splendour yacht wikipedia

The yacht tied to actress Natalie Wood’s mysterious 1981 death is out of Oahu waters

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A boat that was once a crucial piece of evidence in a Hollywood homicide investigation has finally been removed from Honolulu waters.

The yacht “Splendour” is now a sitting scrap heap. On Tuesday, the state hauled the vessel from the Ala Wai Harbor. It’s been sitting there unused for over 20 years as it changed owners.

But it was once owned by actor Robert Wagner who was questioned in 1981 following the death of his wife, actress Natalie Wood.

Wood is said to have fallen from the boat one night, yet conflicting witness statements from Wagner, actor Christopher Walken, and the boat’s captain led to an extensive investigation.

For years, her death was classified as an accident until new witnesses emerged and the case was reopened in 2011. Authorities now consider Wagner a person of interest.

The vessel itself has racked up nearly $12,000 in illegal mooring fees, and it will cost the state almost $14,500 to get rid of the yacht.

The DLNR adds that the boat was in extremely poor condition and was in danger of sinking.

To this day, no one has ever been arrested in connection to Wood’s death.

Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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40 years later, the mystery over Natalie Wood’s death endures

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Forty years ago, actress Natalie Wood drowned off the coast of Catalina Island.

Authorities classified her death as an accident, concluding the 43-year-old star of “West Side Story,” who couldn’t swim, had been drinking the night before she was found floating face-down in the ocean waters.

Her death has been a Hollywood mystery, the topic of tabloid speculation, TV specials and books that explored whether she was the victim of a homicide.

The theory gained dramatic interest a decade ago.

In 2011, 30 years after Wood’s death, Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials reopened the investigation . Then, in 2013, county coroner’s officials changed Wood’s cause of death from “accidental drowning” to “drowning and other undetermined factors.” The new coroner’s report cited fresh bruises on the actress’ arms and knee, along with a scratch on her neck and a scrape on her forehead, as evidence that she might have been assaulted before she drowned.

The new report also noted “conflicting statements” about when Wood disappeared and whether she had argued with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, who — along with Christopher Walken, her co-star in the film “Brainstorm” — were aboard the 60-foot yacht where she was last seen alive on Nov. 28, 1981.

Hours before her death, authorities said, the three actors had had dinner at Doug’s Harbor Reef restaurant in Two Harbors and then returned to the yacht, called the Splendour, where they drank and an argument ensued between Walken and Wagner. According to the new report, Wood went missing about midnight, and an analysis of her stomach contents placed her death around that time. The report said Wagner placed a radio call to report her missing at 1:30 a.m.

PHOTOS: Natalie Wood |1938-1981

Roger Smith, the L.A. County rescue boat captain who helped pull Wood’s body from the water, said he did not receive a call to look for her until after 5 a.m.

The original investigators thought Wood’s body was bruised when she fell off the yacht and struggled to pull herself from the water into a rubber dinghy, whose side bore scratch marks that seemed consistent with that theory. But in the 2013 report, coroner’s investigators noted that nail clippings were not taken from Wood’s body to determine whether she had made the scratch marks, and the dinghy was no longer available to be examined. The coroner thinks Wood died soon after entering the water.

Detectives said more than 100 people contacted authorities after the investigation was reopened. But it became clear that the new probe didn’t provide a big break in the case. Some detectives claimed Wagner knew more than he let on about Wood’s death, an allegation the actor’s attorney denied.

No charges were ever filed, and the department has said it is not sure whether a crime occurred.

40 years ago, Mystery endures >> https://t.co/CB3X5dKmQz pic.twitter.com/3flidFGwkx — Shelby Grad (@shelbygrad) November 30, 2021

“Our biggest challenge is time,” Lt. John Corina of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Homicide Bureau said in 2018. “Many witnesses have passed away, who were on boats nearby. The original investigator has passed away. We’re reaching out one more time to see if people will come forward with information.”

Corina died in 2019.

This article was compiled from The Times archives. Here is a breakdown of Times coverage of the Wood case:

Robert Wagner’s action after Natalie Wood’s death ‘doesn’t make any sense,’ detective says

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s investigators say they’re closer to understanding exactly how actress Natalie Wood died while boating off Catalina Island nearly four decades ago, but say they would still like to hear from her husband, Robert Wagner.

Feb. 5, 2018

L.A. County coroner changes Natalie Wood’s cause of death

Jan. 14, 2013

Entertainment & Arts

Authorities still want to interview Wagner in reopened Wood probe

Jan. 17, 2013

Detective’s comments ignite new interest in Natalie Wood’s mysterious drowning

The mysterious death of Natalie Wood off Catalina Island has sparked more than three decades of speculation about whether it was an accident or murder.

Feb. 1, 2018

How The Times covered Natalie Wood’s mysterious death in 1981

The mystery surrounding the 1981 death of actress Natalie Wood has long troubled law enforcement officials while fascinating the public.

Detectives running out of time in Natalie Wood mystery

Robert Wagner initially said Natalie Wood must have drowned while trying to leave their yacht in a small inflatable boat.

Feb. 6, 2018

Mystery of the reopened Natalie Wood case

Nov. 19, 2011

Review: Natalie Wood’s death is still big business. In HBO’s new doc, her family fights back

In HBO documentary “Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind,” the star’s daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner offers a personal counterpoint to true crime gossip.

May 5, 2020

Intimate portraits piece together the puzzle of Natalie Wood, the person and mother

Natalie Wood’s daughter, actress Natasha Gregson Wagner, has written a memoir of life with the legend and produced an HBO documentary about her career.

Violence, secret affairs afflicted Natalie Wood’s life and death, sister says in book

In ‘Little Sister,’ Natalie Wood’s sibling Lana shares research on Natalie’s drowning, allegations about Kirk Douglas and Sydney Pollack and more.

Nov. 9, 2021

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What Really Happened to Natalie Wood?

The Hollywood star's death was declared accidental decades ago—but now, investigators aren't so sure.

We originally published the following investigation of Wood's death in 2018.

On a cool November day 37 years ago, four adults went for a cruise off the southwest coast of Los Angeles aboard Splendour , a 55-foot yacht. Three of those adults would come safely back to shore. The fourth would never see home again. She’d never work again or see her children reach adulthood. She was discovered floating in the water in a flannel nightgown, socks, and a down jacket the next morning.

In this story, the unlucky adult was also the most famous adult, movie star Natalie Wood , who was 43 at the time. She had been a beloved child actress, first capturing national attention in the 1947 Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street— she played the skeptical, precocious Susan Walker—and then as a beautiful ingenue in such films as the 1961 musical West Side Story , in which she played a graceful Maria. By the age of 25, she had been nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Actress, for her leading roles in Rebel Without a Cause, Splendor in the Grass , and Love With a Proper Stranger.

But perhaps because of her tragic end, when you hear the name “Natalie Wood” today, you don’t think first of her storied career. To wit: There are 38 million Google results for the search term “Natalie Wood death.” While the circumstances surrounding her death remain murky and controversial, we can agree that in dying so young, and so mysteriously, Wood’s talent was denied a proper legacy.

In 1981, Natalie’s death was classified as an accident and “probable drowning in ocean.” Prominent Los Angeles coroner Thomas Noguchi cited in his report “numerous bruises to arms and legs” that were “superficial and probably sustained at the time of drowning” and wrote, “No other trauma noted and foul play is not suspected at this time.”

The investigator’s report attached to Noguchi’s document said that Wood and a small party that included her husband, Robert Wagner, had left the Splendour for a restaurant dinner on Catalina Island. At about 10 p.m., the “intoxicated” group returned to the yacht, using its dinghy, Valiant . Robert Wagner told the investigators that Natalie retired for the night in the couple’s cabin at about 10:45, but after talking for a while longer with their guest, Natalie’s co-star at the time Christopher Walken, Wagner went to join her in the cabin, only to find her missing.

Wagner and the others soon discovered the dinghy was also missing, and they “immediately” radioed for help. Harbor Patrol, private searchers, and eventually the Coast Guard all combed the water and island coastline, and a Sheriff’s Department helicopter eventually spotted Natalie’s floating body. She was pronounced dead at 7:44 a.m. on November 29th.

Wood’s funeral, held on December 3rd, showed a devastated, weeping Wagner, surrounded by friends, family, and the cream of the entertainment world: Laurence Olivier, Frank Sinatra, Gregory Peck, and Rock Hudson.

Instead of finality, Wood’s death only seemed to provoke questions , and three decades later, in 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reopened the investigation . And at a press conference in February of 2018, Captain Christopher Bergner of the homicide department said “new witnesses” and those with relevant information had been identified and a different timeline had emerged of Natalie Wood’s last hours on the boat and when help was requested.

At that February press conference , John Corina, a lieutenant in the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department Homicide Bureau, said that Robert Wagner, 88, was “a person of interest” in her death and they would like to speak with him again and hear his version of events. The new witnesses, he said, were people in boats moored near the Wagner yacht who heard a couple loudly arguing as well as a woman calling for help.

“[Wagner] is a person of interest, because he was the last one with Natalie Wood. And somehow she ends up in the water and drowns," said Corina.

Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood

“The case is still open,” says Suzanne Finstad, author of Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood . (Natasha was the name her Russian family called her.) When Finstad’s book was published in 2009, it contained startling claims about arguments between Wood and Wagner shortly before she was declared missing from their yacht. The source was the fourth person on the boat, its captain, Dennis Davern, who is now 70. In the February press conference, Corina said the witness statements from those who heard a couple fighting matched up with what Davern has said in recent police interviews.

Corina added that his department have also talked to witnesses who saw the group on Catalina Island that weekend as well as people who knew Wagner and Wood. Some of the details that have emerged about the last hours of the yacht are ugly, with whispers of drunkenness, rage, and accused infidelity.

The life of Natalie Wood is like a Russian matryonshka doll, a set of wooden dolls nesting in one another. When you pick up one doll, you find another inside, over and over. Even those who thought themselves familiar with the life story of the sparkling Wood would be taken aback by the reality of her childhood.

Born Natalia Nikolaevna Zakharenko, Wood was the daughter of Russian immigrants. (Studio executives changed Natalia’s name to Natalie Wood when she first started acting as a child.) Her father, Nikolai Zakharenko, was a laborer given to violent alcoholic rages, and her mother, Maria, was a fantasist and abusive taskmaster who drove her tiny daughter to become the family breadwinner, according to Finstad’s biography and other books, documentaries, and articles about Wood.

Maria’s family fled to China after the Russian Revolution, and when she was a child, she said she had her fortune read by a gypsy in Harbin. The fortune teller told her that her second child “would be a great beauty, known throughout the world.” But she also said that Maria must “beware of dark water.” Maria passed on that fear to her second daughter, while pushing her to fulfill that first prophecy.

There are harrowing stories of Maria’s career as a stage mother. She was determined that her daughter, after receiving small parts, would be cast in the 1946 film Tomorrow Is Forever alongside Orson Welles. The character was that of an emotionally fragile girl orphaned by the Nazis. To win the part, Wood would have to be able to cry on cue. Her mother wasn’t sure she could do it. At the studio, clutching her seven-year-old daughter before her screen test, Maria whispered to her to think of the death of the family dog.

But she went much further than that, according to Finstad’s book. “Her mother pulled her to the side, where no one else could see, ‘took a live butterfly out of a jar and tore the wings off it.’ Tenderhearted Natasha went into hysterics as her mother called out, ‘She’s ready!’ grabbing her by the hand and pushing her in front of the camera.”

Wood was so moving in the film that she won a long-term studio contract. She was famously hard-working, learning not just her lines but everyone else’s, and earning the nickname “One Take Natalie.” She performed in a dizzying number of movies, including The Ghost and Mrs. Muir , and, as she reached her teen years, wore braids and frilly dresses so she could play younger roles.

But, unsurprisingly, Wood rebelled from her mother’s tight control and her ultra-wholesome image by the time she was 16. She wanted to be a “real” actress, an artist, and with some difficulty won a part in Rebel Without a Cause , co-starring James Dean and Sal Mineo.

This period also launched her sexual rebelliousness. Wood, 16, had an affair with the 44-year-old director, Nicholas Ray, and also slept with her co-star Dennis Hopper, according to Finstad’s book. In the next few years she would date entertainers like Elvis Presley and heartthrob Tab Hunter. In Hunter’s case she was playing the part of beard, since the gay actor was then in the closet.

Wagner was different. She had long had a crush on the handsome actor, and they went on their first date on her 18th birthday. They married one year later, in 1957, becoming Hollywood’s golden couple. But the marriage did not last. Following their divorce in 1962, Wood dated Warren Beatty before marrying British producer Richard Gregson in 1969. It was with Gregson that she had her first daughter, Natasha .

To the delight of her fans, after she divorced Gregson in 1972, Wood got back in touch with Wagner. They remarried that same year, one decade after their divorce. This time, the marriage flourished, and they had a daughter, Courtney. Wagner’s career took off when he found a hit TV series in Hart to Hart . During that time, Wood made fewer films. Some say she wanted to devote more time to her family, but she was also finding it hard to get good parts after 40.

Wood’s last movie was Brainstorm , in which she played a scientist married to a fellow scientist portrayed by Christopher Walken. The New York-based actor had just won an Academy Award for The Deer Hunter . Wood told friends she was worried that she looked older than Walken onscreen (she was five years his senior), but they struck up a friendship, and rumors swirled about their connection.

The film’s first assistant director, David McGiffert told Wood’s biographer, “It wasn’t like they were lovey-dovey on the set or anything like that, but they just had a current about them, and an electricity.”

.css-4rnr1w:before{margin:0 auto 1.875rem;width:60%;height:0.125rem;content:'';display:block;background-color:#9a0500;color:#fff;} .css-gcw71x{color:#030929;font-family:NewParis,NewParis-fallback,NewParis-roboto,NewParis-local,Georgia,Times,serif;font-size:1.625rem;line-height:1.2;margin:0rem;}@media(max-width: 64rem){.css-gcw71x{font-size:2.25rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 48rem){.css-gcw71x{font-size:2.625rem;line-height:1.1;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-gcw71x{font-size:2.8125rem;line-height:1.1;}}.css-gcw71x b,.css-gcw71x strong{font-family:inherit;font-weight:bold;}.css-gcw71x em,.css-gcw71x i{font-style:italic;font-family:inherit;} "It wasn’t like they were lovey-dovey on the set or anything like that, but they just had a current about them, and an electricity."

For the Thanksgiving weekend of 1981, Wood and Wagner invited Walken to join them as they sailed around Catalina Island, a rocky getaway about 22 miles off the shores of Los Angeles. Wagner loved his yacht Splendour and the family spent as much time on it as they could; in a 1979 TV interview, Wood talked about how it allowed the family to escape the public eye. “It’s easy with the boat,” she said with a smile.

Davern, a family friend as well as Navy vet, was the captain that fateful weekend. He has said in multiple interviews—and in a book that he co-wrote with Marti Rulli , titled Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour— that after Natalie Wood’s body was found, Wagner him and Walken to stick to the original story. That was the timeline that showed up in the 1981 coroner’s report : Natalie went to bed first; when Wagner after chatting with Walken went to join her, he saw she was missing and so was the dinghy.

