanlorenzo Group’s plans include pursuing such developments along with expanded markets while “always preserving the heritage and the exclusivity of the brand, respecting the competence and experience gained over the years by Nautor Swan. The union of the two brands Sanlorenzo-Nautor Swan—each with its own exclusive and limited offer, dedicated to a proper audience of connoisseurs, not overlapping—will create a unique nautical pole in the world. The best of motor and sailing yachting.”

Ferragamo will remain president of Nautor Swan, with Perotti as CEO and Giovanni Pomati as co-CEO.

Wait—doesn’t Nautor Swan build motoryachts too? Yes. The brand is best known for its sailing yachts, with close to 20 models stretched across Yacht, Maxi and ClubSwan lines, but there is also a Nautor Swan Motor Yacht Division. Its offerings include the Swan Shadow, Swan OverShadow and Swan Arrow. Overall, Nautor Swan has built more than 2,350 yachts in the past five decades.

Take the next step: learn more at nautorswan.com

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Leonardo Ferragamo: The fashion magnate behind Nautor’s Swan’s remarkable rise

• Toby Hodges
• August 13, 2020

Fashion magnate Leonardo Ferragamo has cultivated Nautor’s Swan into the world’s most respected yacht brand. Toby Hodges find out how he did it...

Photo: Nautor's Swan

If there is one yacht marque that every sailor knows, and can probably recognise even at a distance, it’s Nautor’s Swan. This famous Finnish yard has been owned for more that 20 years by an Italian, Leonardo Ferragamo, who has not only taken it through choppy waters, including a recession and now a global pandemic, but he has helped expand it into the most ambitious, innovative yacht brand in the world.

Swan is as popular now as it has ever been, with an order book to envy. An aggressive investment strategy over recent years has revamped the firm and led to a broad range that now includes cruising and racing yachts from 36-125ft.

But how does someone whose business is in fashion come to own a yacht building company? Ferragamo insists there are strong ties between the worlds of fashion and sailing. “It is about branding, it is about international marketing, about a product that needs to be done because of the substance, the contents, the reliability and the beauty that you can put in a product.”

The ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone is Ferragamo’s eighth Swan. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

When he bought the controlling interest in Nautor’s Swan in 1998, his overriding desire was to create a high-end brand. So how and why did he do it?

I connect with Ferragamo via video, as is the custom during isolation times. He sits at a varnished table in his Florentine home, with books and family photographs backlit on the bookshelf behind him. He has a healthy glow and looks younger than his 67 years.

Leonardo is one of six children born into the Salvatore Ferragamo fashion kingdom. He admits it was a privilege, yet says it never seemed that way. “At all times it felt like we were being pushed to take the hard route in life and always working for your own result,” he says.

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Leonardo’s father Salvatore established a legacy when he became known as the shoemaker of the stars – Marilyn Monroe famously wore his 4in heels in the movie Some Like It Hot . He opened his Hollywood Boot Shop in the 1920s and, after the Wall Street Crash, he founded the headquarters of Salvatore Ferragamo in Florence in 1938, where it remains today (including a museum housing Ferragamo patents). Salvatore died in his early 60s when Leonardo was just seven years old.

Family first

Leonardo is quick to credit the success of the present day Salvatore Ferragamo business to his mother: “My mother had been the driving force of the era after my father’s passing away in 1960, having been left with six kids from 18 years old to two-and-a-half, and a company that was based only on my father, my father’s personality, his creativity, his ability to do business.”

His mother, Wanda Miletti, was over 20 years younger than Salvatore and despite having no practical experience of the business she took control of it, expanding it into the global luxury goods retailer we know today.

Ferragamo empire founder Salvatore Ferragamo, shoemaker to the stars

At this point in our discussion Ferragamo leans in towards me in considered, happy reflection: “She was left with this and she took it in a wonderful way, with modesty, but with a lot of strength, and she was able to be a fantastic mother and a great driver in the company.”

Family is important to Ferragamo. His father was one of 14, he is one of six, and he has four children of his own. He paints a picture of family unity and business acumen from an early age.

“I was number five out of six, with the rest of the family entering into the business as soon as they were out of high school. So the business environment was very dominant in my growing up and I remember that I couldn’t wait until I got out of high school too and start giving a contribution to my family activity.”

