27.4m Palmer Johnson GEMBERY Listed for Sale at $2.499m

Northrop & Johnson has brought the 27.43-metre Palmer Johnson motor yacht GEMBERY to the sales market at an asking price of $2.499 million. The brokerage says the 1992 Vripack Doggersbank is listed with Elvis Sipe of Northrop & Johnson and James Corts of MarineMax, and is currently located in Indiantown, Florida.

The new listing follows a 2026 refit in which Northrop & Johnson says more than $2.3 million was invested. That figure is unusually significant relative to the asking price and makes the recent work central to the current sales proposition rather than a secondary part of the yacht's history.

A $2.3m refit behind the new listing

Northrop & Johnson's announcement details a broad exterior and technical programme rather than a single cosmetic update. Work included new hull and topsides paint, new teak decks, nonskid decking across the main deck and flybridge, and fresh bottom paint, giving buyers a recently renewed exterior platform to assess.

The technical scope was also substantial. The brokerage lists new air-conditioning and chiller systems, updated electronics at both helm stations, a new VHF, a Spotzero water-purification system and a Seaxchange watermaker, while LED lighting and televisions were renewed throughout the yacht.

Interior work extended to the yacht's existing joinery and flooring rather than replacing the character of the boat. Northrop & Johnson says the cherry woodwork and teak-and-holly flooring were freshly re-varnished and new carpeting was installed, preserving the established interior while addressing visible wear associated with a yacht delivered more than three decades ago.

Doggersbank design and Palmer Johnson construction

GEMBERY was delivered by Palmer Johnson in 1992 and combines Vripack's Doggersbank concept with aluminium displacement construction. Northrop & Johnson describes the yacht as dating from a period when the Doggersbank series was expanding into the United States and Palmer Johnson had become involved in construction.

Exterior design is credited to Dick Boon, while the yacht's long-range configuration remains a defining part of the current listing. The result is a profile aimed more at offshore cruising and practical endurance than at the higher speeds or large beach-club arrangements found on many newer yachts of similar length.

That distinction matters in the resale market because GEMBERY is not being positioned as a contemporary 27-metre production yacht. Her appeal rests on aluminium construction, expedition-style proportions, proven long-range operation and the scale of the 2026 refit, all of which create a different buying proposition from a younger GRP flybridge yacht.

More than 3,000 nautical miles of range

Northrop & Johnson states that GEMBERY has a range exceeding 3,000 nautical miles, cruises at 10 knots and can reach 12 knots. NAIAD stabilizers are also listed, supporting comfort during the type of longer passages for which the Doggersbank configuration was designed.

The performance numbers are modest in absolute speed terms but consistent with a displacement cruising yacht. For an owner considering extended passages, the relevant comparison is therefore less about maximum speed and more about endurance, fuel planning, machinery condition and the ability to remain comfortable over multiple days at sea.

Those operating questions are especially important on a 1992 yacht, even after major recent investment. The 2026 work provides a strong starting point, but a buyer would still need independent surveys, machinery inspections and documentary review to establish exactly how the refit affects current condition and future maintenance requirements.

The public refit summary identifies several major systems that were renewed, but it does not state that the main engines or all auxiliary machinery were replaced. Buyers will therefore need to separate the documented 2026 upgrades from equipment that may remain older, using service records and survey findings to establish the condition of the complete machinery package rather than assuming the investment covered every technical component.

Three guest cabins and a separate fishing cockpit

GEMBERY accommodates eight guests in three cabins and carries accommodation for three crew. Northrop & Johnson also highlights a deck arrangement that includes aft dining, a flybridge with a tender crane, a covered L-shaped dining area and an upper helm, giving the yacht several practical exterior zones despite her 27.43-metre length.

A separate fishing cockpit with dedicated tackle storage adds another layer to the operating brief. That feature is unusual enough to distinguish the yacht from conventional motor-yacht layouts and may appeal to owners who want long-range cruising combined with fishing capability rather than purely formal guest spaces.

The flybridge arrangement also reflects the yacht's practical design priorities. A tender crane, sheltered dining and an upper helm support self-sufficient cruising, while the aft dining area and fishing cockpit give the main deck a clearer division between guest use and activity at the waterline.

$2.499m asking price and a FLIBS appearance

Northrop & Johnson has set the asking price at $2.499 million. The brokerage has not disclosed any prior asking price for the current GEMBERY listing, so the relevant published commercial figure is the new market entry price rather than an inferred reduction or comparison with an earlier name or brokerage campaign.

GEMBERY is currently in Indiantown, Florida, and Northrop & Johnson says she will be available for viewings during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show from 28 October to 1 November 2026. That timing gives prospective buyers a defined opportunity to inspect the yacht shortly after the listing launch rather than relying only on remote brokerage material.

The show appearance is particularly relevant because the principal question surrounding an older yacht with a large recent refit is how the work presents in person. Paint, teak, interior finishes and new electronics can be assessed visually, while technical surveys can then determine how the renewed systems integrate with machinery and structural elements outside the scope of the public announcement.

For the market, GEMBERY is therefore a relatively unusual proposition: a 27.43-metre aluminium Doggersbank with more than 3,000 nautical miles of stated range, a 2026 refit exceeding $2.3 million and an asking price of $2.499 million. The listing gives buyers a clear set of recent upgrades and operating characteristics to examine, while leaving the final value judgement to survey findings, refit records and the condition seen during inspection.