Yacht Captiva mystery solved? Facebook may have won the case

Yacht Captiva mystery solved? Facebook may have won the case

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It seems that Facebook sleuths may have solved the mystery of the mega-yacht that was recently docked off the island of North Captiva.

And Vincent Smiley perhaps offers more than speculation.

“For those who asked we were @ North Captiva yesterday,” Smiley commented on Facebook on December 29th.

“This ship was anchored and we rode to it and around. It’s an Amels Limited Edition 242 built in the Netherlands in 2022 for about 95-99 million euros, about 117 million US dollars. We rode around the ship in 20 feet and one of the guys who was with us talked to some of the big crew and reports this AIS and reports its position. name that is ‘M EM’ or also known as M&Em.”

Gulf Coast Charters agreed, saying it is the M&Em that is “privately owned, named after his two daughters.”

Other Facebookers also verified that it was M&Em and saw it around the world. But no one could verify the name of the owner.

The 242-foot yacht M EM sighted off the island of North Captiva, Florida, in late December 2025. The vessel created a stir on Facebook, as many speculated as to who owned it.

It started with a Facebook post

Jennie Battel of New Jersey posted a photo of the yacht on the afternoon of Dec. 29 to the Sanibel & Captiva Island public Facebook group with more than 188,000 followers.

Click here to view the yacht.

“Anyone know about this yacht off the coast of North Captiva?” Battel wrote.

Facebook commenters took it from there.

Some speculated that the mega yacht belonged to Shahid “Shad” Khan, owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team, who has retained his title as the richest person in Naples – and Southwest Florida.

His net worth grew to $13.4 billion, up from $12.2 billion in 2024, Forbes reported in 2025.

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan's mega yacht, Kismet, was docked in the St. Louis River. Johns near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront and Main Street Bridge on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan’s mega yacht, Kismet, was docked in the St. Louis River. Johns near the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront and Main Street Bridge on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]

And the posting from December 31 has more than 1,300 reactions, more than 1,600 comments and more than 70 shares.

Google apparently agrees

A Google search of “M EM yacht owner” checked most of the boxes regarding the vessel. “Its name honors the owner’s children, Madeleine and Emile, and it features a striking royal blue hull.”

Photos shared on Facebook show that the yacht’s bow is indeed dark blue or navy in colour. Other “key details” Google shared:

  • Builder: Amels Yachts (Dutch), based in Vlissingen, the Netherlands.

  • Length: 74 meters (242 feet)

  • Design: Exterior by Tim Heywood, Interior by Winch Design

  • Features: Royal blue hull, owner deck with hot tub, large main deck pool, foredeck jacuzzi, helicopter deck.

  • Performance: Designed for long voyages with a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

  • Owner: The identity of the owner is private, but the name of the yacht is a tribute to their children.

The 242-foot yacht M EM sighted off the island of North Captiva, Florida, in late December 2025. The vessel created a stir on Facebook, as many speculated as to who owned it.

The 242-foot yacht M EM sighted off the island of North Captiva, Florida, in late December 2025. The vessel created a stir on Facebook, as many speculated as to who owned it.

M&EM was everywhere, man

Google the name of the yacht and there are many photos and videos, including one showing the yacht off Monaco.

Hey, 5,000 nautical miles covers a lot of land, or, water.

And the visuals all but verify that it was the craft seen outside North Captiva.

Facebook enjoyed the yacht for a few days, and credit to Caleb Carroll whose comment was among the most popular.

“I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t post my location for everyone,” Carroll wrote, followed by an eye-catching emoji.

Bill Martini shared a map from the Marine Traffic app that also confirmed it was the M&Em yacht, showing a Cayman Islands flag near the yacht’s location.

Dave Osborn is the regional features editor of the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. Contact him at dosborn@usatodayco.com and follow him on Instagram @lacrossewriter.

This article originally appeared on the Fort Myers News-Press: Mystery of Florida yacht off North Captiva island may be solved

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