However, Davern now says, that wasn’t the whole truth.

“The argument started the day before,” Davern told Nancy Grace in a televised interview years later. “The tension was going through the whole weekend. Robert Wagner was jealous of Christopher Walken.”

According to Davern, Wood and Walken spent hours at a bar on Catalina Island, laughing and seemingly flirting. When her husband showed up, he was fuming. The four proceeded to have dinner at Doug’s Harbor Reef Restaurant, drinking champagne, two bottles of wine, and cocktails. At one point, Wood or Walken threw a glass at the wall, employees of the restaurant told Finstad.

The restaurant manager saw how drunk the members of the group were becoming, and worried they would not be able to reach their yacht safely when they staggered out just after 10 p.m. Using their inflatable dinghy, Valiant , the group did reach Splendour that night, but Wood was dead hours before sunrise.

The story of what happened when the four of them returned to the yacht has changed several times. According to Finstad’s book, Walken early on told the investigators that he and Wagner got into a “small beef” about a parent being away from young children for an extended time shooting a movie, as Natalie was doing. Apologies were made, and the spat died down.

However, in his most recent version , Davern says they resumed drinking wine and that a very heated argument exploded, during which Wagner broke a bottle of wine on a table and shouted at Walken, “Are you trying to f—-k my wife?”

Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour

Davern said Walken left to go to his own room “and that was the last I saw of him.” Wood also left for her state room, with Wagner following, and Davern heard the ensuing loud quarrel. While Davern did not see them at this point, he said he heard the argument continue on the deck of the boat, before “everything went silent.” After a time, he decided to check on the situation, and found Wagner alone on deck, saying, “Natalie is missing.” He asked Davern to start looking for her.

When his search was unsuccessful, Davern said he rejoined Wagner, who then told him, “The dinghy is missing too.” With Natalie Wood being “deathly afraid of water,” Davern says he doubted she would have taken out the small boat herself. He has said in multiple interviews that Wagner, saying he didn’t want to attract bad publicity, refused to turn on the boat’s flood lights and delayed calling for help.

Sheriff’s investigators have referred to a key witness statement from Marilyn Wayne , who happened to be in a boat moored 80 feet away at the time. Wayne said that around 11 p.m., she heard a woman calling out, saying, “Somebody please help me, I’m drowning.” The cries went on until almost 11:30 pm. When Wayne’s boyfriend tried to call the harbormaster, no one answered. Also, there might have been a party on another boat moored off the island, so they wondered if it was all a joke.

Most troubling, it seems there was a critical gap before anyone learned Wood was missing. Far from notifying authorities “immediately,” according to Finstad’s reporting in her book as well as Davern in his many television and print interviews, Wagner did not make the first call to shore until 1:30 a.m.

Lana Wood , Natalie’s younger sister, has often called for Wagner to say more about what happened that night. “She would never have left the boat like that, undressed, in just a nightgown,” said Wood in one TV interview.

In 2013, Wagner released a statement through his attorney, Blair Berk, as reported by E! News : "Mr. Wagner has fully cooperated over the last 30 years in the investigation of the accidental drowning of his wife in 1981. Mr. Wagner has been interviewed on multiple occasions by the Los Angeles sheriff’s department and answered every single question asked of him by detectives during those interviews.”

The sheriff’s department said in February that the team is still working to see if more witnesses can still remember the night and may help fill in the timeline and provide more clues about when exactly Wood went into the water. “We’re doing our last shot here to see if anyone else will come forward,” said Corina at the press conference .

Finstad said that something could still advance the investigation: “In the past several months I’ve sent the lead detective two new incriminating eyewitnesses to Natalie’s injuries. After my book was published I found a key witness Davern called in a panic hours after Natalie drowned to confide how she went overboard,” the biographer told Town & Country.

Wagner has never been charged with any crime in connection to the death of his wife, meaning that if he chose to give further statements to the police, it would be purely voluntary. According to the Associated Press , “Investigators made at least 10 attempts to interview Wagner again after reopening the investigation in 2011, including tracking him down in Colorado. But either Wagner or his lawyer refused.”

“We would love to talk to Robert Wagner,” said Corina. “He’s refused to talk to us….We can never force him to talk to us. He has rights and he can not talk to us if he doesn’t want to.”

The Sheriff’s Department’s public acknowledgement that Wagner was a person of interest only deepens the tragedy for Finstad. “The L.A. Coroner, remarkably, officially changed her cause of death 30 years later—which means that Wood’s suspicious and gruesome death was never investigated and she was wrongly and publicly blamed and shamed as the drunken cause of her own death,” says Finstad.

Wagner, called “R.J.” by those who know him, appeared to have been shattered by the loss of his wife. He wrote in his memoir , “There are only two possibilities—either she was trying to get away from the argument or she was trying to tie the dinghy. But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened.”

Natalie and R.J.’s daughter, Courtney, was seven years old when she lost her mother. Courtney has continually expressed her love and support for her father, praising his efforts to protect his children, and told one interviewer , “There are certain people in our lives that continue to drudge up all this speculation and stories every year for no other reason than to indulge themselves.”

Like Wagner, Walken has said very little in public about Wood’s death. In one of his few statements, he suggested that people couldn’t handle the strangeness, the randomness, of Wood’s drowning.

“Anybody there saw the logistics—of the boat, the night, where we were, that it was raining—and would know exactly what happened,” Walken said in a Playboy interview in 1997 , his fullest public response to the tragedy. “You hear about things happening to people—they slip in the bathtub, fall down the stairs, step off the curb in London because they think that the cars come the other way—and they die. You feel you want to die making an effort at something; you don’t want to die in some unnecessary way.”

For those who knew Wood, it is the ugliness of her death that is so deeply painful, for she was a kind, warm woman who took pride in looking her best. And up to that last fateful weekend, she seemed to have been deeply in love with her husband.

“I guess we do belong together,” she said in an interview with Hollywood columnist Shirley Eder , talking about her compatibility with Robert Wagner. “Yeah, I think we do.”

Or as adorable Susan Walker said in A Miracle on 34th Street, “I believe, I believe. It’s silly, but I believe.”

Nancy Bilyeau, a former staff editor at InStyle, Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly, has written a thriller set in the 18th century art and porcelain world titled 'The Blue.' For more information, see www.nancybilyeau.com.

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The Mystery Surrounding Natalie Wood's Death

It soon emerged that Wood had spent Thanksgiving weekend aboard her yacht, Splendour, with her husband, actor Robert Wagner , her Brainstorm co-star, Christopher Walken , and the ship's young captain, Dennis Davern, before an accident of some sort left her lifeless in the water.

On November 30, Thomas Noguchi, chief medical examiner in the L.A. County Coroner's Office, announced his determination of an "accidental drowning." He noted the "superficial" bruises on Wood's body, likely from falling in the water, and the scratch marks on the yacht's dinghy, Prince Valiant, as evidence of her attempts to climb on board before succumbing to exhaustion.

Two days later, Hollywood mourned Wood's passing at a star-studded funeral, marked by a teary Wagner kissing her coffin, and the investigation was formally closed on December 11.

READ MORE: Inside Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner's Tumultuous Relationship

Associates raised questions as recollections changed

Although an accidental drowning seemed fully plausible, nagging questions lingered for those paying attention.

Noguchi himself raised some of those questions in his 1983 book, Coroner . Why, he wondered, did Wood slip out to the yacht's stern in the middle of the night and untie the dinghy? Where was she going? And why did it take so long for the men aboard to realize she was gone?

Wood's sister Lana, who followed by publishing Natalie: A Memoir by Her Sister (1984), was also puzzled by the supposed chain of events. How was it possible that Wood, with her long-known fear of "dark water," would venture out into those very environs, alone, on a starless night?

Elaborating on things in the 1986 book Heart to Heart with Robert Wagner , the actor described how he and Walken were engaged in a "political debate" for much of the evening, prompting his bored wife to check out of the discussion and head to bed. He theorized that she was unable to sleep with the dinghy banging against the yacht and fell and hit her head while attempting to tighten the line.

However, his recollection of impassioned discussions differed from an original description to police, in which he admitted to arguing with Wood about her extended time away from the family. It was just one of the many inconsistencies that surfaced as accounts of the night's events evolved over the years.

The ship’s captain came forth with his version of events

Still, with Wagner sticking to his general version and Walken saying next to nothing, the case likely would have lain dormant if it weren't for the efforts of Davern. After years of trying to get publishers and tabloids to bite on the story, he began leaking more revealing details to the mainstream press.

In a March 2000 story for Vanity Fair , the captain divulged that Wood and Walken had been flirting throughout the weekend and that things turned nasty after the foursome returned to Splendour after an evening spent drinking on the island. According to Davern, Wagner at one point smashed a wine bottle on the table and yelled at Walken, "What are you trying to do, f**k my wife?"

Wood stormed off and slammed the door of her room, with Wagner eventually heading down to confront her, setting off what Davern recalled as an epic fight. He claimed to have heard the dinghy being untied before Wagner returned, "tousled" and "sweating profusely."

With Walken in bed for the night, the two remaining men stayed up for more drinks, before Wagner, at around 1:30 a.m., said he would check on his wife. He returned with the news that he couldn't find her, prompting Davern to conduct his own search.

At that point, the captain recalled, Wagner rejected his suggestions to turn on the floodlights and look for Wood in the water. "We don't want to do anything, Dennis, because we don't want to alert all these people," the actor allegedly said, before they finally radioed for help.

Wagner revisited the case one more time in his 2008 memoir, Pieces of My Heart . "There are only two possibilities – either she was trying to get away from the argument or she was trying to tie the dinghy," he wrote. "But the bottom line is that nobody knows exactly what happened."

The case was reopened in 2011 and later reclassified as ‘suspicious'

In 2009, Davern finally published his long-gestating tell-all, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour . Two years later, he was among the 700-plus people who signed a petition over the flawed investigation into Wood's death, prompting the L.A. County Sheriff's Department to reopen the case in November.

The following summer, the L.A. County coroner added emphasis to the newfound urgency by changing the cause of death to "drowning and other undetermined factors," citing a closer examination of bruises that suggested Wood was assaulted.

Yet another wrinkle emerged in February 2018, when the sheriff's department reclassified the death as "suspicious" and named Wagner "a person of interest" following interviews with former neighbors and fellow boaters.

At almost 90 years old, Wagner was no longer interested in talking to the police about his wife’s death. Still, it was clear that other people were, leaving open the possibility of finding some real answers after four decades of question marks.

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Hawaii News

Yacht tied to natalie wood’s drowning removed from harbor.

• By Star-Advertiser staff
• Jan. 30, 2020

BRUCE ASATO / [email protected]

The derelict yacht Splendour, moored at Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor for two decades, was destroyed Tuesday. Actress Natalie Wood was vacationing aboard the yacht at the time of her death in 1981.

Splendour, a 55-foot yacht connected with the 1981 drowning death of actress Natalie Wood, was demolished Tuesday, ending a more than 20-year run in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor. Read more

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Splendour, a 55-foot yacht connected with the 1981 drowning death of actress Natalie Wood, was demolished Tuesday, ending a more than 20-year run in the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor.

The vessel has been in the harbor under different ownership for more than 20 years, said Meghan Statts, assistant administrator for the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, part of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. The current owner had illegally moored it in the harbor since June, racking up $12,000 in mooring fees, Statts said.

DOBOR impounded the vessel on Dec. 23, Statts said.

“The owner has not taken responsibility for the vessel, and the State Boating Fund will pay the cost for the disposal,” she said. “The cost is $14,491. The vessel has numerous structural issues and large holes in the hull. The vessel is in extremely poor condition and has been in danger of sinking.”

A large hole could be seen in the boat’s hull on Tuesday. Workers from JS International Inc. salvaged what they could before dismantling and demolishing the boat. Pieces of plywood held the hull of the boat together so it could be moved across the harbor.

The yacht once belonged to Wood’s husband, actor Robert Wagner. Prior to Wood’s drowning, the couple had spent Thanksgiving weekend on the yacht floating off Catalina Island. Their friend, actor Christopher Walken, and the boat’s captain, Dennis Davern, were also aboard.

Wood’s body was found floating off Catalina Island on the morning of Nov. 29, 1981. Her death was ruled accidental, but in 2011 the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reopened the investigation. Wood’s death certificate was amended in 2012 to list the cause of death as “drowning and other undetermined factors.”

In 2018, Los Angeles County homicide detectives named Wagner a “person of interest” in the case.

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A Complete Timeline of Natalie Wood's Mysterious Death

The events are re-examined in HBO's new documentary, Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind .

There are few Hollywood mysteries more enduring—or more heartbreaking—than the one surrounding Natalie Wood's tragic death.

Below, a timeline of the known events of Wood's passing, which remains cloaked in mystery to this day.

Late November 1981

After Thanksgiving 1981, Wood and Wagner began planning one of their frequent boat trips to Catalina Island, off the coast of California. According to several interviews in Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind , the actress invited multiple friends to join them on the trip, but most of the invitees declined, citing the less-than-ideal sailing weather that weekend. Wood's Brainstorm costar, Christopher Walken, who was in town for the film, but not from Los Angeles, was the only person to accepted, joining Wood, Wagner, and Dennis Davern, the captain of the couple's yacht, Splendour .

November 28, 1981

Wood, Wagner, Walken, and Davern enjoyed a champagne-filled dinner at the restaurant Doug's Harbor Reef in Catalina before re-boarding the yacht for the evening. Don Whiting, the night manager of the restaurant, later said he was worried that all four were too intoxicated to make it back to the boat safely in their dinghy after the meal and even went so far as to ask Kurt Craig of the Harbor Patrol to make sure the group made it safely back to their yacht when they left the restaurant at 10:30 p.m. The toxicology report released after Wood's death revealed that the actress had a blood alcohol content of 0.14 percent at the time of her death.

In the HBO documentary, Wagner describes having a heated conversation with Walken after dinner, during which Wood was not present, but believed to be safe elsewhere onboard.

At around 11:05 p.m. that evening, other passengers realized that Wood had gone missing and began looking for her. Around this time, they realized that the boat's dinghy was also gone.

November 29, 1981

At 1:30 a.m., a ship-to-shore call was made and two hours later, at 3:30 a.m., the Coast Guard was finally called . This part of the timeline has become of particular interest to investigators.

"There are many, many things that should be examined, but mainly the four-hour wait to call for the Coast Guard," Marti Rulli, co-author of the book, Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour previously told CNN .

At around 8 a.m., Wood's body was found about a mile south of the couple's yacht, off an isolated cove known as Blue Cavern Point.

November 30, 1981

Dr. Joseph Choi, a deputy medical examiner at the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy on Wood. Noting Wood's blood alcohol levels and several bruises on her arms, legs, and face, believed to be consistent with a fall overboard while she was trying to board the dinghy, the office ruled the death an accident, according to Huffington Post .

September 1, 1997

Walken broke his silence on the night of Wood's death, offering a theory as to how she died. The actor's account of the evening, given during an interview with Playboy Magazine , was consistent with investigators' initial findings.

