SS Delphine Yacht Charter

About SS Delphine

SS Delphine was built in 1921 at the Great Lakes Engineering Works yard near Detroit, commissioned by Horace E. Dodge of the Dodge Brothers car company and named for his daughter. Dodge did not live to see her finished. Naval architect Henry J. Gielow drew the lines and Tiffany’s of New York handled the original interiors; the result was, at the time of her launch, the largest privately owned yacht ever built in the United States.

She has survived more than most yachts her age. A 1926 fire in New York sank her; she was raised and back in service within four months. The US Navy took her into wartime service in 1942 under the name USS Dauntless, where Admiral Ernest J. King flew his flag aboard her as Commander-in-Chief of the US Fleet. Accounts describing wartime discussions involving Roosevelt and Churchill taking place on board are repeated by several sources but not independently documented.

An extensive technical rebuild began in Marseille in November 2024 and was completed in July 2026, restoring her Class, Flag and insurance status after several years out of commercial service. She still runs on her original 1921 quadruple-expansion steam engines, now with modernized boilers, and is marketed as the world’s last fully operational steam-powered superyacht. She is based in Monaco and returned to the Western Mediterranean charter market in August 2026.

Guest Accommodation

SS Delphine sleeps 12 guests. Her own official source lists her layout as 12 cabins with 15 beds, comprising a master suite, two VIP cabins, nine double cabins and a family cabin that can sleep several children, while most broker listings describe 13 cabins in a similar configuration; the cabin count is best treated as 12-13 depending on source.

A crew of 24-26 looks after guests onboard, a range reflecting source variance rather than a confirmed single figure, and one of the larger complements available to charter for a vessel of her size, suited to the detailed, hands-on service a century-old steamship demands.

Onboard Amenities

The wellness deck is unusually complete for a century-old hull: guests can move between a mosaic-tiled pool, a 12-seat jacuzzi built into the deck, an 8-seat hammam and an equally sized sauna, plus a dedicated massage room and a small hair and beauty salon. A fully equipped gym, a wood-panelled smoking room and a grand, Art Deco-leaning dining saloon with Louis XVI-style cabin furnishings fill out the interior spaces.

Starlink, 4G and 5G connectivity run throughout, and she holds commercial YET 12, ISM, ISPS and MLC certification, a notable compliance achievement for a vessel built over a century ago.

• Beauty Room
• Deck Jacuzzi
• Gym
• Hammam
• Massage Room
• Sauna
• Swimming Pool

Cruising Performance

SS Delphine is built on a steel hull, powered by her two original 1921 Horace Dodge quadruple-expansion steam engines, rated at 1,500hp each, a distinguishing technical fact that separates her from every other charter yacht on the market. She cruises at 8 knots, reaches a maximum of 10 knots, and carries a range of around 3,000 nautical miles at economical speed, extending to roughly 4,000 nautical miles at cruising speed.

Guests curious about how a crew this size is organized aboard a historic steamship can find a general breakdown in our guide to yacht charter crew roles.

Toys & Water Equipment

The tender fleet is her most distinctive feature after the engines: alongside a Bombard 150hp RIB and a Colombo 300hp classic boat, she carries two purpose-built classic wooden launches constructed specifically to serve SS Delphine, a 150hp model for 14 passengers and a 130hp model for 12, both period-appropriate rather than generic charter tenders.

Beyond the tenders, the toy inventory runs to Sea-Doo jetskis and two Seabobs for guests who want to get in the water directly from the swim platform.

SS Delphine Charter Destinations

Monaco

Compare luxury yachts offered for charter in Monaco, including SS Delphine and other options.