Learning the trade

Ferragamo began working in the family firm in 1973, after studying business administration. [As a time reference, this was also the year that the Swan 65 Sayula II ’s triumphant campaign in the first ever Whitbread Round the World Race began]. “I started as an assistant to my cousin who was technical production director – a fantastic person, he is now 90 years old and he puts the same passion in his business as he did when he was a young guy.”

Ferragamo has always been driven. He describes a period 40 years ago when he was helping to create a men’s line of shoes for the American market. “It was a fantastic time because we always felt the challenge of bringing to the world what was inside us, like the style, the sense of quality, the Italian aspect.”

In the late 1980s Ferragamo pushed for the international development of the family company. Up to 85% of turnover was through wholesale in the US. “So that’s when I came up with the proposal to my family ‘let me take care of the rest of the market’. I was basically living on a plane and travelling the world, which I did constantly for at least 15 years,” he explains.

Ferragamo at the helm of Cuordileone . Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

After achieving his export goals at Salvatore Ferragamo, in 2000 Leonardo moved to the family’s other holding company, Palazzo Feroni Finanziaria, which is focussed on real estate, hospitality and a chain of boutique hotels. He remains the CEO today, while he and his siblings are still directors in the Salvatore Ferragamo group. His attention was also being drawn to Nautor’s Swan.

“And then on my personal side I got involved in the nautical sector, acquiring the company that I respected the most, by far,” he stresses. “I was in love with what they were doing and I had the ambition and took the challenge of taking it through difficult times that they were facing….”

In 1998 the challenge was to build up the Nautor’s Swan brand and, says Ferragamo, take the struggling company into the third millennium.

Victory at Copa del Rey in 2019. Photo: Martina Orsini

Ferragamo the sailor

Although his family is originally from Naples, Ferragamo was born and raised in Florence. He started sailing in his teenage years with his older brother Ferruccio on a Flying Dutchman. “I just loved the racing,” he recalls, something which has repeatedly shown itself throughout his custodianship of Nautor’s Swan.

“Thereafter started a period of cruising in a very leisurely way, until I boarded a Swan for the first time.” His first yacht was a secondhand Swan 51, and that was the beginning of his infatuation with Swan yachts. “I became more and more close to the company and the strong desire to get involved in it came up very sharply,” he explains.

Buying a shipyard because you like the product could be likened to buying a restaurant after enjoying the food. And if your experience is in fashion, why gamble with something as far removed as yacht building?

The Nautor’s Swan main factory on the Gulf of Bothnia at Pietarsaari, Finland

“I felt that there were so many areas of improvement and bringing this yard the branding reputation which I thought it deserved. So after a few years thinking about it, it happened.”

“Out of a yard I wanted to create a brand,” Ferragamo explains. “Becoming a brand means you want to control all the key ingredients that are around your product.” Ferragamo placed immediate emphasis on product development.

“It was about modernity, new systems, new constructions, new materials – product is always key. But at the same time it’s also about taking care of your customers… being close to all your customers is very important,” he believes.

Ferragamo with long-time Swan designer German Frers

Ferragamo was also quick to establish a bond with someone he felt critical to the continuity of the yard. German Frers had been the primary designer for Nautor’s Swan since the early 1980s (and remains so today).

“There is no [greater mark of] success for a product than to be recognised, identified when you see it at a distance, when you don’t read the brand name but know it is a Swan. To preserve that identity, that quality, it was paramount to do it with one [designer].”

Strength in the brand

Ferragamo presided over the yard with a respectful approach. Change was not abrupt. He moved Nautor’s main offices in Finland to its current facility by the water in Pietarsaari in 2002. He also looked to strengthen the Swan ‘family’, which he has achieved through events, racing and the development of the ClubSwan line.

He explains how they built on the bedrock of the existing Swan Cup, with other Swan branded events including the Swan European and American regattas.

Ferragamo still enjoys handicap racing, but during his more recent tenure there has been a steady shift towards one-design racing within Nautor’s Swan. He argues that this makes for an efficient purchase and higher resale price – and lower running costs for a high level of racing.

He also champions an owner-driver rule. “Maybe it will take him some time to perform at the best but there is so much pleasure in doing it your own way, learning from your own mistakes and challenging yourself.”

Ferragamo and the Nautor’s Swan founder, Pekka Koskenkylä. Photo: Linda Tallroth-Paananen

Nautor’s Swan’s robust return to the one-design world came in 2016 and for Ferragamo personally this was a second lease of racing life. He wanted to mark Nautor’s 50th anniversary in an appropriate way and rather than just look back at the past, they sought an innovative new product to take them forward. No one can deny that they developed one in the ClubSwan 50.