In the interview, Walken said, per The Hollywood Reporter :

"Anybody there saw the logistics—of the boat, the night, where we were, that it was raining—and would know exactly what happened. You hear about things happening to people—they slip in the bathtub, fall down the stairs, step off the curb in London because they think that the cars come the other way—and they die. You feel you want to die making an effort at something; you don’t want to die in some unnecessary way.

"What happened that night only she knows, because she was alone. She had gone to bed before us, and her room was at the back. A dinghy was bouncing against the side of the boat, and I think she went out to move it. There was a ski ramp that was partially in the water. It was slippery—I had walked on it myself. She had told me she couldn’t swim; in fact, they had to cut a swimming scene from [ Brainstorm ]. She was probably half asleep, and she was wearing a coat."

November 17, 2011

Thirty years after her death, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reopened their investigation after receiving "additional information" from unidentified sources who contacted the authorities.

November 18, 2011

In an interview with NBC's Today, Davern said he lied about Wood's death when he was originally questioned by police. He also claimed that Wagner was actually responsible for the tragedy.

January 14, 2013

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officially changed Wood's cause of death from an accidental drowning to "drowning and other undetermined factors." The change came after investigators determined that some of the bruises found on Wood's body during her initial autopsy may have been sustained before she drowned. However, coroners said they couldn't definitely confirm when exactly the bruises were inflicted.

February 1, 2018

Wagner was officially named as a person of interest in Wood's death for the first time. Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department Lieutenant John Corina disclosed the update during an interview with CBS News' 48 Hours .

In Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind , her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, confronts Wagner on-camera about speculation that he had something to do with Wood's death. He denied the accusations and Gregson Wagner offered her emphatic support, stressing that she does not believe he was involved in her mother's death in anyway.

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Natalie Wood’s Fatal Voyage

By Sam Kashner

I found my love in Avalon beside the bay, I left my love in Avalon and sail’d away. —From the song “Avalon,” made popular by Al Jolson.

‘This is the Splendour, needs help.” With those words, 51-year-old actor Robert Wagner and Dennis Davern, the captain of Splendour, sounded the alarm around 1:30 A.M., on November 29, 1981, that Wagner’s wife, Natalie Wood, had disappeared from the 60-foot yacht the couple owned. Approximately six hours later, Wood’s body, clad in only a flannel nightgown, red down jacket, and blue wool socks, was found floating facedown in the Pacific about a mile away, 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point on Catalina Island. Just to the south, Prince Valiant, the 13-foot inflatable dinghy belonging to Splendour, had washed up on the rocks, its ignition key switched to “off,” the gearshift in neutral, and the oars up in a locked position.

The death of the 43-year-old actress stunned Hollywood. “It’s hard to describe the horror of this thing,” said Fred Astaire, a family friend who had played the father of Wagner’s character from 1968 until 1970 in the popular television series It Takes a Thief. As both the Coroner’s Office and the Sheriff’s Department began to investigate, rumors and questions swirled in Hollywood: What had brought Wood, whose fear of deep water was legendary, to leave the yacht in the middle of a cold, starless night and board the dinghy?

“I’m afraid of water that is dark,” she had told a journalist just weeks before her death.

As the details of the weekend surfaced, the questions multiplied. Wood had invited the actor Christopher Walken , then 38, with whom she had been filming a science-fiction thriller called Brainstorm, to be her guest aboard Splendour over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Wagners, accompanied by Walken and Davern, had sailed to Catalina Island, 22 miles off the California coast, leaving around noon on Friday, November 27. They anchored off Avalon, the island’s main town, and went ashore for shopping and a few beers, leaving Davern behind. The following afternoon they sailed to Isthmus Cove, an isolated spot at the northern end of the island with a tiny community that caters to yachtsmen. They dined that evening at Doug’s Harbor Reef, the only restaurant on the cove. Some of the restaurant’s staff thought the Wagner party was drinking rather heavily and later remembered volatile behavior on Wood’s part. After the group departed, Don Whiting, the restaurant’s manager, warned Kurt Craig, the harbormaster, to keep an eye out for their safety. They boarded Valiant at about 10 and motored back to Splendour .

What happened next, aboard the yacht, has been a subject of continuing speculation and innuendo. What is definitely known is that Wood retired for the evening. Sometime later Wagner went to check on her and discovered that both she and the dinghy were missing.

A few days after the tragedy, John Payne and his girlfriend, Marilyn Wayne, a Los Angeles commodities broker, contacted police to say they had been sleeping aboard a boat, Capricorn, which was moored near Splendour that night. Around midnight Payne heard a woman yelling, “Help me, someone please help me!” The voice was coming from near the stern of Splendour and, Payne believed, from someone in a dinghy. He awakened Wayne, who heard the cries, too. The couple claimed they hadn’t responded because a loud, drunken party was raging on another nearby yacht, and they had thought someone was just “playing around.” Indeed, they had heard a man’s very drunken voice respond mockingly, “O.K., honey, we’ll get you.” They believed the voice belonged to someone at the party, which evidently reinforced their notion that the whole thing was a joke.

The public face in the ensuing investigations was that of Thomas Noguchi, chief medical examiner in the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office. The autopsy revealed that Wood had died of drowning, and that her body had “superficial skin bruises” on the arms and lower legs and a vertical abrasion on the left cheek, such as might have been caused by falling into the water. The toxicology report showed that her blood-alcohol level was at least .14 percent—.04 percent above the level used in California to determine intoxication in automobile drivers.

At a November 30, 1981, press conference to announce the autopsy results, Noguchi trod gingerly, downplaying Wood’s apparent inebriation at the time of her death and any other sensational aspects of the case. The coroner was already under fire for his handling of the death of actor William Holden, who two weeks earlier had emptied a bottle of vodka in his Santa Monica apartment and then tripped, gashing his forehead on a bedside table. He had bled to death, according to Noguchi, probably because he was too drunk to stanch the wound or call for help. (By a strange coincidence, Holden’s longtime companion was Stefanie Powers, Robert Wagner’s then co-star in the hit television series Hart to Hart. The romantic chemistry on the show had generated speculation about a real-life romance between the two TV stars.) The Hollywood community was outraged that Noguchi had revealed Holden’s drunkenness to the press, feeling it was an invasion of the deceased actor’s privacy.

From the physical evidence in the Wood case Noguchi concluded that the actress had fallen into the water while trying to board the dinghy; fingernail scratches on Valiant’s side showed she had tried to hoist herself up from the water, but since her down jacket would quickly have become waterlogged, she was probably impeded by the extra weight. Evidently she never thought to remove the jacket, perhaps because her judgment was clouded by alcohol. She clung to the dinghy’s side as it drifted away from Splendour and the other boats in the harbor, until, finally, overcome by exhaustion and hypothermia, she drowned.

Before his press conference, Noguchi outlined this theory to his staff, only to have one of his colleagues point out, “What the reporters out there are really interested in, Dr. Noguchi, isn’t so much whether Natalie Wood was intoxicated or not, but why she left the yacht in the middle of the night. ”

Realizing the truth of that statement, Noguchi later wrote, he commissioned a “psychological autopsy” to find out why Wood “felt she should separate herself from her husband and Walken that night.” However, when the report “on the real facts of the death of Natalie Wood” came in, Noguchi “decided not to release the document to the press. It added details the media would only call ‘gory’ and ‘sensational.’ The report did not alter the official coroner’s conclusion of an accidental drowning. So, rather than create more media indignation over ‘too many details,’ I reluctantly filed away that report.”

By Savannah Walsh

By Bess Levin

Noguchi’s discretion failed to save his job; complaints from Frank Sinatra and the Screen Actors Guild, among others, continued to accuse him of sensationalizing his duties. He was demoted on April 27, 1982.

In his 1983 book, Coroner, about his most celebrated cases, Noguchi returned to the mysterious death of Natalie Wood—indeed, he began the book with it. After acknowledging the crucial questions—“Wasn’t it strange that the two men on the yacht didn’t even know that she had left the boat? Hadn’t she spoken to them? Why had she slipped out to the stern of the yacht in the middle of the night, climbed down a ladder, and untied the dinghy? What was she doing? And where was she going? And why?” and also “When she first fell off the swimming step into the water, why didn’t she simply swim a few strokes and reboard the yacht by way of the step? It must have been only a few feet away from her. Even with the heavy jacket, she could have accomplished this effort easily”—he proceeded not to answer any of them. Instead, he spun a dramatic yarn about Wood’s clinging to the dinghy as she attempted to propel it to the beach by kicking her feet.

Through his attorney, Paul Ziffren, and friends, Wagner gave his story, saying that the cruise had been a happy one before ending in the freak accident of Wood’s death. Two years later, Walken spoke for the record. “The people who are convinced that there was something more to it than what came out in the investigation will never be satisfied with the truth. Because the truth is, there is nothing more to it. It was an accident.” Other than that, the two have maintained silence about the incident. (Both declined to be interviewed for this article.)

Doubts about the accident theory have, in fact, never died down, especially in the tabloid press. The principal reason for that is the only other person on the boat that night: Dennis Davern, who claims he has always believed that something more sinister occurred. Davern, now 51, says that the account he gave to police investigators in the days after Wood’s death was incomplete, sanitized, and in some places downright false. Over the years he has offered parts of his story—for money—to various tabloids, and has occasionally appeared on television, most notoriously in February 1992, on Geraldo Rivera’s Now It Can Be Told, when he was filmed without his knowledge discussing an argument aboard Splendour and implying that he knew how Wood got into the water. In the early 1990s he visited New York publishers in an unsuccessful attempt to interest them in a book on the subject.

Despite the fact that Davern is not the most savory witness, he tells a compelling story, one that has been fairly consistent in its various public incarnations even as it has grown with damning details. Now, it seems, widespread interest in the case is about to ignite once again, as two new biographies of Wood are in the works (one by Gavin Lambert with the cooperation of Robert Wagner; another, Natasha: The Biography of Natalie Wood, by Suzanne Finstad, author of several true-crime books).

Recently, Vanity Fair spoke with Dennis Davern and also with Duane Rasure, the lead police investigator on the case. Rasure shared a copy of the police report, which at last gives us crucial details and testimony from all involved. Surprisingly, in almost all instances, the interviews with witnesses—waiters, hotel clerks, other yachtsmen, and, most notably, Christopher Walken, whose police interrogation is the only detailed account we have from him—tend to back up Davern’s story that Natalie Wood’s fatal fall was not simply an accident, as Robert Wagner has maintained, but the final act in a two-day drama of jealousy and rage, fueled by round-the-clock drinking.

It’s as if we always knew her, growing up in America, watching Natalie Wood live out her 43 years in darkened movie theaters across the country. Photoplay and Modern Screen were devoted to her in the 1950s: Wood in a boat-necked shirt, her hair freshly bobbed, feeding the porpoises at Marineland with Nick Adams, her co-star in Rebel Without a Cause; Wood being playfully spanked by handsome, blond Tab Hunter, whom Warner Bros. tried with little success to team romantically with her in The Burning Hills and The Girl He Left Behind.

Her youthful marriage to Robert Wagner, then a promising contract player, was catnip to the fan magazines. The envied couple were often seen nestled in an outsize red banquette at Jean Leon’s La Scala in Beverly Hills. Tom Wolfe described Wood’s “great big marvelous huge mothering brown eyes,” but she was really an American girl, struggling to grow up in film after film, from the doubting child who comes to believe in Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street to the rebellious teenager in Rebel Without a Cause to the yearning high-school girl destined for madness in Splendor in the Grass.

“She was right there at the apotheosis of the 50s,” a friend of Wood’s once said. After all, she hung out with both James Dean and Elvis Presley. (The two days she spent with the latter in November 1956 in Memphis were a big disappointment. “He can sing,” she later confided to her younger sister, Lana , now 54 years old and the head of Lana Wood Casting in Hollywood, “but he can’t do much else.”) She had been a child star for 13 years when, in the summer of 1956, she had her first date with Robert Wagner, known as “R.J.” to his friends. She was 18, he was 26. She was the sought-after veteran of 25 films and had just made the rare successful transition to adult actress; he was an aspiring actor at Twentieth Century Fox, the son of a well-to-do steel executive. He had grown up in a house overlooking the Bel-Air Country Cub, where he caddied for such stars as Clark Gable and Fred Astaire. His first real break came in 1952 when studio head Darryl F. Zanuck gave him a small role as a shell-shocked soldier in Walter Lang’s With a Song in My Heart. Susan Hayward, playing real-life music-hall entertainer Jane Froman, sings to Wagner’s tremulous soldier while tears run down his face. Thousands of fan letters poured in, auguring bigger roles to come. Two years later, however, he was stuck playing Prince Valiant in a pageboy wig and a padded body stocking complete with rubber calves. The $3 million CinemaScope epic did all right at the box office, but it was lethal to a budding career as a serious actor. Wagner later recalled wincingly that the Method-trained actors at the studio used to drop by the set to laugh at his ridiculous getup, and Dean Martin mistook him for Jane Wyman because of his wig.

At the same time, Wood was becoming a different kind of star. In 1955 she had played Judy in Rebel Without a Cause, which established her as a teen idol and won her an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actress. (She lost to Jo Van Fleet in East of Eden .) While campaigning for the part, she was briefly hospitalized after a serious car accident with Dennis Hopper, then 18 years old and her co-star in the movie. When Wood was called a “juvenile delinquent” by the police, she was ecstatic and made sure Rebel’s 43-year-old director, Nicholas Ray—who had been skeptical because of her good-girl image—knew about it. It wasn’t long before the under-age actress fell into an affair with her director, meeting him secretly at the Chateau Marmont, just off Sunset Boulevard. Hopper remembered in Bernard Eisenschitz’s Nicholas Ray: An American Journey that he “got into terrible problems” with Ray, “because we were both fucking Natalie Wood. . . . Nick snitched on me. I was furious with him: the studio came down on me, and he came out of it as pure as snow.”

Wagner, on the other hand, cultivated older, established stars, such as Spencer Tracy, who became a mentor after the two worked together in Broken Lance (1954) and The Mountain (1956). Even though “Natalie was running around with people R.J. wouldn’t have in his house,” as a friend remembers, a romance ignited and became one of the most publicized in the history of Hollywood. Wagner shared his love of boats with Wood. In fact, the two consummated their relationship during a moonlit sail on Wagner’s boat My Lady —and, according to Lana Wood, continued to celebrate the anniversary every year.

They were married on December 28, 1957, in Scottsdale, Arizona. Los Angeles Times columnist Joyce Haber later described them as being “the most photographed, talked-about, envied couple since Wally Simpson and Edward VIII.” Many speculated that the marriage would boost Wagner’s career.

The couple spent much of their honeymoon on the water, first cruising the Florida Keys, where they met with a potential disaster at sea. Writing in Modern Screen in April 1958, gossip columnist Louella Parsons reported that

Mrs. Wagner got on the long distance phone to tell me, “We’re just now catching our breath. You’ve never seen anything like the storm that hit Florida just as we arrived to board the boat we’d chartered for a cruise.” . . . It was Bob on the telephone now. “The worst storm to hit the Florida coast in fifteen years blows up! . . . You’ll never believe what was happening to that boat as we tried to make our way back to port. It was pitching like a wild horse. Dishes and glasses were crashing all over the galley. . . . It was all but impossible for our skipper to see one wave ahead of us. I was so worried about Nat. It was an awful ordeal for her.”

