Judge Judy’s yacht was built by Sterling Yachts back in 1985 making it one of the older luxury yachts out there owned by a celebrity. The exterior design was handled by Bannenberg & Rowell. Both the hull and superstructure are GRP or glass-reinforced plastic, which is also something you’ll rarely find in newer superyachts which usually go for steel, aluminum and in some cases composite superstructures. That said, some sources claim the superstructure is, in fact, aluminum.

The yacht underwent a refit in 2009 to upgrade much of the interior and technology on board and make it more modern overall. 

There are some rumors that Judge Judy also sold this yacht and no longer owns it but it’s hard to confirm or deny that at this point because so many of the details surrounding yacht ownership are often kept secret and the subject to guessing and conjecture.

What’s the Name of Judge Judy’s Yacht?

Judge Judy is known for being a forceful and opinionated woman both on her syndicated TV show and in real life, so it’s not surprising she gave her yacht a powerful name as well. It’s known as the Triumphant Lady. 

How Big is Judge Judy’s Yacht?

The Triumphant Lady is a good sized yacht coming in at 155′1″. Obviously that’s not the largest yacht on the seas but it’s still large enough that most would consider it a superyacht. The vessel also has a 26.5 foot beam and a 7.5 foot draft. The gross tonnage comes in at 532 GT.

How Much Did Judge Judy’s Yacht Cost?

Word is that Judy Judy paid $16 million for her yacht. That’s definitely pricey but nowhere near the most expensive yachts in the world. That said, Judge Judy is estimated to have a net worth in the neighborhood of $440 million, so she can certainly afford a yacht of this caliber. 

How Does a New York Family Court Judge Afford a Yacht?

Judge Judy, born Judith Susan Blum, became a lawyer back in 1965. By 1972 she was working as a prosecutor in the New York family court system until then mayor Ed Koch appointed her to the criminal court in 1982. In just four more years she was promoted again to become a supervising judge in the family court system in Manhattan. This is where she started to come to prominence as a judge most people found to be a tough, no-nonsense sort of person. 

Fast forward to the early 90s and her reputation had spread well beyond New York. A writer for the Los Angeles Times profiled her from the angle of her being tough but fair and trying to fix the court system for the good of everyday people. It struck a chord with readers and 60 Minutes went on to do a feature on her, bringing her in front of television audiences for the first time. 

Within a year of her appearance on 60 Minutes she was approached about heading her own reality court TV show which she accepted. The Judge Judy series went on to become one of the most popular shows ever with Americans watching daytime TV across 25 seasons. In the early 2000s she was making $25 million per season. By 2005 that had increased to $45 million. Given that she only worked 52 days a year, she was making $900,000 every day she went to work. And that means she was more than able to afford a yacht, a private jet, and multiple homes in places like Newport, Rhode Island, Fort Lauderdale, New York and Los Angeles,

Can you Charter Judge Judy’s Yacht?

Believe it or not you can, in fact, charter Judge Judy’s yacht for use. This is not entirely uncommon since a large luxury yacht can have annual running costs that get up to $2 million to $4 million or even more. To help offset those costs owners will often make a yacht available for charter. Thus gives both tax breaks and allows the charter fees to go towards the year’s running costs. 

Judge Judy’s Triumphant Lady can be chartered for $150,000 per week plus expenses. The cost doesn’t necessarily  change based on the season like it would for many yachts but it might based on demand.

If the rumors that Judge Judy sold her yacht are true, then it was a charter firm that picked it up and now charters it under the same name. It was reported that she may have sold it for about $7 million, which is a considerable loss compared to the initial price she seems to have paid. 

How Fast is The Triumphant Lady and What Engines Does it Have?

Judge Judy’s yacht is powered by a pair of Caterpillar 3512TA diesel engines that produce 1300 hp each giving her a maximum speed of 15 knots and a cruising speed of 13 knots. The vessel has a range of 4,000  nautical miles thanks to the 51,885 liter fuel tanks.

What’s the Interior of Judge Judy’s Yacht Like?

The interior design work on the yacht was handled by Cindy Mason and Jon Bannenberg. There is room on Judge Judy’s yacht for 10 guests to stay in 5 cabins. A total of 9 crew can also be accommodated. The guest cabins consist of one master suite along with four double cabins.

The interior features soft and welcoming colors with many rooms decked out in natural wood tones, cream, gray and gold accents. There are multiple dining and lounging spaces as well as plenty of room on deck for lounging and hanging out as well.

In what qualifies as an oddly funny or maybe even ironic fact about the yacht, there is extremely limited information about any kind of standout amenities or luxury features. Given Judge Judy’s reputation for being overly harsh and serious, it’s funny to see that even her yacht seems to be overly serious. As an example, if you head to one of the website’s where you can book it for a charter the only thing listed as an amenity is air conditioning. This would normally be where things like a deck Jacuzzi, a pool, access to jet skis and so on would be listed. 

Don’t be fooled, however. A little digging and you can discover that Judge Judy does, in fact, have some luxury features on board that she and guests can enjoy.

Features and Amenities on the Judge Judy Yacht

As we said, details can be scant on what’s on board the vessel but they’re not entirely hidden. Though Judge Judy herself tends to be fairly private, the yacht is a charter so they do have to share some reasons why people might actually want to spend money renting the vessel. To that end, here are some of the features you can find on board. 

  • One of the most notable features available is a glass-bottom spa pool
  • To the forward part of the vessel there is a sun deck with gym access. The gym deck can be accessed via an elevator. The gym features a resistance training machine, cardio machine, free weights, exercise balls, bands and more.
  • A unique design aspect not likely to be found on other yachts is the 3 story atrium with spiral staircase topped by etched glass.
  • Built-in sun pads to port and starboard of the bridge
  • The main salon features a lounge area for guests, a bar, and a karaoke machine.
  • Towards the main aft deck you’ll find yacht tender and waverunner storage. This is where you’ll also find something of a beach club with access to a swim platform. It’s also fitted with hydraulic passerelle and barbecue

Toys

No word on how often Judy herself likes to get out on the water and play with the water toys but the yacht does have a tender garage with some items for those charter guests who like to have fun. Some of the toys available include:

  • A 6.4 m (21´) Nautica tender fitted with 225 hp engines
  • A 9.75 m (32´) Century FIN cabin with twin 250 hp engines outfitted for fishing/diving and more swift adventures on the water
  • A pair of 2-person waverunners
  • A pair of 2-person kayaks
  • A large variety of towable toys that includes boards, water skis,tubes and so on.
  • Full snorkel gear
  • A large selection of fishing gear

The Bottom Line

The Judge Judy yacht is known as the Triumphant Lady. It was built back in 1985 but had a refit in 2009 to give it an update. The yacht is believed to have cost around $16 million. It can be chartered for the week for a cost of about $150,000 plus expenses. 

The yacht is just over 155 feet in length and it can reach a top speed of 15 knots though it cruises at around 13 knots. There is room on board to accommodate 10 guests at a time across 5 cabins, and 9 crew members at the same time.

The yacht features a variety of features and toys to help guests relax and have fun including a glass bottom pool, a variety of water toys like waverunners and water skis, and a number of sun pads and other relaxing areas to lay out on deck.