Together with the ClubSwan 36 , which launched last year, Swan and designer Juan Kouyoumdjian have produced two of the boldest, most radical production yachts to date.

Ferragamo has been actively racing his own ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone and clearly remains besotted. When developing the project, he particularly wanted to introduce a special competition for Swan owners to enjoy. This has become the biannual Nations Trophy, around which a whole league of racing has formed. It had 41 One Design yachts from 14 countries participating in the second edition held last October in Palma.

The names of Ferragamo’s yachts are a reference to, or amalgamation of, his children’s names, including his cruising yacht, the Swan 115 Solleone . Photos: Carlo Borlenghi

I can’t help but to wonder how the racing side equates financially, particularly when we have seen a rapid decline in yacht racing in recent years. Ferragamo concedes that the majority of the Swan business is in cruising yachts, but feels that the racing format they have developed is “something we owe to the sailing industry.”

Nautor’s Swan today

In the past few years Ferragamo and his shareholders have invested heavily in Nautor’s Swan. They have pumped over €10m into the waterside Boatbuilding Technology Centre (BTC) in Pietarsaari, which involved relocating three manufacturing plants to create a more efficient production system.

Its range is perhaps the broadest of any manufacturer, with six new models in production and turnover has responded accordingly, rising by 55% last year thanks to a €120m order book and the delivery of 28 yachts.

Swan 115 Solleone ’s grand saloon

It’s abundantly clear that Ferragamo’s enthusiasm for Swan remains as fervent as ever. “There are areas I feel tremendously at heart and I will always be present in those,” he says of his personal input today.

“One is product development, which is something I feel extremely strongly about. I just love to be involved and try to give a contribution in what is developed.”

Ferragamo sees the secret to his success as growing up in a challenging family: “It was very important – challenging with serious and very deep values and principles.

Victory at the Rolex Swan Cup Caribbean in 2017. Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

“And I feel my Neopolitan blood has given me the passion and determination to pursue the things I believe in. I only move when I have a strong feeling about what I am supposed to do.

“We say ‘throw your heart over the obstacle’ – so let your determination, your vision, your passion, move you forward.”

Ferragamo in brief

Alle Querce College, Florence, graduated in 1972 University of Imede, Lausanne, Switzerland, Business Administration Degree, graduated in 1980

Current titles

CEO Palazzo Feroni Finanziaria Chairman of Lungarno Alberghi Director of Salvatore Ferragamo, Ferragamo Finanziaria and Executive Vice-President of Fondazione Ferragamo Honorary chairman of Altagamma Founder and chairman of Associazione Partners Palazzo Strozzi Chairman of Nautor Holding, which owns Nautor’s Swan, Camper & Nicholsons and Marina di Scarlino Honorary Member of Academy of Fine Arts of Florence Commander of the Order of the Lion of Finland Honorary Consul General of Finland for the regions of Tuscany and Umbria Member of Fondazione CR Firenze

Career highs

“I like to think that I’m a good father, which is an important thing that I will treasure.”

Career lows

“Sometimes you should learn from mistakes and do it again in the proper way rather than moving to something else.”

Favourite yacht

“At the moment it is the ClubSwan 50. It has given me the same passion and adrenaline I had when I was racing the Flying Dutchman. I also have the privilege of my cruising yacht, a 115ft Swan, which I adore.”

Sailing hero

“Olin Stephens. We met when he was in his mid 90s and he had his laptop under his arm with all the files of all the boats he had designed. And of course he was the first designer of Swans.”

Business icon

“As a person? Enzo Ferrari.”

First published in the July 2020 issue of Yachting World.

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Our Heritage

Oy Nautor AB was founded in 1966 by Pekka Koskenkyla in Pietarsaari, Finland.

With hundreds of years of Finnish boat building tradition, Pekka was inspired by a vision to start producing high-quality and high-performance sailing yachts.

The first Swan yacht produced was the Swan 36, a yacht that introduced, in addition to the fibreglass used for the hull, a significant number of innovations. The result was a vessel whose behaviour and safety equalled that of the traditional wooden ones, which could provide greater steering stability, but with less weight and better living space.

Sparkman & Stephens were the designers of approximately the first thousand Swan yachts sold by the Yard. These included the memorable and iconic Swan 38 and Swan 47 which, together with the other models, have positioned Swan as synonymous with performance coupled with quality and elegance, enduring reliability, and timeless lines.

