Imbued with character over time, a stunning yacht mesmerizes all who step aboard her decks, as wind catches the sails and Captain Shannon Carleton guides their voyage through the Hamptons waterway.
Raised on the sea for half her childhood, Shannon is at home on water. This deep love found fulfillment during a college semester aboard a gaff-rigged schooner, inspiring her search for a watercraft. This old-world mode of sailing stuck, and she has since mastered the technique. After spying Kelpie in a boating magazine in 2014, Shannon quickly traveled to Spain to obtain her.
Kelpie is an extension of her skipper—two storied old souls belonging to the deep. The captain likens the yacht’s name with its mythical counterpart, a Scottish shape-shifting spirit. Built in 1928, the vessel was commissioned for a New York stockbroker, served in WWII, was owned privately, and was used in training for Boy Scouts. “She is the mother who keeps my crew and me safe at sea and ensures our livelihood,” Shannon says. “And she is the belle of the ball in the Hamptons, hosting New York’s most elite ladies and gentlemen.”
The skipper’s zeal for yachting is as potent for hospitality. When customers arrive, every need is met, and eyes are drawn to the shining deck donned in cozy tartan pillows, with the interior below adorned in classic Herreshoff style, blending polished woods and sleek white surfaces with touches of crystal, linen, and silver.
Still today, it is not common to spot women at the shipyard, but Shannon embraces her femininity, often sporting pearls and red nails. Melding all aspects of herself, success lies in her altruistic approach. “When guests step aboard,” she says, “they’re not just clients; they’re embraced as guests into my personal sanctuary.”Text Lydia McMullen
Photography Carrie Harvey
Styling Melissa Sturdivant Smith
