Miami Vice Boat: Sonny's Vessel Unveiled

The name of Sonny Crockett's boat in Miami Vice is the St. Vitus Dance. Crockett, a detective in the Metro-Dade Police Department, lives on the sailing yacht moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace). The sailboat rarely left its berth and served more as a floating apartment than a means of transport. The yacht helped Crockett keep his lives as an undercover detective and drug-dealing middleman Sonny Burnett separate. Crockett also used a silver, blue, and black 1986 Wellcraft Scarab 38' KV for water-borne activities, usually pursuing criminals on Miami's waterways.

The name of Sonny Crockett's boat in Miami Vice is the St. Vitus Dance

Moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace), the St. Vitus Dance rarely left its berth, serving more as a floating apartment than a means of transportation or recreation. This unusual living arrangement suited Crockett's undercover detective persona, allowing him to maintain separate lives and stay "off the radar." The yacht also provided a convenient escape to the open ocean if needed and served as a base for surveillance operations.

The St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by different yachts throughout the show's five seasons, starting with a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat in the pilot episode and transitioning to Endeavour 40 and 42 models as the show progressed. Despite the changes in boats, the name St. Vitus Dance remained consistent, implying that the yacht was intended to be the same vessel throughout the series.

In addition to the St. Vitus Dance, Crockett also used a powerboat, the Wellcraft Scarab 38' KV, for water-based scenes and chases in the show. This boat replaced the Chris Craft Stinger from season 1, as the producers sought a racier look and feel. The Scarab became Crockett's primary means of aquatic transportation and was featured in several popular music scenes within the show.

Both the St. Vitus Dance and the Scarab have become iconic symbols of the Miami Vice series, with the Scarab even receiving its own Miami Vice Edition replica from Wellcraft, of which only 33 were made. The boats, along with Crockett's car choices, contributed to the stylish and tropical aesthetic that has come to be associated with the show.

The St. Vitus Dance is a sailing yacht

The yacht was moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace). Despite this, the sailboat rarely seemed to leave its berth, serving more as a floating apartment than a means of transport or recreation. Crockett's residence on a yacht helped him maintain his cover as an undercover detective and drug-dealing middleman, Sonny Burnett. It also allowed him to keep a low profile and stay "off the radar", making it harder for people to find him.

The St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by three different yachts throughout the show's five seasons. In the pilot episode, Crockett lived on a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat, which was replaced by an Endeavour 40 when the show was picked up. At the start of season 2, the boat was changed to a larger Endeavour 42, with some footage of the Endeavour 40 still being used in certain episodes. By season 3, the Endeavour 42 was the only boat featured, remaining so for the rest of the series.

In addition to the sailing yacht, Crockett also used a powerboat for water-based activities and pursuits. This boat, known as Crockett's SCARAB, was a silver, blue, and black 1986 Wellcraft SCARAB 38' KV. It replaced his Chris Craft Stinger from season 1, as the show's producers wanted a boat with a racier look and feel. The SCARAB was featured prominently in several episodes of Miami Vice and was involved in various exciting scenes, including shootouts and chases.

The St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by three different yachts during the show's five seasons

The St. Vitus Dance was the name of the sailing yacht that served as the home of James "Sonny" Crockett in the TV series Miami Vice. Moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace), the yacht rarely left its berth, serving more as a floating apartment than a means of transport or recreation. This extravagant lifestyle befitted Crockett's wealthy, drug-dealing undercover persona, and the yacht also provided a convenient escape route to the ocean if necessary.

Living on the yacht helped Crockett maintain his double life as an undercover detective and drug dealer, allowing him to keep a low profile and entertain guests, such as Gina and Theresa Lyons, and associates from his undercover work. Occasionally, the yacht played a more active role in Crockett's assignments, such as providing a safe house for witnesses.

The use of multiple yachts portraying the St. Vitus Dance throughout the series raises an interesting question. It is unclear if these boats were intended to be the same yacht or different vessels all christened the St. Vitus Dance. However, the simultaneous use of the Endeavour 40 and 42 in season 2 suggests that they were meant to be the same yacht.

Crockett's powerboat changed from a Chris Craft Stinger in season 1 to a Wellcraft Scarab in season 2

James "Sonny" Crockett's powerboat in Miami Vice changed from a Chris Craft Stinger in season 1 to a Wellcraft Scarab in season 2. Crockett's boat was used for any water-borne activities his job may require, usually pursuing criminals on Miami's waterways. The Stinger was a blue and white 1984 Chris Craft Stinger 390x, which was replaced by a silver, blue and black 1986 Wellcraft Scarab 38' KV from season 2 onwards.

The change in boat came about due to the show's producers wanting a vessel with a racier look and feel. Initially, Chris Craft, the manufacturers of the Stinger, were set to provide the replacement boats. However, they pressured Universal to purchase the new boats instead of leasing them, as they had done for season 1. Universal refused and subsequently approached Wellcraft, who supplied the Scarab.

The Scarab's first notable appearance was in the second season premiere, "The Prodigal Son", when Crockett and Tubbs go to see a drug dealer, Newton Windsor Blade. Its first major appearance, however, was two episodes later, in a shootout at Stiltsville in "Out Where the Buses Don't Run".

The Stinger made a brief reappearance in season 4's "Baseballs of Death" due to the use of old or unseen season 1 footage in a boat chase sequence.

The Wellcraft Scarab 38' KV became an iconic boat due to its role in Miami Vice, and the company even released a Miami Vice Edition that was almost identical to the one featured in the show. Don Johnson, who played Sonny Crockett, was a powerboat enthusiast and was gifted an exact replica of the main boat he used during filming. He often commuted to the set in this boat and later took up powerboat racing.

Don Johnson, who played Sonny Crockett, is a powerboat enthusiast

Johnson's love for boats began with his role as Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice. In the show, Crockett lives on a sailboat called the St. Vitus Dance, which is moored in Miami's luxurious Miamarina (now known as Bayside Marketplace). The yacht serves as a convenient means of escape for Crockett, allowing him to disappear with witnesses and stay "off the radar". It also provides a unique residence for entertaining guests and conducting undercover business.

Over the course of the show's five seasons, the St. Vitus Dance was portrayed by three different yachts. In the pilot episode, Crockett lived on a Cabo Rico 38 sailboat, which was replaced by an Endeavour 40 when the show was picked up. At the start of season 2, the boat changed to a larger Endeavour 42, with some footage of the Endeavour 40 still being used in certain episodes. From season 3 onwards, only the Endeavour 42 was used.

In real life, Don Johnson is a powerboat enthusiast and racer. He became interested in powerboats while filming Miami Vice and even owned an exact replica of the main boat used in the show, a 38' KV Wellcraft Scarab. Johnson did all his own boat work and stunts on the show, and his interest in powerboats soon turned into an obsession with offshore racing. He went on to race professionally in the OPT Tour (Offshore Powerboat Tour) and designed a "Don Johnson signature edition" boat with Wellcraft.

Johnson's racing career highlights include winning a 1,100-mile race up the Mississippi River in 1986 in a 43-foot Scarab and being named the APBA World Champion in the superboat category in 1988. He also designed and oversaw the production of a 50-foot catamaran called Team USA. Johnson's presence brought attention to the sport of powerboat racing, along with other celebrity racers such as Chuck Norris and Kurt Russell.

In conclusion, Don Johnson's portrayal of Sonny Crockett in Miami Vice sparked a lifelong enthusiasm for powerboats. He became a skilled racer, designer, and advocate for the sport, all while charming audiences with his cool and adventurous on-screen persona.

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