Exploring The Unique Boat Type: St. Vitus Dance

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht, which was featured in the 1980s TV show *Miami Vice*. The yacht was the home of James Sonny Crockett, a wealthy, undercover detective and drug dealer. The name of the yacht is also the archaic name for the rare neurological disease Sydenham's chorea, which is characterised by rapid, uncoordinated jerking movements primarily affecting the face, hands and feet.

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht

The St. Vitus Dance is also the name of a rare neurological disorder and a Black Sabbath song. The boat may have been named after Saint Vitus, a Christian saint who was persecuted by Roman emperors and died as a martyr in AD 303. Saint Vitus is considered the patron saint of dancers, actors, comedians, and epileptics.

The yacht played a stylish role in the seminal 1980s crime drama, introducing the world to pastel suits and perfectly shaped beard stubble. Crockett, with his pet alligator, Elvis, lived on the yacht, which had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The sailboat was portrayed by three different yachts during the show's five seasons, starting with a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat in the pilot, then an Endeavour 40, and finally changing to a larger Endeavour 42 in season 2.

After the show ended, the Endeavour 42 yacht was sold and eventually resold and neglected. However, it was recently restored and available for charter in the Florida Keys in 2020. The yacht's new owners, Albert Tropea and Ronda Rinald, run a three-boat charter company, Key West Sailing Adventure, and are thrilled to own a piece of television history.

The yacht is moored in Miami's Miamarina

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina, now known as Bayside Marketplace. The sailboat rarely left its berth, serving more as a floating apartment than a means of transport or recreation. This suited the yacht's owner, James "Sonny" Crockett, who, in his undercover role as a drug-dealing middleman, benefited from the privacy and sense of seclusion that living on a yacht afforded him.

The St. Vitus Dance was the perfect setting for Crockett to entertain his (often female) guests and associates from his undercover work. The yacht also doubled as a safe house for witnesses in Crockett's assignments, providing a temporary refuge from potential hitmen. On one such occasion, the sailboat was badly shot up by gunmen, but it was soon repaired, and Crockett continued to use it as his base.

The yacht's role in the show was played by three different yachts over five seasons. In the pilot episode, Crockett lived on a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat, which was replaced by an Endeavour 40 when the show was picked up. At the start of season 2, the boat was changed again to a larger Endeavour 42, with some stock footage of the Endeavour 40 still being used in certain episodes. From season 3 onwards, only the Endeavour 42 was used.

After the show ended, the Endeavour 42 yacht was sold and eventually resold, ending up in the hands of a couple in Key West who used it for private charters. However, after Hurricane Irma, the yacht was damaged and sold once more to Albert Tropea and Ronda Rinald, who operate a charter business called Key West Sailing Adventure. They lovingly restored the yacht to its former glory, ensuring that a piece of television history remains intact and accessible to fans of the show.

The St. Vitus Dance is the home of James Sonny Crockett

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht and the home of James "Sonny" Crockett, the undercover detective and drug-dealing middleman from the classic 1980s TV show, Miami Vice. The yacht was moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace).

The sailboat rarely left its berth and served more as a floating apartment than a means of transport or recreation. This was fitting for Crockett's undercover personality as a wealthy drug dealer, allowing him to keep his lives separate and stay "off the radar". The yacht also provided a convenient escape to the safety of the open ocean when necessary.

The St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by three different yachts during the show's five seasons. In the pilot episode, Crockett lived on a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat, which changed to an Endeavour 40 once the show was picked up. At the start of season 2, the boat was replaced with a larger Endeavour 42, with some footage of the Endeavour 40 still used in some episodes. From season 3 onwards, only the Endeavour 42 was used.

The yacht had two bedrooms and two bathrooms and was used by Crockett to entertain his (usually female) guests. Associates from his undercover work would also visit him at the yacht to discuss business. Occasionally, Crockett's yacht played a more active role in his assignments, such as when he used it to "vanish" witnesses, taking them out to sea where it would be harder for potential hitmen to find them.

After the show ended, the Endeavour 42 yacht was sold and resold, eventually falling into a state of neglect. It was then fully restored and available for charter in the Florida Keys in 2020.

Crockett's yacht played an active role in some assignments

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht that served as the home of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s crime drama "Miami Vice". Moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace), the yacht was an integral part of Crockett's undercover detective persona, allowing him to maintain a separate identity from his drug-dealing alter ego, Sonny Burnett. Crockett's yacht, however, was more than just a luxurious residence; it played an active role in some of his assignments.

On certain occasions, Crockett's yacht served a more operational purpose, aiding him in his assignments. Crockett used his yacht to "vanish" witnesses, such as Al Lombard in "Lombard" and Keith Mollis in "Line of Fire". By taking these individuals out to sea on the St. Vitus Dance, Crockett made it more difficult for potential hitmen to locate and target them. The yacht also doubled as a surveillance base in the episode "No Exit", where Crockett anchored it across from the waterfront property of gun runner Tony Amato.

In the episode "Line of Fire", the sailboat was caught in the crossfire of an operation. Gunmen from the Cantero organisation discovered its location due to a departmental leak and fired on the yacht from a helicopter, causing extensive damage. Despite this, the vessel was promptly repaired, and Crockett continued to use it as his residence until the end of the series, when he bid farewell to the yacht upon quitting the Metro-Dade police force in the final episode, "Freefall".

The St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by three different yachts throughout the show's five seasons, starting with a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat in the pilot episode and transitioning to an Endeavour 40 and then a larger Endeavour 42 in subsequent seasons. The use of both the Endeavour 40 and 42 during season 2 suggests that the boats were meant to be the same yacht in the show's narrative. After the show concluded, the Endeavour 42 yacht was sold and eventually ended up in the hands of a Key West couple, who restored it and offered it for charter in the Florida Keys.

The yacht was portrayed by three different yachts during the show

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht that served as the home of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s crime drama "Miami Vice". The yacht was rarely shown leaving its berth in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace), instead functioning more as a floating apartment that fit Crockett's undercover personality as a wealthy, drug-dealing middleman. This unusual living arrangement helped Crockett maintain separate identities as an undercover detective and a drug dealer, with the yacht serving as an unorthodox space for entertaining guests and conducting business.

The St. Vitus Dance played a significant role in Crockett's assignments, providing a means of escape and protection for witnesses. However, the sailboat also faced dangers, such as being badly shot up by gunmen in the "Line of Fire" episode. Despite the damage, Crockett continued to use the yacht as his residence, showcasing its resilience and functionality.

The yacht's portrayal underwent changes throughout the show's five seasons. In the pilot episode, Crockett's home was depicted by a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat. As the show progressed and was picked up as a series, the yacht was replaced by an Endeavour 40. At the start of season 2, the boat was upgraded to a larger Endeavour 42, although some footage of the Endeavour 40 was still utilised in certain episodes, likely as stock footage from season 1. By season 3, the Endeavour 42 had become the sole vessel representing the St. Vitus Dance for the remainder of the series.

The use of different yachts during the show's run raises an interesting question. It is unclear if these boats were intended to be the same yacht or distinct vessels all christened the St. Vitus Dance. However, the simultaneous use of the Endeavour 40 and Endeavour 42 in season 2 suggests that they were meant to be the same boat, undergoing upgrades or repairs between assignments.

After the show's conclusion, the Endeavour 42 yacht enjoyed a life beyond the small screen. It was sold, resold, and eventually restored to its former glory, becoming available for charter in the Florida Keys in 2020. This yacht's journey from fictional dwelling to a real-life charter showcases the enduring appeal of the "Miami Vice" legacy.

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