After returning to Los Angeles, the newlyweds dropped anchor just off Catalina aboard My Lady. The small island, with its rich Hollywood history, would become a favorite escape. “I love being on the water and near the water,” Natalie would later say, “but not in the water.”

“Hollywood prepares you for life in front of the camera,” Lana Wood once observed, “but it doesn’t prepare you for private life.”

The writer Thomas Thompson, a close friend of Natalie’s who first met her when he was assigned to interview her for Life magazine, recalled that at the beginning of the marriage “Natalie was in emotional ruins.” She was insecure and suspicious of everyone, even of Wagner. Controlled by the studios and her ambitious Russian émigré stage mother, Maria Gurdin, who had pushed her into movies when she was only five, Wood suddenly realized that she had no idea who she was—she had spent her life taking on the roles of other people. “I was unable to make a decision of any kind. People had told me what to do all my life,” she later said.

Wood had terrible insomnia, lying awake at night trying to figure out why she was so unhappy. She began to rely on sleeping pills and finally told Wagner that she wanted to consult a psychiatrist. “For eight years she spent lunch hours every day—every day!—with her analyst, and she turned down important film roles because they would take her away from the couch,” Thompson observed.

Important roles nevertheless continued to come her way. Even the box-office disappointments of her two 1958 films, the hotly anticipated Marjorie Morningstar, based on the Herman Wouk best-seller, and Frank Sinatra’s Kings Go Forth, didn’t knock her off the A-list. Wagner, however, continued to have career troubles. Seven years earlier, he had been spoken of in the same breath with Tony Curtis and Rock Hudson, but Twentieth Century Fox was putting the boyishly handsome actor in such clinkers as Sail a Crooked Ship and Say One for Me.

“Here was Natalie, starring in a major movie like Splendor in the Grass, and here was R.J. doing dogs like Stopover Tokyo, ” one film director recalled. Wood attempted to resuscitate her husband’s career by appearing with him in the 1960 film All the Fine Young Cannibals —an overripe Tennessee Williams knockoff. “I was white trash, looking for money” is how Wood described her role in the film. “Bob was a trumpet player living with a black woman who was a singer. We all wore wigs.” The movie was an embarrassing flop. Wagner wouldn’t appear on-screen again for nearly two years, while Wood began filming one of her most important movies, William Inge’s Splendor in the Grass, opposite Warren Beatty .

With this movie Wood’s and Wagner’s real troubles began. “I do not know which came first,” Lana Wood said, “the end of her marriage or Warren Beatty.”

Splendor in the Grass, set in Kansas in the 1920s, was directed by the celebrated stage director Elia Kazan. Wood breaks your heart in the role of Deanie Loomis, who’s nearly destroyed in the struggle between her love for her high-school sweetheart, Bud, played with immense appeal by Beatty, and the puritanical tyranny of small-town America, embodied by her interfering mother, played by Audrey Christie. Under Kazan’s brilliant direction, Wood has an on-screen breakdown that is almost too painful to watch: Deanie, clad in a red dress, tries to drown herself in a reservoir. (For her work in the film, Wood would win her second Academy Award nomination.)

Beatty was making his film debut in the movie; he had been championed for the part by Inge, who had become enamored of the handsome actor during the 1959 Broadway run of his play A Loss of Roses, in which Beatty had played the lead. At first, Beatty and Wood did not get along, and there was concern that their love scenes were not generating sparks. Beatty was living with Joan Collins at the time, but at some point during filming, the passionate kissing on-camera began to catch fire. Kazan believed, as he later wrote, that “it was clear to Natalie . . . that Warren was bound for the top; this perception was an aphrodisiac.” One day Wagner arrived on the set and found Beatty’s arm wrapped around Wood’s waist while they were waiting for the lights to be set up. Beatty accused Wagner of keeping tabs on them. Wagner reacted with embarrassment and barely controlled rage. Kazan noticed the storm brewing, but he felt that if the budding affair between his two young actors helped their love scenes, he didn’t mind. The director regretted only the obvious pain the affair was causing Wagner. What made it even worse, according to Kazan’s autobiography, Elia Kazan: A Life, was that Wagner’s “sexual humiliation was public.”

Wagner finally walked out and went to stay on his boat at Newport Beach. His and Wood’s separation and subsequent divorce in 1963 shocked Hollywood. Elizabeth Taylor was said to have become so upset that she had to take to her bed. “Why does she need sedating?” asked Wood, who had a famously competitive relationship with Taylor. “It’s my marriage that just collapsed.”

To many observers, Wagner suffered the most. His career continued to decline, while Wood’s flourished. “It just didn’t seem fair,” wrote a friend of Wagner’s. “It must be admitted, he was probably jealous of her continued success. Natalie, however, had an enormous, single-minded ambition, and nothing was going to stop her.”

While her marriage was crumbling, Wood made some of the best films of her career— West Side Story in 1961 and Gypsy in 1962. To help prepare her for the role of the brainy burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee, Beatty took her to a strip club to watch two featured strippers: Fran Sinatra and Natalie Should. He also showed up on the set of Gypsy nearly every day.

The sea would play a dangerous and fateful role throughout Wood’s life. While filming Splendor in the Grass, the actress’s fear of the water came to Kazan’s attention. A few days before shooting the reservoir scene, Wood confided to the director that she had a deep-seated “terror of water, particularly dark water, and of being helpless in it.” Kazan, schooled in Stanislavskian method, remembered thinking how perfect that was for the scene. Wood asked him if it couldn’t be shot in a small studio tank, but the director refused. He explained that the reservoir was shallow and her feet would always touch bottom. She wasn’t reassured, but she did the scene and did it well. But back on dry land, Kazan remembered, Wood shivered with fear and then laughed hysterically with relief.

It was not the first time that Wood’s phobia had become an issue. When she was 11, in 1949, on the set of RKO’s The Green Promise, she was supposed to cross a bridge that was rigged to collapse once she reached the other side; however, somebody pulled the lever when she was halfway across, and she fell into the water below. “I don’t even remember them fishing me out,” Wood later recalled.

An even more harrowing incident occurred while filming The Star with Bette Davis in 1952. Ironically, it happened off Catalina, on a freezing January morning. The director, Stuart Heisler, wanted Wood to leap over the railing of Sterling Hayden’s private yacht. “Just jump,” Heisler told her. “There will be men in rowboats to pick you up.” When she hit the water she panicked and began screaming. Davis threatened to quit if they made Wood do the scene again. When they reshot it with a double, the stand-in became entangled in the kelp and nearly drowned. “After all that,” Wood said later, “they cut the scene from the movie.”

Four years after making Splendor in the Grass, Wood had yet another heart-stopping moment at sea, while filming a scene with Robert Redford in Santa Monica Bay for Robert Mulligan’s Inside Daisy Clover. A giant rogue wave suddenly reared up, separating a small boat containing Wood and Redford from the crew and technicians. Mulligan recalled that “there was no way we could get Natalie and Bob off the boat, and the lines to keep them in place were breaking right and left.” Redford thought the whole thing was a lark, but Wood was terrified.

With their careers going in opposite directions, who would ever have predicted that Wood and Wagner would be reunited, as they were in 1972. In the nine years between their divorce and remarriage, Wagner moved to Europe to try to change the course of his nearly moribund career. He had better luck there, landing an important cameo in Darryl Zanuck’s 1962 World War II epic, The Longest Day, and showing an unexpected gift for light comedy in Blake Edwards’s 1964 movie The Pink Panther; he also married his second wife, Marion Marshall Donen, who had recently been divorced from the director Stanley Donen.

“I grew up at last,” Wagner has said of the period, during which his good friend Paul Newman offered him the role of a lifetime: that of a weak rich man’s son who turns out to be the villain in the 1966 film Harper. “That’s the part that made me. For the first time, I got some damn good reviews,” he recalled. The whole course of Wagner’s career would soon change again, however: he would make his mark not in film but on television.

“In the sixties,” Wagner later said about the film business, “everybody was an antihero. There weren’t many parts for a guy like me.” Then Lew Wasserman, the president of MCA, called Wagner into his office and pulled out a copy of TV Guide. “This is where you belong!” he said. When the opportunity came for Wagner to play the debonair ex-con in the new ABC television series It Takes a Thief, he was ready. Premiering in 1968, the show became a hit, earning Wagner $10,000 per episode and giving him the role—that of “a small-screen version of Cary Grant”—for which he was perfectly suited.

Lana Wood noticed that her sister reacted with dismay when she learned of Wagner’s marriage to Donen; she was inconsolable when she heard that the couple was expecting a child. Wagner showed up at La Scala passing out cigars to celebrate the birth of his daughter Katharine in 1964; Natalie happened to be there that night, sitting in “their“ booth. When he passed by Wood’s table, “they looked at each other across years of melancholy,” Thomas Thompson later wrote.

After Beatty reportedly picked up the hatcheck girl at Chasen’s and left Wood alone and humiliated at the table (Suzanne Finstad, who says she has spoken to almost 400 people for her upcoming biography of Wood, calls this incident “unsubstantiated, recycled gossip”), Wood embarked on a string of paramours: Arthur Loew Jr. (heir to the theater chain); David Niven Jr.; the English actor Tom Courtenay; and Ladislav Blatnik, a Yugoslav playboy shoe magnate who, as a parlor trick, would eat Wood’s Baccarat crystal glasses. She was miserable. One afternoon in late 1966, just after Beatty stopped by, she swallowed a handful of sleeping pills. Fortunately she was found by her friend and secretary, Mart Crowley, later a playwright and the author of The Boys in the Band. Crowley saved her life by rushing her to Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Hollywood. “All I know is this,” Crowley later said. “Warren came by and they were talking. Then I heard raised voices and Warren left. Natalie went upstairs to her bedroom. That’s when she took the pills.”

But it wasn’t just Beatty or his ill-timed visit; it was an accumulation of sorrows. A journalist who had befriended Wagner had predicted that “Natalie Wood will end up the real loser.”

Then Richard Gregson, a charming English agent and producer, rescued her from all that. Their 1969 Russian Orthodox wedding was spectacular, held at the Holy Virgin Mary Cathedral in Los Angeles; Wood’s silk wedding dress had been designed by Edith Head. Her good friend Robert Redford was best man. However, the marriage was short-lived; the couple separated just months after the September 29, 1970, birth of their child, a girl they named Natasha (Natalie’s Russian name). She threw Gregson out of the house when she reportedly learned he was having an affair.

A few months earlier, Wagner and Marion Donen had filed for divorce. As work took him away from his family for longer periods, the marriage had deteriorated. Wagner briefly dated Tina Sinatra, even becoming engaged to her and hanging out at the Sinatra compound in Palm Springs. But once Wood had put Gregson out of her life, Wagner came calling. “Things happened fast,” Lana Wood observed. “They fell as hard, if not harder, than they had the first time. They were thrilled and confused.”

They chose the 1972 Academy Awards ceremony at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion to re-emerge in public as a couple. As they stepped out of a limousine, their appearance caused pandemonium. Lana Wood recalled: “It was a reunion the whole world felt sentimental about.”

In spring 1972, Wood accompanied Wagner to London aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2 on a junket to promote a new television film he’d made with Bette Davis, Madame Sin. But the morning after the couple left New York Harbor for Southampton, a freak storm with 70-foot swells rose up and engulfed the ocean liner for four days. According to Warren G. Harris, author of Natalie and R.J., Wood and Wagner hid out in their cabin, fatalistically drinking champagne and eating caviar. When they emerged unharmed on the other side of the Atlantic, they decided to remarry.

They were married for the second time aboard Ramblin’ Rose, a borrowed yacht, on July 16, 1972. The yacht cruised along the California coast and stopped near Malibu at Paradise Cove. After letting the guests off the boat, the newlyweds made their blissful way to Catalina for their second honeymoon.

The history of Catalina is entwined with the history of Hollywood. Clark Gable filmed Mutiny on the Bounty in those island waters; Errol Flynn swashbuckled as Captain Blood off the Catalina coast. The pretty tourist town of Avalon, a one-square-mile village named for the mythical isle where King Arthur’s body was taken after his death, inspired the 1920 song “Avalon,” one of Al Jolson’s big hits. A film crew once imported a small herd of buffalo for a 1924 movie; their progeny—400 strong—still roam the remote, craggy hills high above the blue waters of the Pacific. Since the 1920s, Hollywood stars including Jean Harlow, John Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks, Humphrey Bogart, and John Wayne have moored their yachts in Avalon’s sparkling harbor.

Throughout their second marriage, Wood and Wagner spent many weekends enjoying the pleasures of Catalina. “Our life started again—really beautifully—on that boat,” Wagner told a longtime friend. The waters of Catalina were not supposed to be the scene of a tragedy.

It is considered bad luck to change the name of a boat, but when Wagner and Wood bought Challenger in 1975, they nevertheless rechristened it Splendour, after a line in Wordsworth’s “Ode: Intimations of Immortality.” Wood loved the poem, which, as Deanie, she had movingly read in Splendor in the Grass, but she always insisted the name wasn’t a reference to Kazan’s film, from which she wanted to distance herself because of the infidelity and jealousy that had erupted on the set. Those passions were safely in the past—or were they?

The couple hired the young man who had helped bring the boat from Florida to California to serve as their captain. Dennis Davern had been around boats since he was six years old. His first vessel was a rowboat his parents had bought him when his family lived in Margate City, New Jersey, a suburb of Atlantic City. Davern is still lean, lanky, and agile, though his long hair and beard have darkened. He says he has always loved the sense of freedom the sea gives him. “I was always the black sheep,” he says. “Everyone else stayed in New Jersey. I was the one to go.”

Davern remembers that “ Splendour was a big boat, with four staterooms and a full deck, and handrails all the way around. Even if you don’t like boats,” he says, “it would be like going on a cruise ship. You’d feel safe. . . . R.J. only paid 125 grand for it because it wasn’t a powerful boat. The original 16-cylinder diesel engine had been replaced with a pair of 8-cylinder diesels, not worth a whole lot, but Natalie wouldn’t have cared that the boat was underpowered. She was happy to go along at 10 miles an hour when you’re supposed to be going 30. If you went fast in the boat with her in it, you’d be pushing your luck.”

Wagner and Wood often included their skipper in festivities aboard Splendour. “With a lot of boat owners, you just try to stay out of the way. But as the years went by, we really got to know each other. We’d barbecue on the boat, and R.J. was the one who liked to put on the steaks, and Natalie would make the salad.”

Davern loved working for the Wagners, and was impressed that they brought their children on board for outings almost every other weekend. By 1974 the Wagners’ brood had grown to three: Katie, aged 10, from R.J.’s marriage to Marion; Natasha, Natalie’s 4-year-old daughter with Gregson; and Courtney, R.J. and Natalie’s daughter, born on March 9, 1974. The couple finally seemed to have all the happiness that had eluded them the first time around. “I’m glad we divorced,” Wood once told Thomas Thompson. “The intermission is what did it for us.” Wood was fond of quoting Mickey Ziffren (the wife of the Wagners’ lawyer Paul Ziffren), who had characterized the couple’s nearly 10-year separation as Seiten-sprung, the German word for switching partners while you’re dancing.