Nautor Swan continued to fulfil expectations entering the market for larger seaworthy, elegant and timeless yachts with the introduction of the Swan 55 and the Swan 65. These models offered owners all the joys of cruising combined with the opportunity for racing success – most poignantly, this included Swan 65 Sayula II’s victory in the first ever Whitbread Round the World Race in 1973/74.

Between 1978 and 1981, another very well-known yacht designer, Ron Holland, started his collaboration with Nautor Swan. Holland designed five boats of which approximately 300 units were produced, including the well-known Swan 37, Swan 39 and Swan 42.

During the 1980s, Nautor Swan entered a new era with the appointment of German Frers as designer, who has since been responsible for the design of all Swan yachts, maintaining that vital balance of competent racers, comfort and beauty in their design.

The contribution of Frers also allowed Nautor Swan to enter into the “one design” racing yacht division with the design of the Swan 45 in 2001, followed by the “ClubSwan 42” in 2005 developed in association with the prestigious New York Yacht Club to encourage the return to traditional Corinthian sailing competitions.

Since 1998 Leonardo Ferragamo has controlled and managed Nautor’s Swan. This management has evolved the brand by continuing to push forward a whirlwind of innovations and changes that firmly place the Swan yachts at the forefront of the international sailing world.

At the end of September 2015, Nautor Swan reached another milestone, unveiling the new ClubSwan 50 designed by Juan Kouyoumdjian. In 2019 this model was followed by the innovative ClubSwan 36. The ClubSwan 36 combines innovation and modernity, with sustainable technology.

With a well-established Swan One Design Circuit and strong participation of ClubSwan Yachts in the established regattas, in September 2022 Nautor Swan gave a new boost to the range by introducing the ClubSwan 41 .

Morevoer, in 2021 Nautor entered the motoryacht segment with Swan Shadow, a 42’ power yacht, and in 2022 gave birth to her sister, the “inboard” version – Swan OverShadow.

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Lazzarini’s Swan-Shaped Mega Yacht Concept

The exciting new megayacht concept from  Lazzarini Design Studio  will turn some heads as the swan-like body sails across the water.

The 137m superyacht is shaped like a swan and boasts a detachable head that can be used as a separate boat. 

The enormous bird-shaped yacht is named AVANGAURDIA, which means ‘vanguard’ in English.

As the name suggests, the vessel leads the way in cutting-edge marine design.

Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini penned the ambitious design.  

The design company, based in Rome, has delivered on several innovative beings in the past few years, including flying cars, an amphibious catamaran named  PAGARUS , and much more.

However, the waterbird-inspired mega yacht may be the most outlandish and innovative of the company’s designs.

The massive yacht is split into five decks and can accommodate up to 60 sea goers.

There is potential for even more guests when the yacht is dockside.

As for sleeping arrangements, the yacht can sleep up to 24 guests, 12 staff, and ten crew members. 

There are many toys on board the ship.

There are two helicopters, which can be found on the top level, with two helicopter hangars.

Lazzarini’s innovative design, the jet capsules, is located aft. 

An entire haul of supercars is also found on the superyacht, thanks to an expansive garage.

The yacht boasts many areas for socializing and sunbathing for the 60 guests, including a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. 

The exterior of the yacht features flowing lines and curves that reflect the silhouette of a swan on the water.

The head of the swan is a control tower and acts like a brain for the vessel. 

The inspiration for the head comes from 1970s Japanese manga.

It also doubles as a 16m cruiser that is perfect for daytime trips around the water.

A second control point on board will operate the boat while the head is used for a daytime jaunt across the water. 

Like a real-life swan in the water, the head of the yacht that houses the control tower is perched on a flexible neck.

The neck uses a fulcrum to give it a full range of movement and lower the head into the water from its crow’s neck perch. 

The head floating in the air while the vessel is at anchor cuts an impressive image.

When the ship is underway, the head lowers to the middle of the megayacht to help steer the vessel in the right direction.

The lowered head is exactly like a swan nestling its head into its feathers.

Specifications

The jet capsules that are located at the vessel’s rear can be used for increased propulsion.

Lazzarini has developed several innovative water transportation, and the jet capsules are just one amongst many.  

The watercraft is fully customizable to the smallest detail and can serve as a private vessel for up to 20 passengers.

