The Exquisite 'Kiss' Yacht Hides a Lavish Private Owner’s Deck Among Other Surprises

Many things can make a superyacht extra special, starting with simple ones like the name or the official launch date. This particular Feadship has them both – it's named Kiss and was delivered to its owner on Valentine's Day. Those things would be enough to define Kiss as a romantic pleasure craft, compared to other luxury vessels that boast a more aggressive, adventure-seeking spirit. One thing's for sure: Kiss boasts one of the most elegant interiors of all superyachts and a surprising layout for its size, making it more like a floating mansion than a bold cruiser.

Kiss is one of those carefully crafted superyachts designed and built to the precise specifications of their owners. Bespoke models are the epitome of luxury, even in the world of yachting, where everything is already at the highest standards. The famous Dutch builder launched Kiss on February 14, 2015, during a glamorous ceremony that celebrated Valentine's Day to the fullest.

It was a great time for Feadship. The builder had launched two other major projects just shortly before the Kiss debut. One of them was the 101.5-meter (333 feet) Feadship, and the other was the 83.5-meter (274 feet) Savannah. Compared to these giants, Kiss was significantly smaller, boasting just 46.4 meters (152 feet). Still, the legendary shipyard proved once again that it was an expert in blending huge proportions with advanced custom building – something that requires tremendous skill and state-of-the-art engineering.

Kiss was, in fact, closer to another highly-successful Feadship vessel, the beautiful Como, later renamed Lady May. The two were similar in size and, most importantly, created by the same acclaimed names in the industry, the late Ed Dubois of Dubois Naval Architects and Redman Whitley Dixon (the RWD Studio). However, Feadship director Henk de Vries pointed out at the time that the two were also very different because each had been custom-built for separate owners with particular requirements.

Ed Dubois himself brought the client for Kiss just six months after the shipyard had signed the contract for Lady May in 2014. Based on the same concept, the two yachts were different in terms of design and power. Lady May featured an open-top deck and was capable of hitting an impressive 19 knots (21.8 mph/35 kph), while the future owner of Kiss wanted a tamer pleasure craft with a sprawling master penthouse on the upper deck. In order to accommodate these changes, Feadship engineers had to work with a modified lines plan and add a different power plant.

Still, these changes were nothing compared to what would be the most challenging characteristic of the Kiss superyacht – the unprecedented metallic paint of the hull. It was a special request from the owner, and Henk de Vries knew exactly how hard it would be to accomplish. He had recently got his personal Lancia Delta Integrale repainted, asking for a metallic black. That was difficult enough, but doing the same for a huge vessel seemed downright impossible.

Yet, Feadship achieved it after developing a new type of mixing machine and painting technique based on an electrically-charged spray nozzle. This allowed it to operate in one sweep, adding the metallic flakes in perfect order and preventing any imperfections.

The result broke industry records. Kiss boasted the most complex metallic paint livery ever delivered at the time. In other words, this superyacht was officially the most complex object at the time that was metallically painted, according to Feadship. The costs were through the roof, but it was worth it. Kiss turned heads with its spectacular black hull and red stripe on the waterline.

Next, Kiss broke the norm with its enormous master penthouse, an uncommon feature for yachts under 50 meters. Dubois naval architects worked hand in hand with Feadship's acclaimed in-house De Voogt engineers to make this happen. Also, per the owner's request, the main deck featured full-height glass doors on both sides, blurring the line between the indoor and the outdoor.

The master stateroom featured another innovative element in the form of an aluminum sliding hatch integrated into the ceiling. It was basically a sunroof that could easily slide back, flooding the entire penthouse with light and fresh air. Plus, the owner's deck had direct access to the top deck jacuzzi, surrounded by oversized sun loungers.

The unusual placement of the master suite allowed the VIP suite to enjoy the great views and spaciousness of the main deck. The accommodation onboard Kiss added to five staterooms for up to ten guests, four crew cabins, and a captain's cabin close to the pilothouse.

In 2021, the dazzling Kiss got a full repaint (not an easy task) while its engines were serviced and its generator rebuilt. The 2015 yacht can still hit 16 knots (18.4 mph/30 kph) and cruise for more than 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km).

The original owner (reportedly a young Dutch millionaire) enjoyed his bespoke luxury toy with unusual features for less than ten years – still, that's a long time in the world of serial yacht owners. Kiss recently changed hands for a whopping €27,5 million (nearly $30 million) and will continue to dazzle the world with its original, innovative spirit.