Wood and Wagner had switched not just partners but places as well. Wagner was at the apex of his career, portraying the suave Jonathan Hart in Hart to Hart, while Wood wasn’t working much. “[Natalie] had a past,” Lana Wood observed, “but [R.J.] had the present.” And if Wagner’s fame as a television star was a few notches below his wife’s status as a film icon, so be it: television had made Wagner rich. Besides income from his own successful shows, the Wagners’ production company would end up with almost half of the profits from the hit series Charlie’s Angels, as part of a deal he had forged with Aaron Spelling.

If television had rescued Wagner’s flagging career, he reasoned, it might do the same for his wife’s, so he started easing her into television, beginning with The Affair, in 1973, made when Natalie was pregnant with Courtney. Another television project that delighted her was playing Maggie the Cat opposite Wagner’s Brick in Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, with Laurence Olivier as Big Daddy.

“When she had things to do,” Davern recalls, “she was excited. She’d get a lot of movie scripts, but nothing would ever come of them.”

By 1981, Wood had become a spokeswoman for RainTree’s line of beauty products (“Keep your age a secret with RainTree”). Her film career had been in trouble for a long time. After This Property Is Condemned in 1966, there would be only six more films, and a cameo in Robert Redford’s The Candidate in 1972. Her role in 1969’s hit Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice was seen as something of a comeback, but then followed such flops as the private-eye spoof Peeper, with Michael Caine, in 1975, and the disaster movie Meteor, with Sean Connery and Henry Fonda, in 1979.

Part of the problem was that Natalie was “Old Hollywood even though she wasn’t old,” Lana Wood said. She was a product of the studio system who came into her maturity when that system was going out of style.

It wasn’t just Wood’s and Wagner’s careers that underwent a reversal of fortune; their private lives followed suit. There was much speculation about the on-camera heat being generated between Wagner and the striking, brunette 39-year-old Stefanie Powers. Although Wood knew that Powers had, for a long time, been William Holden’s girlfriend, she was jealous. One day she appeared with Natasha and Courtney on the set of Hart to Hart while Wagner and Powers were filming a love scene. The two girls began to cry, and Wood comforted them by saying, “This is just the way Daddy makes a living.”

These were some of the pressures the couple took with them on weekend outings to Catalina. Davern recalls how he’d often “knock down a few bottles of wine with [Natalie and R.J.] Natalie was the real partyer. I’d tell her, ‘I’ll give you five quaaludes if you give me 10 Valiums,’ because at that time I liked taking a Valium in the morning and floating all day long. . . . So it would be, ‘Let’s eat these quaaludes, let’s chase them down with some wine.’ They had total trust in me, so they could do anything they wanted.”

The captain of Splendour was well aware of Wood’s fear of the water. “We could sit in Catalina, on the mooring cable, and R.J. and the kids would be swimming off the back of the boat, and me and Natalie would be on the bridge. . . . We were each other’s therapists sometimes. I remember her sitting there saying, ‘I think my biggest fear would be to drown.’ . . . I remember it was a sunny day when she said that.”

But it wasn’t a sunny day when Wood invited Christopher Walken to join her and Wagner on Splendour over the 1981 Thanksgiving weekend. It was gray and cold, and the sea was rough.

Walken, who had won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in Michael Cimino’s The Deer Hunter two years earlier, was co-starring with Wood in Brainstorm, a science-fiction thriller, which also featured Louise Fletcher, who had won the best-actress Oscar in 1976 for One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Cliff Robertson, who had won best actor in 1969 for Charly.

According to Davern, Wood became infatuated with Walken during the filming and openly flirted with him. “When they were in North Carolina together, rumors were going around about Chris Walken and Natalie, so R.J. went down there,” Davern explains. “He had a few days off from Hart to Hart . . . but he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself over this.” Lana Wood also believed her sister had an infatuation with Walken. In her 1984 book, Natalie, Lana wrote, “I don’t know if Natalie’s [love affair] with Chris was imaginary or real, though my strong suspicion is that it was all in her mind and that perhaps she was only wishing it to be so.” At least it seems that no romantic intrigue occurred on the set of Brainstorm, because Walken’s wife, Georgianne, had been present for the duration of the shoot.

Then, out of the blue, Davern got word that Walken was coming on the boat for a weekend cruise to Catalina. “I don’t think R.J. knew Christopher,” Davern says. “He was more the young movie star, where R.J. had been around for years.” It was a volatile situation, which may have been why Wood also invited Mart Crowley, who had been made a producer on Hart to Hart, and Peggy Griffin, her secretary. Both begged off, pleading too much work.

Davern didn’t like Walken from the moment he appeared on the dock at Marina del Rey. The weather was miserable. “The heaters were on in the boat. We were only doing it because of Christopher . . . who comes on board wearing a navy pea coat with the collar up. I don’t know this guy from Adam, and I guess I felt the way R.J. felt.”

They left around noon on Friday. Davern says he noticed that Wagner seemed put out by all the attention Wood was lavishing on their guest. “Christopher and Natalie are sitting in the salon together and giggling, and I’m looking at R.J. and thinking, He doesn’t look too happy. R.J. was getting annoyed, and plus, we’re drinking. . . . I was seeing R.J. getting mad. The boat just starts getting smaller. You can’t look for a whole lot of escape.”

Shortly after they left port, however, Walken got seasick and spent most of the rest of the crossing sleeping in his stateroom. When he emerged, the yacht was already in the harbor at Avalon. Since there were no moorings available, they had to anchor a quarter-mile off Avalon’s Casino Ballroom, built in 1929 by William Wrigley, the chewing-gum tycoon. Around five P.M., Wagner, Wood, and Walken went into town, while Davern stayed aboard to make dinner.

The trio shopped at a number of boutiques and then headed for El Galleon, a restaurant facing the harbor. They had a few beers and discussed how to get one of Avalon’s jewelers to lower his prices. Darkness was falling when they reboarded Splendour, where Davern was preparing a barbecue. Walken, still feeling ill, decided to skip dinner and returned to his stateroom to lie down.

Then, according to a December 10, 1981, interview Davern had with police (in the presence of two attorneys, Stephen Miller and Mark Beck, whom Wagner had hired), since it was “‘a grumpy sea’ . . . R.J. wanted to move the position of the boat, and Natalie said it wouldn’t do any good . . . [so] she said she would rather spend the night ashore.”

Wagner’s interview with police, on December 4, 1981, largely agreed with this story: “The sea was pretty rough. He [Wagner] recalled he did move the Splendour closer to shore to get out of the heavy sea. There had been some disagreement as to this move by Natalie and he told her to take Dennis [Davern], the captain, ashore and stay in a hotel for the night.”

Today, however, Davern tells a different story about what happened: “There was some kind of argument going on. Christopher went down to take a nap or something, and Natalie and R.J. started fighting. I thought, I don’t believe this! I don’t believe this fight is still going on. This was later in the afternoon. Natalie says to R.J., ‘You’re being so silly.’ It went back and forth and back and forth. Natalie finally says to R.J., ‘I’m going ashore,’ and she asks me, ‘Dennis, will you take me ashore?’” Wood wanted to leave, Davern says, because “the tension on the boat was unbearable.” She had had enough and wanted to go home. Concerned that the fighting was getting out of hand, Davern says, he knocked on Walken’s stateroom door and asked him to intervene. Walken refused, cautioning him, “Never get involved in an argument between a man and a wife.”

Walken’s main interview with police, which took place on December 3, 1981, in the actor’s room (No. 601) at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, corroborates Davern’s new version that an argument occurred between Wood and Wagner: “Being very ill he [Walken] returned to his bunk. He stated he felt he was aware of some kind of hubbub up above. There was no yelling. Approximately 20 minutes later he thought he heard the sound of an anchor chain. He then recalled Natalie coming to the door of his cabin and telling him, ‘He wants to cross during the night.’ He then recalled she left. He next remembered the captain contacting him and wanting him to come up to get involved. He stated he told the captain, ‘Never get involved in an argument between a man and a wife.’”

Davern took Wood ashore in Valiant (which Wagner had jokingly named after what he considered his worst film) and the two headed for El Galleon. There, according to Paul Reynolds, the manager of the restaurant, in his police interview of November 29, 1981, they “requested to use the telephone to see if they could locate rooms for the night. He [Reynolds] stated he asked the victim if she had a boat and she replied ‘no, is there a boat going back.’ He advised her that the next boat returning from the mainland would be at 10 a.m. the following morning. Mr. Reynolds then made a telephone call to the Pavilion Lodge [a nearby hotel in Avalon] and reserved two rooms for Ms. Wood. He further said Ms. Wood and this other man were sitting at the bar having a couple of drinks prior to leaving for the hotel.”

The Pavilion Lodge was not chosen for privacy—the rooms face an interior court off Avalon’s main street, right on the harbor—but it was one of the few hotels that had rooms available on such short notice. Ann Laughton, the night receptionist at the Pavilion Lodge, recalled for police in her November 29, 1981, interview that Wood and Davern arrived at 11:15 P.M. and registered for two rooms. “[Laughton] further recalled that during registration they had asked her for some ice and she had shone [ sic ] them how to get it from the ice machine. She further added that they both appeared very intoxicated.”

On November 29, 1981, in the first of his two interviews with police, at the sheriff’s station at Isthmus harbor, Davern told police that “all four of them spent the night on the boat.” The police, however, had prior knowledge that this wasn’t true. They confronted Davern with his lie, and the boat captain “stated before answering that he’d rather talk to ‘R.J.’ and possibly an attorney.” In his second interview, on December 10, in the presence of Wagner’s attorneys, Davern admitted he had spent the night with Wood, because, in the Dragnet prose of the police report, “whenever Ms. Wood, victim, went ashore, he was usually directed to go with her to act as her bodyguard.”

Davern now clarifies that he ended up staying in the room with Wood. “We just drank the wine and went to sleep,” he says. “We thought it was best for me to stay with her, for protection. She knew I wasn’t going to make any kind of play for her—she was comfortable with me.”

The police report confirms that Socorro Meza, an employee at the Pavilion Lodge, told investigators that Davern’s room “had the appearance of being unused.” Walken and Wagner spent the night on Splendour.

The next morning, according to Linda Winkler, a day clerk at the Pavilion Lodge, Wood “looked fine but seemed somewhat disoriented.” Winkler told police on November 30, 1981, that “during [their] conversation Ms. Wood had asked where she could catch boat transportation back to the mainland and [Winkler] had directed Ms. Wood to the proper location. Ms. Winkler further told investigators she’d been amazed at the fact that a movie star like Ms. Wood would be taking public transportation back to the mainland.”

Then Wood changed her mind. With middle age, she had become particularly self-conscious about her appearance. Though still beautiful, she had complained to Lana about the accumulating years: “I’m fighting every damn one.” Perhaps more important, she didn’t want to abandon Walken, who was still aboard Splendour, so she and Davern returned to the yacht.

Walken told police that “he was awakened the next morning by Natalie, and she made some remark about she was going to take the sea plane back and wanted to know if he was staying. He recalled making the statement to her, ‘I’m not in this.’”

So Wood went to work rustling up a big breakfast of huevos rancheros for everyone. “Everyone acted like nothing happened,” Davern recalls, “and everything was beautiful again.”

At around 11 A.M., R.J. took the boat up to Isthmus Cove, at the other end of the island. Out on the water, Walken told police, “Robert Wagner was trying to talk him into doing some fishing and setting up some fishing poles. He [Walken] recalled R.J. thanking him for smoothing everything over.”

After they arrived that afternoon in Isthmus Cove, Davern recalled, Wood sat in the main salon and read while he, Wagner, and Walken went to their staterooms to take naps. After Walken woke up, he and Wood went ashore in Valiant, settled into Doug’s Harbor Reef, and began drinking. Sometime later Wagner and Davern took the water taxi to shore and joined them.

Davern says now that when they arrived Walken and Wood “were out of it—giggling and laughing. Me and R.J. are pretty sober—we don’t drink around the clock.”

Michelle Mileski, a waitress at the restaurant, told police on November 29, 1981, that Wagner and Davern had preceded Walken and Wood at the bar. Then when Wagner made reservations for an early dinner, Wood had expressed dissatisfaction with the wine list, stating, “We could go shopping on the Splendour and get our own wine.” Davern remembers that he and Walken returned to Splendour for that purpose. Aboard Valiant, Davern says, he and Walken smoked a joint, so when they returned to the restaurant with some wine, he felt “right in tune with Christopher and Natalie—high as a kite.”

The party’s waitress, Tina Quinn, told police in a November 29, 1981, interview that “during this dinner party [the Wagner foursome] consumed the two bottles of wine and that [one of the men] had been drinking daiquiris, further she remembered that other parties in the bar had bought two bottles of champagne for the Wagner party. During the meal she said the victim did not eat much of her dinner and was doing a lot of the complaining about small things such as there was too much light on the table, the table was too big, the fish was not fresh, and it appeared to the witness that the victim was not in the best of moods. Ms. Quinn recalled an incident where she saw the victim throw a water glass to the floor. . . . As they were starting to leave she recalled Robert Wagner lifting a large dark colored jacket and she felt it was being used as a shield because the victim appeared to be stumbling slightly. She then recalled all of the Wagner party leaving together and it was her opinion they were not in the best of moods. She clarified this statement saying that throughout the evening the victim appeared to be in changing moods, sometimes laughing and sometimes solemn.”

Don Whiting, the restaurant manager, recalled for police, also on November 29, 1981, that “he thought at the time there was some possible problems between Robert Wagner and his wife, the victim. He remembered some glass was broken, possibly thrown. He was of the impression that Robert Wagner was a little bit irritated with his wife.”

Walken later explained away the broken-glass incident to police by saying, “It was my fault. I was making a toast while drinking. At the conclusion of this toast, I threw my glass to the floor as I always do. I remember Natalie, and I think everybody else, did the same.”

Whatever the reason, it wasn’t the first time Wood had broken a wineglass when angered or upset. According to Lana Wood, Natalie had crushed a crystal glass in her hand the day that Wagner had left the house after the demise of their first marriage. She re-created the gesture in the television drama The Affair in a scene in which Wagner’s character abandons her.

Davern recalls today that throughout dinner Wood “was definitely flirting with [Walken]. They were like all giggling and touching. She was excited by Christopher—here’s this good-looking guy.” Wood didn’t want to return to the boat after dinner, Davern says.

Both William Peterson, the shore-boat operator, and Kurt Craig, in the harbor-patrol office, told police that they watched the Wagner party board Valiant and motor back to their yacht. Craig later told police that as the four were descending the ramp to the dinghy “what he described as a scream [came] from the female. He thought she may have been drunk and was unhappy at something that happened at the restaurant.”

At his press conference Thomas Noguchi stated that, according to information he had obtained from police investigators, a “nonviolent argument” had occurred aboard the yacht just prior to Wood’s disappearance. This electrified the media.

