Sidling up for a rest

It's hard not to notice the 145-foot, three-deck motor yacht Fighting Irish tied up alongside the High Dock on the Bandon waterfront. Although she couldn't identify the owner, the port's general manager, Gina Dearth, said the vessel is skippered by Bandon's Jeff Palmer and has a crew of eight. She added that the owner is not aboard, and that the vessel's departure date is weather-dependent. Palmer didn't return calls requesting more information about the vessel this week. The 281-ton yacht was built in 2004 and is owned by Fighting Irish LLC of Wilmington, Del., according to the U.S. Coast Guard boat registry. Internet yacht blogs and local chatter say the vessel was custom built by Westship World Yachts at its Tampa, Fla., shipyard and originally launched under the name “Boardwalk.” The vessel appears to be owned by an Anacortes, Wash., resident. According to Yachting magazine, the vessel is “sleek luxury.” It has four guest staterooms, with an owner's suite on the main deck. There's a galley and formal dining room, along with a saloon. On the upper deck, there's a sunning teakdeck, pilot house and skylounge.