The egg-shaped mini-jet cruiser can be connected to the rear deck for extra auxiliary propulsion or disconnected and work independently to cruise people around the waters.

The swan’s power comes from the twin electric side engine and a central MTU Roll’s Royce engine.

This setup has the potential to push the yacht to a cruising speed of about 18 knots.

It remains just a concept at this stage, but the design studio says it could become a reality as soon as an investor is ready to commit to the concept.

The design company is confident that the yacht can be built and would require a $500 million investment from a potential buyer.

Lazzarini’s motto is ‘Think about the future but never forget the past,’ which can clearly be seen throughout his work.

Lazzarini’s unique and visionary concepts include automotive, aerospace, architecture, and yacht design.

His team of designers, engineers, and dreamers is creating some of the most innovative prototypes in the world.

With his Wally yachts, Lazzarini pioneered using carbon fiber as a building material, revolutionizing the yacht-building world.

He entered the yachting scene in the 1990s with his futuristic ideas, innovating in the relatively stagnated yachting industry.

The jet capsule is one of Lazzarini’s most highly awarded and praised designs.

The egg-shaped fiberglass yacht was the beginning of the designer’s most innovative concepts. 

When Lazzarini was asked why he chose the concept of a Swan for AVANGUARDIA, he answered that he finds nature to be a source of inspiration because of its innate perfection and that the swan is the very definition of elegance and grace. 

The swan-shaped yacht is the first of six animal-shaped watercraft concept yachts that Lazzarini has presented.

The  PRODIGIUM  is a monolith-inspired vessel that looks like a shark rising out of the water.

The yacht supersedes the AVANGUARDIA in size, measuring in at an enormous 153m.

The vessel will be the largest superyacht on the water if ever built.

The PAGARUS is another innovative design from the studio company.

The catamaran will have the ability to scuttle out of the water like a crab.

Lazzarini noticed a growing space in the industry for luxury off-the-grid vessels and designed a vessel to meet that need.

The PAGARUS, the Latin word for crab, was initially designed for military applications.

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This Bonkers Swan-Shaped Megayacht Concept Has a Detachable Head That Turns Into a Day Boat

The gargantuan waterbird spans 450 feet., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

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This bold new megayacht concept is sure to ruffle a few feathers. The 450-footer is shaped just like a swan and even comes with a detachable head that can be used as a separate boat.

The gigantic sized bird goes by the name of Avanguardia , which means “vanguard” in English. Fitting since the megayacht is clearly at the forefront of marine design. The concept was penned by plucky Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini of Lazzarini Design Studio . The Rome-based outfit has churned out a number of disruptive designs, from flying cars to a bullet-shaped hyperyacht , but this waterbird may make the biggest splash yet.

Avanguardia is replete with flowing lines and subtle curves that give her the elegant silhouette of a real-life swan. The gargantuan vessel is split into five separate decks and can fit up to 60 seafarers. Just like the animal, the “head” (a.k.a. the control tower) acts as a brain to maneuver the vessel. But it also doubles as a separate 50-foot cruiser that can carry out requisite day-time jaunts.

Lazzarini Design Studio

The control center is supported by a flexible “neck” that employs a fulcrum to give it a full range of movement. When swanning about, it drops to the middle of the megayacht to help steer it in the right direction. Conversely, when the vessel is at anchor, the neck lowers the head to the water where it detaches for independent cruising.

Toys come in the form of a helicopter on the top level, a pair of Lazzarini’s jet capsules that are located aft, and a haul of supercars which sit amidships, because why not? The jet capsules can also be added to the rear of the vessel for added propulsion.

Speaking of propulsion, the swan’s power would come in the form of twin electric side engines and a central MTU Rolls-Royce engine. Together, this setup could push the megayacht to a maximum cruising speed of about 18 knots.

While Avanguardia it just a concept at this stage, the design studio said that it could become a reality in the the future if a client is able to invest. Lido deck and the swan? We’d love to see that story hit the water.

Check out more renderings of Avanguardia below:

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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Paul Paget, owner of Boston’s Swan Boats, dies at 99

• Published: Aug. 24, 2022, 6:10 p.m.

Swan boats at Boston Public Garden.

• Kiernan Dunlop | [email protected]

The owner of a business synonymous with Boston Public Gardens has died.

Paul Paget, the owner of Boston’s Swan Boats, died on Monday at 99 years old, according to his family.