To quell the ensuing rumors, Robert Wagner put out his version of the final hours. This is how it’s quoted in the 1986 hagiography Heart to Heart with Robert Wagner:

We reached the boat in a happy frame of mind after spending a few hours at the restaurant eating and drinking. During dinner, I got into a political debate with Walken and we continued it aboard the yacht. There was no fight, no anger. Just a lot of words thrown around like you hear in most political discussions such as “you don’t know what you are talking about!” Natalie sat there not saying much of anything and looking bored. She left us after about a half hour, and we sat there talking for almost another hour. Then I went to kiss her good night, and found her missing.

Wagner goes on to theorize about how Wood had gotten into the water:

It was only after I was told that she was dressed in a sleeping gown, heavy socks, and a parka that it dawned on me what had really occurred. Natalie obviously had trouble sleeping with that dinghy slamming up against the boat. It happened many, many times before, and I had always gone out and pulled the ropes tighter to keep the dinghy flush against the yacht. She probably skidded on one of the steps after untying the ropes. The steps are slick as ice because of the algae and seaweed that’s always clinging to them. After slipping on the steps, she hit her head against the boat. . . . I only hope she was unconscious when she hit the water.

Wagner’s two interviews with police were even less detailed. In the first, at 9:54 on the morning of the tragedy, he stated simply that “they were in the Salon when victim [Wood] went below to her bedroom. Shortly after they noticed she and the [ Valiant ] were missing.” Since Wagner “was in an emotional state,” the interview was terminated almost immediately. In the somewhat more detailed. December 4 interview, Wagner related only that “after they were aboard awhile, Natalie went down to bed and at this point in time, he recalled Chris Walken stepping out on deck for awhile. When Chris returned inside the salon, they continued talking. He estimated approximately 15 minutes passed. When he went to check on Natalie he noticed she was gone.”

When the police pressed Wagner “as to the discussion they had had prior to her going to bed,” he told them “it was about her being away from home and the kids so much. . . . He missed her being around.”

When questioned about the broken glass which police investigators had found in the main salon of Splendour in their search of the boat that began at 12:45 P.M. the day of the tragedy, Wagner explained that “it was probably from the rough seas.”

Davern, in his December 10 police interview, was a bit more forthcoming, but not much: “He recalled that RJ and Natalie got into a discussion about her being gone and how RJ missed her. During the discussion Chris Walken entered into it, supporting Natalie’s views. He felt RJ was getting upset over this and Chris Walken getting up and going outside around this time. Natalie went to the master stateroom to go to bed. Chris Walken came back into the main salon and he was going to bed. Here this was normal procedure for Natalie. In the evening she would just leave, prepare herself for bed, and usually return after ten or fifteen minutes to say goodnight. . . After some time past [ sic ], he stated, RJ went to see where Natalie was. When they noticed she was gone, about the same time they noticed the [ Valiant ] was gone.”

Today, however, Davern tells a different and darker story: Back on board, he says, he offered to make tea for everyone. “While the tea is brewing, the wine is flowing. We opened another bottle [probably Wood’s favorite, Pouilly-Fuissé]. Then Natalie lit her beeswax candles. R.J. was drinking scotch by then, and I joined him. So we’re sitting there, and Chris and Natalie are giggling and carrying on, the same as before, totally forgetting that me and R.J. are there. I’m saying to myself, Oh my God, this is getting to be too much right now.

“All of a sudden,” Davern says, “R.J. grabbed a bottle of wine and smashes it right on the table in front of them. Glass goes flying all over.

“‘Jesus Christ,’ R.J. says to Christopher, ‘what are you trying to do, fuck my wife?’

“Christopher got up in two or three seconds and headed right out the door. Now Natalie says, ‘I’m not standing for this a minute longer!’ She goes down to her stateroom and slams her door. Christopher goes right down to his stateroom. Now I’m left alone with R.J.

“I say, ‘R.J., let’s just calm down.’ We stayed up there for a little while, then R.J. says, ‘I’m going to go down there and see Natalie.’”

Davern says that as he remained on the bridge, located right over the Wagners’ stateroom, he could hear the couple “fighting like crazy. . . . I’d never in a million years seen them fight like that before. I just couldn’t believe it. . . . You know, stuff getting thrown around.” It was, according to Davern, a ferocious argument fueled by drink—“so hot and heavy that it got carried out into the cockpit” at the rear of the yacht. Davern says he next heard “the dinghy being untied—you can hear the ropes, the bowline being tugged on.”

And then, Davern says, there was silence. It seemed like a long time to him before Wagner, “tousled, sweating profusely, as if he had been in a terrible fight, an ordeal of some kind,” came back up to the bridge, where the two men emptied another bottle of wine.

Davern says that it was about 11:30 when Wagner returned. “We were up there drinking until 1:30 in the morning. Then R.J. said, ‘I’d better go back down and check on Natalie.’”

After a few minutes, Wagner appeared and told the captain, “She’s gone.”

“She’s gone? Where the hell is she?”

“I don’t know.”

Davern decided to go look for her. “I thought maybe she went into my stateroom, feeling she could confide in me. So I went up and she’s not there. So I looked in the empty stateroom—nothing. I look in Christopher’s stateroom. He’s in the top bunk and he’s asleep. I looked in his bathroom, and thank God she’s not in Christopher’s room. I knew that wouldn’t happen, because there’s too much rage going on. So I go back up and say, ‘She’s not down below.’”

Davern walked out on deck to look for her, and that’s when he noticed that Valiant was gone.

Davern was baffled. He believes that if Wood had decided to return to shore at night he would certainly have been asked to go with her. “If the stars aren’t out, it’s total darkness. There’s no place to go. Darkness all around. I wouldn’t go out on [ Valiant ] at night.”

Davern says he then told Wagner that he was going to turn on Splendour’s floodlights in order to look for her, but Wagner told him not to: “Dennis, don’t turn that on.” Davern then offered to fire up the yacht’s engines and cruise around looking for Wood. According to Davern, Wagner refused.

“Don’t do that. Let’s think about this. We don’t want to do anything, Dennis, because we don’t want to alert all these people,” Davern says Wagner told him.

With the police report, we at last have Christopher Walken’s description of the crucial hours preceding the tragedy. It is a story closer to Davern’s than to Wagner’s. In the first of his two interviews, at 10 on the morning of the tragedy, he told police, “After they were aboard the boat he and Robert Wagner got into a small beef. He left the cabin and went outside on deck for a few minutes, when he returned victim [Wood] was sitting there and she seemed to be disturbed. He recalled she then went to her room and he thought she had gone to bed. He next remembered the captain dennis make [ sic ] a remark ‘the dinghy is gone.’”

Walken’s more detailed, December 3 interview produced this version:

They were in the salon talking; he [Walken] stated they had all been drinking and they had one of those conversation [ sic ] going were [ sic ]—and he used the reference—“you put all your cards on the table.” RJ was making statements and complaining that she was away from home too much. She was away from the kids, it was hurting their home life. Mr. Walken stated he also got involved with discussion supporting the victim’s views—she was an actress, she was an important person, this was her life. He suddenly realized he was violating his own view about getting involved in an argument between a man and a wife. He stepped outside for some air and when he returned, everybody was apologizing, particularly Robert Wagner and everything seemed fine.

Duane Rasure is a big man—six feet three—who dresses like a cowboy now that he’s in retirement from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Homicide Bureau. He and his wife, Joy, live in a remote town in Arizona called Eagar. Rasure still wears a belt buckle that proudly displays the number 187, the number of the section of California’s penal code for murder. When he got the call to investigate the Wood drowning, he had been a homicide detective for 11 years. He and his partner had helped break the case of the Hillside Strangler in the late 70s.

“They called me about 8:30 in the morning. They told me I got the case of Natalie Wood drowning in Catalina, which surprised me. The news threw my wife into shock, and from then on it was a matter of getting dressed, heading for the heliport, where I was transported to Catalina to do my investigation.”

Twenty minutes after Rasure’s arrival, a helicopter brought Wagner and Walken to the sheriff’s office on the island. “I introduced myself and my partner [Roy Hamilton] to Wagner, and told him what we were going to do. I could see he’s at a loss. He’s just in trouble. He’s hurting. It took just a short time to get a general idea of what had happened. It seemed accidental from the first, probably because of the way I got the information—the way it was presented: ‘Someone fell overboard and drowned.’ Nothing in the world would make us think at the time that there might have been something suspicious.”

Rasure would soon feel the pressure of the investigation. He started getting calls from old friends who knew he’d been assigned to the case. Quite a few tough homicide detectives were touched by Wood’s death. “They would call me up,” Rasure recalls, “and say, ‘Duane, tell me what happened. I loved that girl. I watched her grow up.’”

A week after the drowning, at one in the afternoon on December 4, Rasure visited Wagner’s home in Beverly Hills in order to question the actor a second time. “The first time I interviewed him he was just as cooperative as could be,” Rasure recalls. “But I didn’t get enough information at the heliport. So I went to interview him again, and his attorney says, ‘I don’t think so. I think you have enough.’

“At that time, we had a sheriff who was a very powerful man here,” Rasure explains. “We went to lunch, and I told him I was having this little handicap, this little problem with this attorney, and he says, ‘Oh.’ I had my appointment [with R.J.] the following day.”

Rasure arrived and was taken upstairs. Wagner was in bed during the entire interview, with his lawyer Paul Ziffren in the room. “I let him tell me what happened, going into more detail.” Once again, Rasure was satisfied. Roy Hamilton would tell the Los Angeles Times that “we talked to Wagner and Walken and there was no indication that there was any argument.” (This is rather astonishing, considering the police interviews with Walken.)

Despite the fact that there were obvious inconsistencies in the testimony of the three principal witnesses, the police investigation was closed on December 11, less than two weeks after the tragedy, with the conclusion of “accidental drowning.” Rasure, who subscribes to the theory that Wood slipped while trying to retie the dinghy, says, however, that he doesn’t really know for sure what happened to the actress.

“I can’t tell you exactly how she got in the water,” he says today.

As a witness, Dennis Davern presents many problems. The first is why he didn’t initially tell police the version he tells today, rather than letting it out piecemeal to journalists and tabloids over the almost 20 years that followed.

Davern claims that in the days after the tragedy he became a virtual prisoner in Wagner’s Beverly Hills home: at first, he and R.J. would wake around 10 each morning and “cry on each other’s shoulders, with a scotch glass in one hand and an arm around each other.” After several weeks, however, it slowly dawned on Davern, he says, that it would be very difficult to leave. He had a girlfriend he wanted to visit, and he began to wonder when and how he could go see her. She had already come to the house and had been rebuffed, he alleges. “When the alarm system kicked in at night, you couldn’t even open your door. It was like being in a vault. The first night I was there, I wanted to go downstairs to watch television, but I couldn’t get out. . . . There was no phone in the room. I couldn’t walk out the front door—somebody was always there, usually R.J.’s bodyguard. I felt really closed in.”

“In the daytime,” Davern says, “I would go downstairs and the staff would say, ‘Let me make you some drinks, Dennis.’ I’d go to the bar, pour a scotch, and R.J. would be up in his bedroom. It was like this for three months.”

“When I look back on it,” Davern now says, “I was a pure idiot. I had turned into a real drunk. I felt that I was a part of R.J., that he was going to make sure that Dennis was O.K.”

Davern says that Wagner went as far as to bring him to his own psychotherapy sessions. “I was having dreams like crazy. I’d wake up with some weird dreams. And R.J. said, ‘Dennis, I’m having bad dreams, too.’ So R.J. and I would go to his shrink together. We would sit down, sometimes in the same session, sometimes alone.”

On December 2, 1981, Wood was buried in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery while a balalaika played softly under the warm afternoon sun. Robert Wagner plucked gardenias from Natalie’s casket, handing one each to Wood’s mother, to her sisters, and to her daughters. Then he bent down and kissed the gold-trimmed white coffin.

After the funeral, Davern says, reporters began tailing him, trying to get his story by posing as potential boat buyers or by luring him with beautiful women. He claims one tabloid offered him $200,000. When Davern told Wagner about the offer, Davern recalls, he cautioned him, “Dennis, they’re never going to pay you.” He further warned Davern that the F.B.I. would be asking him questions, and Natalie’s fans would be after him. “So I was cut off from everybody. . . .They said they were protecting me.”

Wagner got Davern into the Screen Actors Guild, Davern says, and although Davern had never acted before in his life, he started getting small roles on commercials and on Hart to Hart. “He [Wagner] used to give me checks,” Davern recalls, “a thousand, two thousand. My friends said it was hush money and that R.J. wouldn’t want anything to do with me after Splendour was gone. I used to tell them that R.J. wasn’t like that, that he was a real friend to me.”

Davern eventually decided to get his yacht broker’s license and live on the boat while he tried to sell it for R.J. It was his way, he felt at the time, to escape finally from R.J.’s protective scrutiny. “I took the boat somewhere where nobody would know it. I had a friend up in Oxnard who had a house with a dock in the back. So I took the Splendour up there. But nobody wanted anything to do with this yacht. It had become a bastard boat.” Wagner ended up donating it to the Sea Scouts, a youth boating club.

Once Splendour and Wagner were out of his life, Davern made his way back to South Florida. In the intervening years, the former sea captain has resurfaced periodically to try to tell his version of what happened that night. He has not been his own best advocate, holding back information and implying that he knows more than he’s saying. He sold part of his story to the Globe (“World Exclusive, NATALIE WOOD, the Shocking Truth About Her Death”), revealing that an argument occurred with Walken in the salon, but not revealing the alleged details and severity of the subsequent argument between Wagner and Wood in their stateroom.

There was also a disastrous appearance on Geraldo Rivera’s Now It Can Be Told in 1992, 10 years after the drowning, in which Rasure and Davern were asked to give their account of what happened that night for a “jury” comprising Raoul Felder and two other trial lawyers. By now Davern was writing a book about his experiences, and he arrived at the television studio with his co-author, a longtime friend named Margaret “Marti” Rulli. But he found the interview hard going, and he interrupted it several times so he could confer with Rulli off-camera. Then Davern was prompted, “They were yelling and screaming at each other to get off the boat . . . ” He responded, “Oh God, I don’t know if I can tell them that or not.” Rulli, exasperated, replied, “Ten years of this, Dennis! This needs to be cleared up! We have to say how she got in the water, Den.” But Rulli changed her mind—or perhaps just realized how stubborn Davern could be—and she said, “Don’t you tell them how she got into the water. . . . We put that in the book and we’ll make billions from it.”

Without their knowledge, Davern and Rulli were being filmed in their unguarded moments “off-camera,” and that’s what was televised on Now It Can Be Told. Rivera then essentially dismissed Davern’s testimony as compromised, but asked his panel of lawyers to comment anyway. All three agreed: the important fact was that Davern modified his police testimony, which almost always warrants a new investigation. Their unanimous verdict: reopen the case.

After the taping, Wagner sent Davern a letter warning him not to discuss the matter further.

Davern and Rulli also pounded the sidewalks trying to sell their manuscript to New York publishers. Davern says, “We went up to this publishing house and they said, ‘Who’s your agent?’ They must have thought we were total jerks! Nothing ever came of it. But it’s a good thing it never worked out—I never even told Marti the whole story.”

One former book editor, who met with the two, remembers being “chilled and intrigued by their tale, but we didn’t see how they could stretch it out into a full-length book. Also, we wondered where was the backup for his story. It was basically his word against Wagner’s.”

