Captiva mystery yacht solved? Facebook may have cracked the case

Facebook sleuths appear to have solved the mystery of a megayacht that recently docked near North Captiva Island.

Vincent Smiley may offer more than just speculation.

“For those asking about our @North Captiva yesterday,” Smiley commented on Facebook on December 29.

“The ship had broken down and we sailed to it and around. It was a 2022 Amels Limited Edition 242 built in the Netherlands for about 95-99 million euros, about $117 million. We sailed 20 feet around the ship and one of the guys who was with us talked to some of the crew. A ship that big must have an AIS report and this ship did too, it reported its position and name which was “M EM” also known as “M EM”. Mechanics and Mechanics.”

Gulf Coast Charter agrees, saying the M&E is “privately owned and named for his two daughters.”

Other Facebook users also confirmed that it is M&Em and has been seen around the world. But no one could verify the owner’s name.

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, which has more than 188,000 followers.

Click here to view the yacht.

“Does anyone know anything about this yacht off the coast of North Captiva?” Battle wrote.

Facebook commenters took it from there.

Some speculate that the megayacht belongs to Jacksonville Jaguars football team owner Shahid “Shad” Khan, who still holds the title of the richest man in Naples and Southwest Florida.

According to Forbes in 2025, his net worth has increased from $12.2 billion in 2024 to $13.4 billion.

As of December 31, the post had more than 1,300 reactions, more than 1,600 comments and more than 70 shares.

Google apparently agrees

A Google search for “M EM yacht owner” checked many boxes about the boat. It was “named in honor of the owner’s children, Madeleine and Emile, and features a striking royal blue hull.”

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

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

• length: 74 meters (242 feet)

• design: Exterior design by Tim Heywood, interior design by Winch Design

• feature: Royal blue hull, master deck with hot tub, large main deck swimming pool, foredeck Jacuzzi, helicopter deck.

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

• owner: The identity of the owners is private, but the name of the yacht pays homage to their children.

M&EMs are everywhere, man.

A Google search for the name of the yacht turned up numerous photos and videos, including one showing the yacht near Monaco.

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

The visuals all but confirm that this is the craft seen near North Captiva.

Facebook spent a few days on this yacht, thanks to Caleb Carroll, whose review is the most popular.

“I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell everyone where I am,” Carroll wrote, followed by an eye-roll emoji.

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

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

This article originally appeared in the Fort Myers News-Press: Yacht mystery near North Captiva Island, Florida, may be solved