The Brighton native graduated from Boston Latin School in 1941 and finished a degree at Boston College after initially having to put off higher when he entered the U.S. Navy during World War II, his family said.

After graduating from BC’s Graduate School of Social Work in 1949, he took over the Swan Boats with his father Paul in the 1950s.

Paget’s grandparents, Robert and Julia, started the business, which ferries riders around the lagoons of the Boston Public Gardens in boats distinctly shaped like the namesake long-necked bird, in 1877. The business is still in the family and is now in its 145th season.

“Following the model of his generous ancestors, Paul donated thousands of free rides on the swan boats to various organizations serving disadvantaged communities throughout Boston and beyond,” his obituary read. “He never wanted to see a person denied the enjoyment of the peaceful ride along the Public lagoon and insisted that people without the means would ride for free.”

Paget leaves behind his wife Marilyn Paget of Lynn and their five children.

A wake is scheduled for 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday at William J Gormley Funeral Home in West Roxbury. His funeral mass will be held the following day at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Roslindale.

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The Boston Public Garden was established on land that was once tidal marshes. Surrounded by Victorian-era cast iron fencing, the garden sits in the heart of downtown, surrounded by the historic neighborhoods of Beacon Hill and Back Bay. 

The Swan Boat story dates back to the 1870s when Robert Paget, whose descendants continue to operate the business, was granted a boat for hire licensed by the City of Boston. Rowing a small boat in the Public Garden lagoon was a favorite summer pastime for city residents during the day and evening.

In 1877, Robert introduced a catamaran-style boat to the lagoon. This boat was designed atop two pontoons and allowed passengers to sit on benches in front of the captain. The boat was foot-propelled like a bicycle attached to a paddle wheel. To cover the apparatus and wrap around the captain, Robert designed a swan.  

Robert and his wife Julia were opera fans and the idea for the swan came from the opera Lohengrin. The Richard Wagner opera is based on a medieval German story in which Lohengrin, a knight of the Grail, crosses a river in a boat drawn by a swan to defend the innocence of his heroine, Princess Elsa.

1800s to 1940s

From the late 1800s until the mid-1940s, the Swan Boats and the row boats operated together in the Public Garden.

Robert lived only one year after the first Swan Boats were launched. He died in 1878 at the age of 42 and his wife Julia, a young widow with four children, assumed full management of the new enterprise. For over three decades—and before women had the legal right to vote—Julia managed the family business while raising her children. Since a woman-owned business was so rare, Julia was required for many years to gather signatures of support from local business owners in the Back Bay.

In 1914, Julia’s youngest son John and his wife Ella carried forward the tradition of the Paget family’s Swan Boats. During this period, with increasing popularity for the ride, the boats were expanded in size to  five benches that would accommodate 20 passengers per boat.

Make Way for Ducklings is published—a children’s picture book written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, featuring the Swan Boats. The book tells the story of a pair of mallards who raise their new family of ducklings on an island in the Public Garden lagoon. 

The current fleet of Swan Boats consists of six boats, the oldest of which was built in 1910. John and Ella raised six children, all of whom spent many summers working on the boats. In 1952, their son Paul and his wife Marilyn followed in the footsteps of Paul’s parents and maintained at the helm of the operation for over 50 years.

The Trumpet of the Swan is published—a children’s novel by E. B. White that tells the story of Louis, a trumpeter swan born without a voice who overcomes this difficulty by learning to play a trumpet in order to impress a beautiful swan named Serena. Louis plays his trumpet for passengers on the Swan Boats and resides at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Today, the Swan Boats continue their tradition under the management of Paul and Marilyn’s daughter Lyn and her cousin Phil—both fourth-generation members of the Paget family.

Preservation

The Paget family has preserved this tradition for almost 150 years, maintaining the charm and integrity of a vision that became a reality for a young boat builder and his wife. They are the only boats of their type in the world and are an important symbol of the wonderful City of Boston.

Watch CBS News

Historic Boston Swan Boats Have Been Operated By One Family For 145 Years

May 2, 2022 / 6:00 PM EDT / CBS Boston

BOSTON (CBS) - The historic Swan Boats have just begun their 145th Season in Boston's Public Garden. The boats hold a special place in the hearts of New Englanders who have memories of riding them with their parents, with their children, and even their grandchildren.

One family – the Paget family – has exclusively operated the boats for all 145 years.

Lyn Paget is the latest in a long line of the Paget family to exclusively operate Boston's iconic Swan Boats…polishing the brass, checking the pedals and launching the swans.