In Coroner, Noguchi admitted he had trouble with Wagner’s theory that Wood was bothered by the noise of the dinghy striking the side of the boat and slipped into the water while trying to retie it. “I found that theory plausible,” wrote Noguchi, “particularly because it explained her nightgown-and-socks apparel. And yet there was a possible flaw. The dinghy was rubber, and, according to Paul Miller, our expert who owned a similar boat [which by another curious coincidence in the case was moored to the same buoy, in front of Splendour, the night Wood died], a rubber dinghy makes little or no noise when it strikes a yacht.” (But, Noguchi allowed, “silence is relative. . . . Other sailors say that the noise might be amplified to an annoying degree.”)

In addition, Noguchi wrote, “forensic evidence, such as the fingernail scratches on the side of the dinghy, the brush-type abrasion on her cheek, and the untouched algae on the swim step, seemed to indicate that she was trying to board the dinghy, not just adjust its rope, when the accident happened.”

In the end, Noguchi, like Rasure, is not really sure how and why Wood ended up in the water. Perhaps Noguchi knows more than he is telling, thanks to his unreleased “psychological autopsy.” In a brief phone interview, he claims the document could be found with both the police report and the autopsy report. Scott Carrier, the information officer at the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, says, “I have no idea where that report would be. Everything that was in the Natalie Wood file was sent to you. We have no additional reports.”

Davern says he has stopped trying to make money off his tale. He claims he recently turned down a $50,000 offer from a tabloid, although he still hopes the book he began writing many years ago about his life with the Wagners might one day be published. “I think she deserves an explanation for her death,” he says. He still has dreams about being aboard Splendour. He’s married now and raising three young children on a quiet street in a small Florida town, where he paints and restores boats. He named his first child Natasha.

Photos: Natalie Wood Through the Years

Sam Kashner

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Owner of ‘Splendour’, the Yacht Once Owned by Hollywood Stars Natalie Wood and her husband Robert Wagner, Becomes Instant Celebrity

The Honolulu resident, who has had a mooring permit in the a small boat harbor in Honolulu, is the owner of the Splendour , a yacht once owned by Hollywood stars Natalie Wood and her husband Robert Wagner.

The yacht, which will soon be inspected by Los Angeles investigators, may be a key part of the investigation reopened yesterday into the 1981 drowning death of Wood.

Reached by phone today, his wife said a number of media outlets are asking for interviews.

The Los Angeles Police Department said today in a press conference that using new DNA technology, investigators will examine the boat that Wood, Wagner and their friend Christopher Walken were on the night the actress died 30 years ago. They have not disclosed what they expect to find.

The boat captain Dennis Davern, who was with the trio the night Wood fell off the boat and drown, alleges that Wagner is responsible for Wood’s death and that he lied for Wagner in the past as a part of a cover up.

This comes as 48 Hour Mysteries and Vanity Fair magazine are about to release a special investigative report on the star’s demise.

48 Hours Presents Vanity Fair: Hollywood Scandal airs Saturday, Nov. 19 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, the network’s web site said.

Police so far maintain that Wagner is not a target of the investigation.

However, Wood’s sister also claims Wagner is responsible for the beloved star’s death.

She told TMZ  that Wagner  “left her to drown” and told the captain to ‘Leave her there, teach her a lesson.”

The captain said publicly today that he was prevented by Wagner from calling the U.S. Coast Guard for four hours.

Reports are that Wood, Wagner and Walken were drinking heavily that night, and Wood and Wagner had a volatile fight over whether Walken wanted to sleep with her. The captain claims to have turned up his music so he would not have to hear them argue.

The question police have to answer now is whether Wood fell, or slipped trying to get off the boat into a smaller dingy, or was pushed into the water while they were sailing off of Catalina Island.

Marti Rulli, who authored “ Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour” in September 2009 could not be reached for comment, but her investigation – and the other new publicity surrounding her death – may have contributed to police reopening the case.

Wagner has not made a statement about the LA police department’s decision.

A source close to the Wagner family told Hawaii Reporter that Wagner has been cooperating with the police and they don’t believe the captain’s story is credible.

A statement released from Wagner’s publicist is similar: “We trust they will evaluate whether any new information relating to the death of Natalie Wood Wagner is valid, and that it comes from a credible source or sources other than those simply trying to profit from the 30-year anniversary of her tragic death.”

Wood, who was nominated three times for Oscars for her roles in West Side Story and Rebel with out a Cause , also starred  as a child in such films as the Christmas classic Miracle On 34th Street and The Ghost And Mrs. Muir .

Meanwhile when the Los Angeles police will arrive in Honolulu is part of the mystery – at least for now.

Honolulu Police Department has not been contacted so far by Los Angeles authorities to aid in the investigation, according to Caroline Sluyter, spokesperson for HPD.

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Natalie Wood’s drowning now considered a ‘suspicious death’

FILE - This Nov. 30, 1981 file photo shows the “Prince Valiant,” the inflatable dinghy used by Natalie Wood, moored at the harbor in Avalon, Calif., after it washed up on the rocks on Santa Catalina Island. Patrolmen discovered the actress’ body 200 yards off Blue Cavern Point on Catalina Island, 100 yards away from the boat after a seven hour search. Investigators are now calling her husband, Robert Wagner, a “person of interest” in the 1981 death of Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood’s death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role (AP Photo/Paul J. Harrington, File)

FILE - In this April 23, 1972 file photo, actor Robert Wagner and his former wife, actress Natalie Wood, pose at the Dorchester Hotel in London, England. Investigators are now calling Wagner a “person of interest” in the 1981 death of his wife Natalie Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood’s death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role (AP File Photo)

FILE - This Nov. 29, 1981 file photo, the 55-foot yacht “Splendour,” belonging to actor Robert Wagner and his wife, actress Natalie Wood, sits in the waters at Avalon, Calif., on Santa Catalina Island, near where rescuers found the body of Wood, an apparent drowning victim. Investigators are now calling Wagner a “person of interest” in the 1981 death of Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood’s death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role (AP Photo/Paul J. Harrington, File)

FILE - A Dec. 1, 1981 file photo shows actress Natalie Wood. Investigators are now calling 87-year-old actor Robert Wagner a “person of interest” in the 1981 death of his wife Natalie Wood. Mystery has swirled around Wood’s death. It was declared an accident but police reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role. (AP Photo/File)

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — New witnesses have emerged in the 1981 drowning of actress Natalie Wood, prompting investigators to deem it a “suspicious death” and name her former husband, 87-year-old actor Robert Wagner, a “person of interest,” Los Angeles sheriff’s officials said Thursday.

For nearly four decades, mystery and speculation have swirled around the death of the actress who was nominated for three Academy Awards and starred in “West Side Story” and “Rebel Without a Cause.”

She was on a yacht with Wagner, actor Christopher Walken and the boat captain on Thanksgiving weekend of 1981. After a night of drinking, her body was found floating in the waters off Southern California’s Catalina Island. She was 43.

Investigators initially ruled it an accident but reopened the case in 2011 to see whether Wagner or anyone else played a role after the boat’s captain said he heard the couple arguing the night of her disappearance. The coroner’s office amended Wood’s death certificate the next year to include “drowning and other undetermined factors.”

In a statement Thursday, sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said new witnesses interviewed since the case was reopened gave statements that “portray a new sequence of events on the boat that night.”

One of the witnesses described hearing yelling and crashing sounds coming from the couple’s stateroom, she said. Shortly after that, separate witnesses heard a man and woman arguing on the back of the boat and believe the voices were those of Wood and Wagner, Nishida said.

The statements differed from the original version of events provided by witnesses, including those who were on the boat, she said.

The sheriff’s department said Wagner is considered a person of interest.

“Do we have enough to make an arrest at this moment? No,” Nishida said.

The police statement was issued after CBS News aired an interview with Los Angeles County sheriff’s Lt. John Corina, who said he doesn’t believe Wagner has told the whole story about what happened.

Investigators have said Wagner has not been interviewed since the probe was reopened. They said in 2013 that they had tried at least 10 times to interview him but he refused.

Wagner has denied any involvement in his wife’s death and no charges have been filed. His publicist, Alan Nierob, declined to comment Thursday.

Conflicting versions of what happened on the yacht have contributed to the mystery of her death. Wood, Wagner and Walken had all been drinking heavily in the hours before the actress disappeared.

Wagner wrote in a 2008 memoir that he and Walken argued that night. He wrote that Walken went to bed and he stayed up for a while, but when he went to bed, he noticed that his wife and a dinghy that had been attached to the yacht were missing.

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Natalie Wood Mystery: Who is Yacht Captain Dennis Davern?

Life looks like it's been hard for Dennis Davern, the captain of the yacht on which Natalie Wood spent her last night 30 years ago.

He has a crinkly, sun-scarred face out of which sprouts an uneven beard of brown and gray. He wore glasses on the “Today” show interview and donned an olive-colored cargo shirt with two unbuttoned breast pockets. He appeared as if he might have just skippered a charter cruise, and was returning after an afternoon under an unforgiving sun. He wore a white tee-shirt under his cargo attire and an ill-fitting cap.

Pressed by "Today" host David Gregory Friday morning about his claims, 30 years after the fact, that Robert Wagner was responsible for Wood's death, Davern's responses were clipped and choppy.

“Was the fight between Natalie Wood and her husband Robert Wagner what ultimately led to her death?” Gregory asked.

“Yes,” Davern replied. But he would go no further.

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So who is the New Jersey native who captained the yacht, Splendour, on the night Wood went missing? And is he, as Gregory postulated, a calculating “opportunist,” out to sell copies of his book, with a flair for revisionist history and well-timed revelations?

“Dennis Davern, born and raised in New Jersey, was honorably discharged from the U.S. Navy in 1971,” reads a bio for the book about Wood's death he co-authored. “A marina job took him to California where he became a boat captain for Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood. From 1982 to 1984 he was a member of the Screen Actors Guild and employed as a general extra actor in Hollywood . Since 1987, he has owned and operated a successful marina and boat maintenance business in Florida.”

Davern wrote the book, “Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour,” with a friend from New Jersey, Marti Rulli, with whom he appeared on “Today." On Rulli’s blog, she writes that the book, “is the poignant story of a young, cavalier adventurer, Dennis Davern, who landed the position of Splendour Captain, and how the Wagner family welcomed him into their hearts and home.”

Young. Cavalier. Adventurer. Charged words, to be sure, chosen by Rulli, in what is perhaps an attempt to explain away the “mistakes” for which Davern says he so much regrets having made on the night of  Nov. 28, 1981.

The following comes from the book, which reveals that it was Davern -- and not Wagner or fellow passenger Christopher Walken -- who identified Wood’s lifeless body after it was retrieved from the water.

“Natalie Wood's husband, Robert Wagner, and their boat captain, Dennis Davern, had been waiting aboard the Wagners' yacht, Splendour, for word from the search crews since 1:30 a.m. when Wagner had announced over Splendour's radio, "Someone is missing from our boat."”

Robert Wagner declined to view his wife's body when a small group of officials boarded Splendour to inform him of the grim discovery. Wagner dropped his head, and with emotion and drama, cried out, "She's gone, she's gone, oh, God, she's gone. Why?"

Dennis Davern embraced Robert Wagner, as if to keep him from falling over.

"Will you please identify her for me, Dennis? I can't, I just can't," Wagner pleaded. The extraordinary request seemed to deepen everyone's compassion for Wagner, but no one considered, even briefly, that the terrible task of identifying Natalie Wood's body would haunt Dennis for the rest of his life.”

Since his morning show appearance, Davern has denied he is making his revelations for money. Wagner's rep has issued a statement welcoming any investigation that could provide further details on Wood's untimely death.

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Natalie Wood

Updated on: February 1, 2018 / 5:29 PM EST / CBS News

In November 2011, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department re-opened its investigation in the death of actress Natalie Wood nearly 30 years after the actress drowned in the waters off Southern California. It is one of Hollywood's most enduring mysteries.  

More than 36 years after her death, investigators spoke to "48 Hours" about what they learned. 

The drowning death of actress Natalie Wood in 1981 shocked the world. At the time of her death, Wood had been enjoying Thanksgiving weekend on the Splendour, the family yacht, with her husband, actor Robert Wagner, boat captain Dennis Davern, and her "Brainstorm" co-star, actor Christopher Walken.  After a two-week investigation, Wood's death was ruled an accidental drowning.

Dogged Investigators

Los Angeles County Sheriff's investigators, Lt. John Corina, left, and Det. Ralph Hernandez, have been working the Natalie Wood case ever since they reopened it in November 2011. Here, the detectives are pictured outside of Robert Wagner's home in California.

Death Investigation Reopened

In 2011, 30 years after Natalie Wood's death, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reopened the case. At the press conference, Lt. John Corina, center, was asked if Wood's husband, Robert Wagner was considered a suspect.  Corina responded, "No."

Natalie Wood's Death Certificate

Authorities amended actress Natalie Wood's death certificate on Aug. 1, 2012, to reflect some of the lingering questions about how the actress died in the waters off Catalina Island in November 1981. The changes include changing her manner of death to "Drowning and other undetermined factors" and adding the statement "Circumstances not clearly established" to address the question how did Wood end up in the water.

Natalie Wood's fatal voyage

What Happened That Night?

Years after Natalie Wood's death, Dennis Davern, the captain of Splendour, changed his story about what happened that night, sold it to tabloid magazines, and collaborated on a tell-all book. But Davern says he was motivated by his conscience. In 2011, he told "48 Hours," "What I really want is to give Natalie a voice." He also said, "I believe that Robert Wagner was with her up until the moment she went into the water."

Homicide detectives with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department aboard the Splendour on their first trip to Hawaii in December 2011 to re-investigate the death of actress Natalie Wood.  Natalie Wood's death re-investigated in Hawaii

Dennis Davern, in yellow, former captain of the Splendour, with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept. homicide detectives in Honolulu, Hawaii. 

The Splendour

The 55-foot yacht Splendour, belonging to actor Robert Wagner and his wife, actress Natalie Wood, sits in the waters off Catalina Island in Santa Catalina, Calif., near the site where Harbor Patrol personnel and lifeguards discovered the body of Wood, an apparent drowning victim, Nov. 29, 1981. 

Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood's yacht, Splendour. Wood drowned in 1981, after a night of partying with husband Wagner and "Brainstorm" co-star Christopher Walken on the couple's yacht anchored off Santa Catalina Island. 

A Life in the Movies

Natalie Wood got her first role at the age of four in the movie "Happy Land" (1943). By 1946, at age eight, she was making $1,000 a week.

Pictured: Natalie Wood with Orson Welles in "Tomorrow is Forever" (1946).

Iconic Role

Edmund Gwenn, as Kris Kringle, greets Natalie Wood in a scene from the 1947 Christmas classic, "Miracle on 34th Street."

Natalie Wood's Career

Young Natalie Wood played the daughter of Gene Tierney in the spectral romantic fantasy "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir" (1947).

Actress Jane Wyatt fixes a hair ribbon for actress Natalie Wood in Hollywood, Calif., on Oct. 26, 1949. 

