Commuter Yachts the Great Gatsby Would Have Loved

The concept of commuter boats started in the 1920s, when America’s Great Gatsby set needed a way to be transported from their stately homes on Long Island to Wall Street. The idea was simple: Create a sleek-looking craft with the same levels of fit and finish as the golden yachts of the era, provide enough seats for a small dinner party, and make sure it is fast enough to beat any train to lower Manhattan. Some of today’s craft share features of the classic commuters of 100 years ago, but with faster running surfaces, more powerful engines, and modern electronics. The concept of each commuter yacht depends, of course, on the owner’s tastes and the designer’s appetite for retro features. As you can see from these six, commuter yachts have become stylized, well-built vessels with their own signature features—the ultimate people carriers on the water.