Billy Joel, a legendary figure in rock ‘n’ roll, once said: “Home is just another word for you. It can be the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Indiana’s early morning dew, high up in the hills of California.” Even though Billy Joel composed “You’re My Home” more than 30 years before he constructed the 57-foot Vendetta, the song’s sentiments still apply to his unique commuter boat. After a two-year renovation by the present owners, the vintage ꜱᴜреr commuter is now prepared for some California daydreaming.

Joel designed the custom Vendetta, which Derecktor Shipyards built in 2005, with a very specific use in mind: getting from his Long Island coastal house to his favored locations on Long Island Sound, all the way down to New York City. Joel’s secondary objective was for Vendetta to outperform all previous Long Island Sound commuter boats in terms of speed and range.

Joel stated at the time of the build, “What we’re basically attempting to achieve with this thing is combine a PT boat’s speed and durability, with the appearance and feel of a ’30s-era commuter, with a low profile like a гᴜм runner. Joel hired Doug Zurn, the same naval architect who had previously created the singer’s successful Shelter Island 38—a luxurious cruiser with a top speed of 50 knots and a cool-looking torpedo back end—to design this extremely unusual yacht.

In 2016, two Californian businessmen who own boats stumbled discovered Joel’s vintage beauty on the East Coast. They purchased Vendetta and moved her to the West Coast because they fell in love with the design, functionality, and build quality right away.

The owners wа𝚗ted to elevate Vendetta to a coastal cruiser that could travel farther and offer more comfort, while still retaining the boat’s design, speed, and seakeeping prowess. For the redesign, they went and knocked on Doug Zurn’s door. The current owner, who asked to remain anonymous, told Robb Report, “We wа𝚗ted the refit to be seamless, but to transform Vendetta from a quality, utilitarian, four-person fast boat to a 12-guest luxury entertainment yacht.”