"I came here when I was 13 or 14 and started selling tickets," Lyn remembers. "Everybody is so happy when they come here….it's a great summer job and we've got awesome young adults, students mainly they're a tight knit group and they work hard."

RJ Petrucelli is a Senior at Boston Latin School and says pedaling the boat is an awesome summer job. "Little kids are awesome! They bring a little joy to the city."

The magical area in the Back Bay is a gift of the Gilded Age. The footbridge was built in 1867. There were row boats in the lagoon, and the about ten years later, Robert Paget, an Irish immigrant who started the business, travelled to Europe and brought back the unique design with benches…easier for ladies in long skirts to climb aboard.

Lyn points out, "these are the only boats of this type in the entire world."

In 1878, Robert Paget died, leaving behind his wife Julia to care for their small children. Julia had to convince city fathers to let a woman to keep the very visible business going in the Public Garden, and other businessmen wrote letters of recommendation for her to be allowed to continue.

Julia Paget had saved this attraction for the city. Lyn praises her Great-Grandmother: "Oh I absolutely think so."

By 1938, they'd become such a recognizable symbol of Boston, thousands packed the Public Garden to see the Number One Movie Star in the world…Shirley Temple…go for a ride!

In 1941, the publication of Robert McCloskey's children's classic "Make Way for Ducklings" drew even more families.

Lyn sees how children react to their special ride "all of a sudden that book just comes to life for a small child this is a big deal for them"

WBZ-TV even had a Variety Show in 1955 called "Swan Boat" that drew big stars!

The business was passed down to Lyn's Grandparents and then parents. Her Dad is turning 100 this year, and she operates the Swan Boats now with her cousin.

And every year the ceremonial first ride is reserved for the Mayor of Boston. This year, Mayor Michelle Wu said her 4-year-old son thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

Mayor Michelle Wu said, "This is a nearly 150 years old tradition in Boston. It was my younger son's first time on the boat, he's four years old, so with the pandemic for much of his life, this was a new experience! And we were delighted to be on the boat today."

On so many levels, Lyn Paget knows it's all about family. "One of my favorite parts is when I'm here to listen to the stories - people really want to share that," she said.

Like the three generations of the Driscoll Family of Melrose. Marian Driscoll says, "it brings tears to my eyes because a lot of memories and sharing memories of the children and grandchildren - nothing better!"

Her daughter Ashley Dejute adds that it's a sentimental place saying, "we took our engagement photos here!"

So as Boston evolves and grows up and around them, the Swan Boats, unchanged, glide on.

Lyn Paget feels the emotion from riders who come back generation after generation. "They want us to know how much they appreciate that we've maintained the integrity of the business that we really haven't changed it up," she said.

A magical spot in the world.

Ticket prices for the 2022 Season are $4.50 for adults, $3.00 from kids 2 – 15, and free for children under two.

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Westport Motor Yacht Black Swan Sold

The 34.14 metre motor yacht Black Swan , listed for sale by Bob Cury at RJC Yacht Sales , has been sold with the buyer introduced by Raymond Young in an in-house deal. 

Built in GRP by US yard Westport with naval architecture by Jack Sarin , Black Swan was delivered in 2013 as the most highly customised Westport 112 model ever built. 

Accommodation is below decks in four cabins consisting of a master suite with a king sized bed and an en suite bathroom with a his and hers bath, marble fittings and mosaic accents. The VIP suite has a queen sized bed and there is a second double with a queen sized bed plus a twin cabin, all with full en suite bathroom facilities.

Her stylish, ultra-modern interior features sapele mahogany throughout along with many custom pieces including the sapele mahogany dining and cocktail tables in the main saloon, both of which feature inlaid back lit glass insets and stainless steel fittings. The lounge and dining area have custom marble flooring with carpeted inlays and there are granite counter tops on all of the buffets and entertainment centres. An additional detail is the recessed overheads throughout the yacht including a full skylight in the galley.

Outdoors, the spacious flybridge comes with teak decks, custom raised seating, a full wet bar, barbecue grill, a Jacuzzi hot tub along with a 19’ tender. Powered by 2,000hp MTU engines, she cruises comfortably at 20 knots with a 26 knot top speed. A 5,500 gallon fuel tank gives her an extended range of 2,500 nautical miles.

Black Swan was asking $10,800,000 and will be available for charter with RJC Yachts.

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