GALVESTON, Texas – The family behind the Landry's empire knows a thing or two about living a life of the rich and famous. KPRC Local 2 chief meteorologist Frank Billingsley got a peek into the Tilman Fertitta lifestyle while in Galveston for Fertitta's Mardi Gras fundraiser.
Captain Tristan Judson gave Frank the tour of the 164-foot yacht. It was named Boardwalk, after Fertitta's Kemah project.
The kitchen is not a typical "galley" kitchen found on many ships.
"Mr. Fertitta likes the openness. The family hangs out in here," Judson said.
The family kitchen comes complete with two fully stocked walk-in refrigerators and floor-to-ceiling bins filled with provisions.
Wine takes up part of a wall and cabinets are filled with stemware for fine dining.
There are eight guest bathrooms. Televisions are everywhere, inside and out.
Fertitta helped design the yacht.
"We had several pages with structural changes," Judson said.
The beds are all king-sized. And of course, no yacht would be complete without a Jacuzzi.
In addition to four motor scooters and three jet-skis, a special pad is on hand for a helicopter to land.
"How much fuel does it hold?" Billingsley asked.
"It will hold 19,000 gallons," Judson answered.
When the ship cruises at 12 knots, it burns through 80 gallons of fuel an hour. When it's speeding along at 24 knots, the Boardwalk consumes 380 gallons an hour.
The Boardwalk has a fulltime staff of eight, with two or three more added when the family is on board.
The Boardwalk is kept in Florida when it's not brought to Galveston for events or on the high seas for vacations.
The Boardwalk was also featured in Yachts International. To see a slideshow filled with pictures of Fertitta's yacht, click here.