The Apache 47 that Ben Kramer built, raced and lost to federal agents in 1987 is for sale for the first time, listed by Seabound Yachts in Miami at an asking price of $795,000.
Hull #001 is the original 47-foot deep-V commissioned, built and campaigned by Kramer and Bob Saccenti, painted in the yellow-and-blue “69” livery by Gail Paik. According to the listing, the boat raced once, in New Jersey, before it was seized in the 1987 federal crackdown that ended Kramer’s career.
Kramer won the 1986 American Power Boat Association Offshore Championship and co-founded Apache Powerboats with Saccenti, building a reputation as one of the fastest and most aggressive drivers of the era. He was later convicted on federal drug smuggling charges and sentenced to life in prison. In 1996 he pleaded no contest to manslaughter over the 1987 murder of powerboat builder Don Aronow, a sentence that ran concurrently with his federal term. He remains incarcerated.
The boat itself disappeared into government custody for years after the seizure. According to the listing, it resurfaced complete and unmolested at a government auction, beginning the chain of private ownership that has now brought it to market. It is not the first famous race hull to reach this point; Don Johnson’s Team USA catamaran went up for sale under similar circumstances, a champion’s own boat, decades on, offered to a collector rather than a racer.
Under its current owner, the Apache has been refreshed by TNT Custom Marine to preserve its original racing specification rather than modernise it. The triple Keith Eickert/Thunder Racing engines were rebuilt by Sterling Performance and now produce approximately 700hp each, which the listing describes as the only Thunder Racing engines still in existence. A spare engine is included in the sale.
The restoration has not been a museum exercise. In the 2023 Ocean Cup, Hull #001 set the Class B V-Hull world record for boats over 45 feet, averaging 79mph across the 128-mile Palm Beach to West End round trip.
The hull carries the hand-painted names of the team that built and ran it: rigger Bobby Moore, designer Mark McManus, throttleman Bob Saccenti, navigator Bob Idoni and driver Ben Kramer.
Apache 47 Hull #001 Is For Sale
The original Ben Kramer race boat is listed through Seabound Yachts, Miami, asking $795,000, all reasonable offers considered.
View the Listing
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