Wood continued playing roles of young girls until the age of 17, where she landed the role of Judy in the film "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955), opposite James Dean and Sal Mineo.

Natalie Wood and James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). She received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress as the girlfriend of Dean's troubled youth.

Actress Natalie Wood pictured in 1955. 

By 1950, Wood was the queen of fan magazines and the second biggest actress next to Elizabeth Taylor. During her career, Wood made 56 films for TV and the big screen, among them "West Side Story" (1961).

After spending years on the trail of an Indian party that kidnapped his young niece, Ethan Edwards (John Wayne) finally comes upon Debbie, now 15 (played by Natalie Wood), in the John Ford classic "The Searchers" (1956), which also starred Jeffrey Hunter.

Movie Stars Marry

Actress Natalie Wood and actor Robert Wagner cut their wedding cake after their wedding in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Dec. 28, 1957. They divorced four years later - and remarried in 1972.

Natalie Wood starred with Gene Kelly in the romantic drama "Marjorie Morningstar" (1958).

Natalie Wood and husband Robert Wagner on the set of "All the Fine Young Cannibals" (1960). 

Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty in "Splendor in the Grass" (1961). Wood received a Best Actress Oscar nomination for the tale of forbidden love.

Richard Beymer as Tony and Natalie Wood as Maria in the Oscar-winning musical "West Side Story" (1961). The film received 11 Academy Awards.

Natalie Wood starred as the stripper Louise Hovick - a.k.a. Gypsy Rose Lee - in the film version of the musical "Gypsy" (1962), which also starred Rosalind Russell as "Mama Rose." The real Gypsy Rose Lee visited the set during filming and offered Wood some pointers on stripping.

Actors Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood chat together at the Cannes Festival in May 1962. They were promoting their film, "Splendor in the Grass," a drama about teen love.

Natalie Wood in 1963.

Natalie Wood received a third Oscar nomination for her starring role in "Love With the Proper Stranger" (1963), in which she played a salesgirl who becomes pregnant after a brief affair with a musician, played by Steve McQueen.

Actress Natalie Wood, wearing Yves Saint Laurent, poses in Paris, Sept. 19, 1964.

In "Sex and the Single Girl" (1964), inspired by the advice book for young women by Helen Gurley Brown, Woods played psychologist "Helen Brown," who becomes the target of a tabloid reporter (Tony Curtis) seeking an expose.

Actor Paul Newman and actress Natalie Wood pose with their statuettes at the 23rd Golden Globe Awards dinner in Hollywood, Calif., Feb. 1, 1966. Wood received the World Film Favorite Female award and Newman was honored with the World Film Favorite Male award.

A picture taken in the 1960s shows actress Natalie Wood during a trip to France.

The counter-culture comedy about swinging couples, "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" (1969), starred Elliott Gould, Natalie Wood, Robert Culp and Dyan Cannon.

Wagner & Wood Remarry

Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood, who had divorced in 1962, were remarried on a borrowed yacht, the Ramblin' Rose, in 1972.

Romance Rekindled

Actors Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood pose at the Dorchester Hotel in London, England, April 23, 1972. The couple had one daughter together, and each had a daughter from previous marriages.

Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood

Actress Natalie Wood and actor Robert Wagner arrive at Nice airport in Nice, France on May 4, 1972.

Playwright Tennessee Williams, left, actress Natalie Wood, and Robert Wagner pose for photographers at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1976. Wood and Wagner starred in a 1976 TV remake of Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."

Natalie Wood, her children Natasha, center, Courtney, right, and her husband, Robert Wagner, arrive at a London airport July 4, 1976.

Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood are shown arriving for the 50th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, April 3, 1978. At the time Wagner was starring in the TV series, "Hart to Hart."

Natalie Wood attends the 51st annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on April 9, 1979. 

Playwright Mart Crowley, left, with Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner on the couple's yacht, Splendour.

Actress Natalie Wood is seen on Jan. 17, 1979. 

The actors are shown in 1980.

Wood's Final Film

Natalie Wood died during production of the science fiction thriller "Brainstorm." Here she is pictured with co-stars Christopher Walken, Louise Fletcher and Cliff Robertson.

The gravesite of actress Natalie Wood Wagner is seen in the Westwood Village Memorial Park. Wood, a three-time Oscar nominee famous for roles in "West Side Story," "Rebel Without a Cause" and other Hollywood hits, was 43 when she died in November 1981.

Entertainment

One Of The Last People To Reportedly See Natalie Wood Alive Changed His Story Years Later

The Investigation Discovery network calls this event "one of the most enduring mysteries in American history." In 1981, Hollywood lost a starlet and three-time Academy Award nominee when Natalie Wood drowned after disappearing off a yacht near Santa Catalina Island, according to the original report in The New York Times . A new special, American Murder Mystery: Natalie Wood focuses quite a bit on the captain of the Splendour who was reportedly one of the last people to see Wood alive. Where is Dennis Davern in 2018 ?

The West Side Story star boarded a yacht with Davern, her husband actor Robert Wagner, and recent co-star Christopher Walken around Thanksgiving. According to CBS news, those three men told the authorities that they assumed Wood had taken off in a dinghy before accidentally drowning.

In 2018 Wagner, now 88 years old, has recently been named a "person of interest" in the case by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, according to The New York Times . He's not an official suspect, as a person of interest in a crime has neither been arrested nor formally accused. Wood's death, once declared accidental is now labeled "suspicious." According to the Times , two new witnesses have now come forward with new claims. A statement from the Sheriff's Department reads:

“A witness provided details about hearing yelling and crashing sounds coming from the couple’s stateroom. Shortly afterwards, separate witnesses identified a man and a woman arguing on the back of the boat. The witnesses believed that the voices belonged to Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner.”

According to the Times, Davern claimed in 2011 that he witnessed a drunken fight between the married couple the night that Wood vanished, and the statements from these new witnesses seem to corroborate his. In 2011, Davern made claims regarding a cover-up in an interview with CNN, below.

"My life after Natalie Wood died, for many years, was very sad," Davern said in an interview with CBS News for 48 Hours earlier this year. He continued:

"Any time there were any questions asked by the homicide detectives I was not allowed, really, to answer anything unless I was with my lawyer. Their investigation really wasn't very much in depth. The investigation was smoothed over with just what we said, and nothing was ever looked at any further. Robert Wagner was very serious about having the stories being the same. To eliminate any investigation. If all the stories are the same, there's really not much to investigate."

He said that he remained quiet regarding the case because he was thinking of Robert Wagner's children. "I was happy go lucky," Davern said in another CBS News clip about his former job. "Everything was wonderful. Worked for celebrities. Everything was great. After Natalie was... passed away, things weren't so nice anymore."

According to Rolling Stone , Wagner has commented publicly on the case , including writing about it in his autobiography. He has maintained that he had nothing to do with Wood's death. Again, he has not been named as a suspect. The Hollywood Reporter noted that he has declined to speak to authorities in this new investigation.

In 2014, Davern and his friend Marti Rulli co-authored Goodbye Natalie, Goodbye Splendour which further detailed Davern's account of events. It also provides a small update on his life. "Dennis Davern was a boat captain for Robert Wagner and Natalie Wood," reads the author bio in the book , according to Amazon, "and was on the yacht Splendour on the night of Wood’s death. He currently owns and operates a marina and boat maintenance business." Rulli's investigation and research for the book was key to the LAPD reopening the case back in 2011, according to her author bio.

In 2018, First Coast News reached out to Rulli and discovered that Davern lives in St. Augustine, Florida , for part of the year. So overall, Davern kept out of the spotlight after the traumatic Thanksgiving trip. He has given what he claims to be a true account of events in an attempt to help finally solve the case. The fact that two more witnesses have come forward and corroborated his story means that there is still more to learn and uncover about this tragedy.

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First pictures: Inside the yacht where actress Natalie Wood died... where 'fan' has kept her bedroom untouched for 30 years

By Daily Mail Reporter Updated: 13:15 EDT, 19 November 2011

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It has been 30 years since Natalie Wood died after a night on the Splendour - but little has changed aboard in the intervening years.

The stateroom contains many of the same tiles, the same blue bed remains in exactly the same spot and the initials WW are still etched into the captain's seat.

This is the first look inside the Splendour yacht, currently docked in the Hawaiian harbour of Oahu, where the Hollywood actress met her tragic end.

Memories: The boat has undergone some renovations, but many details have been preserved

Tribute: The stateroom with the blue bed, dubbed 'Natalie's Room' still has the same tiles it did when Robert Wagner owned the vessel

Exterior: The Splendour, where actress Natalie Wood died, is currently docked in the harbour of Oahu in Hawaii

Former United Airlines flight attendant Ron Nelson bought the boat from Robert Wagner in 1986.

He carried out small renovations, before taking two friends on a trip to Catalina Island, where the actress died. He said it was a 'last goodbye to Natalie'. 

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Afterwards, they made the two week trip to Hawaii where he has spent 10 years restoring the boat. He said he was now almost ready to begin chartering voyages.

He has tried to keep his makeover as close to the original as possible, and has kept the stateroom with the blue bed, dubbed 'Natalie's Room', and most of the tiles.

Home: The Splendour is currently docked in the Hawaiian harbour of Oahu

Purchased: United Airlines flight attendant Ron Nelson bought the boat in 1986

Reminder: New owner Ron Nelson with the initials WW etched onto the captain's seat

The initials WW are still etched onto the captain's seat, just as they were when Wagner and Natalie owned the boat.

Nelson said the 60ft boat's history was one of the reasons why he bought it, and told Hawaii's KITV.com said: 'I have read pretty much every article ever written about her death.'

And asked whether the yacht carried Wood's spirit, he said: 'I won't say yay or nay whether I believe or not.

'There's been a lot of strange things that have happened on the boat.'

Preserved: Many aspects of the Splendour remain the same

Out on deck: The investigation into Natalie Wood's death has now re-opened

The first look inside the boat comes as police re-open the investigation into Natalie Wood's mysterious death 30 years ago.

Robert Wagner is not being treated as a suspect.

Christopher Walken, who was on the boat the night the West Side Story actress died, has hired a lawyer in response to the new inquiry into the case, which was originally ruled an accidental drowning.

Wagner, 81, yesterday issued a statement welcoming the fresh push for evidence from authorities.

And Nelson revealed investigators had contacted him as they wanted to visit the yacht as part of their probe.

Orders: New owner Ron Nelson sitting in the captain's chair of the Splendour

Together: Natalie Wood and her husband Robert Wagner embrace on their yacht Splendour two weeks before the tragedy. The couple married twice. First in 1957 before divorcing six years later and then again in 1972

Friends: Ms Wood with her co-star Christopher Walken - who was on the boat the night she died - during filming of her last motion picture Brainstorm

Share or comment on this article: Natalie Wood death: Pictures from inside the yacht where actress was on night she died

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History repeating: How Malahne’s refit restored her 1930s splendour

To celebrate Malahne winning the Rebuilt Yachts Award at the 2016 World Superyacht Awards , we revisit this stunning transformation.

The 1930s classic motor yacht Malahne was rendered almost unrecognisable by a 1980s refit; to restore her classic lines, the owner went right back to the beginning.

Some refits of classic yachts are transformations, some are rehabilitations and some are restorations, depending upon the owner’s views toward preserving historical context.

When it comes to 50 metre  Malahne , built to represent yachting perfection in 1937, the term restoration doesn’t go nearly far enough. Before she could re-enter the pantheon of pre-war classic yachts, first she needed a structural exorcism to remove a controversial modernisation done in 1983.

As has been the case with a number of British yacht restorations, such as  _ Blue Bird _and  Nahlin , Nicholas  Edmiston , chairman of the eponymous firm, has been both broker and enabler of what are complex and costly rescues.

“I live in a Georgian building, I have been sailing since I was four. Yachts like _Malahne_are part of my life,” he says, his gruff voice and clipped accent hinting at a romanticism and veneration for days of manners and elegance.

“I watched the 1983 refit with tears in my eyes,” he recalls. “I kept hoping that owner would sell it while it was still afloat. I’m so happy and fortunate I was able to interest an owner who understood the yacht and who would put his trust in me and our vision to return the yacht to what it felt like in 1937.”

In 1937, Malahne was the jewel in her owner’s crown. William Lawrence Stephenson was a Yorkshire-born retailer who had been appointed by Frank Woolworth in 1909 to direct the British arm of FW Woolworth.

He led it to great success in the 1920s and ’30s, eventually taking the company public. Stephenson was a gregarious sort who took up yacht racing after buying a Fife-designed Big Class yacht named White Heather II , which had been converted to a J Class by Lord Waring in 1930.

Having caught the racing bug, Stephenson commissioned a new J from Charles Nicholson to race in the America’s Cup.  White Heather II  was scrapped and her lead melted for the keel of JK7, which he named  Velsheda  for his daughters Velma, Sheila and Daphne.

In her second season she won more than 40 races against the likes of  _ Shamrock V  _and  Endeavour . Next, to expand his yachting experience, he ordered an ocean-going motor yacht from Camper & Nicholsons, this time using the final letters of his daughters’ names to form  Malahne .

This lovely lady cruised the Med in 1937 and ’38 and transported Stephenson back and forth to New York. With the outbreak of WWII, Stephenson offered her to the Admiralty, which was quickly accepted.

As a Channel patrol cruiser, she saw action in the evacuation at Dunkirk and later took part in torpedo target practice in Scotland.

Unlike most of her kin,  Malahne  survived the war years and bounced through a number of owners, even being refitted and re-classed to Lloyd’s in 1960 when the legendary film producer Sam Spiegel bought her for a unique purpose: to serve as his production office and hotel while filming  Lawrence of Arabia  in Jordan.

The late King Hussein became the first of a retinue of royalty to be entertained aboard by the colourful, quixotic Spiegel who owned  Malahne  for 23 years.

Hollywood stars and music moguls were such frequent guests as to almost be part of the décor, and that’s not counting 1973 when the murder mystery  The Last of Sheila , starring Dyan Cannon, James Coburn, James Mason and Raquel Welch, was filmed aboard.

Spiegel and  Malahne  were such fixtures along the Côte d’Azur that the yacht graced the cover of  Life  magazine’s 9 July 1965 edition promoting a feature on “Riviera yachting”.

In her 2003 biography of Spiegel, fashion writer Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni wrote: “In many respects,  Malahne  became a never-ending Spiegel production. The boat was old-fashioned by today’s standards, but possessed a majestic charm. Stepping onto_Malahne_ was like stepping into another era.”

As Spiegel’s star eventually faded in Hollywood, so did the maintenance on the yacht; she fell out of class. In 1983 she passed into the hands of Saudi Sheikh Adel Al Mojil, who rendered her unrecognisable as  Adel XII  with a new bow, stern and superstructure.

Edmiston kept an eye on the boat throughout the subsequent years, and then in 2009 sensed his chance. He asked Dr William Collier of classic yacht experts GL Watson & Co to prepare a design proposal for a restored  Malahne  to make her a showpiece of the Golden Age of yachting.

“These [projects] are daunting at the beginning,” says Collier, “but having already prepared preliminary designs it was more a case of, ‘Here it is, here is what it can be and here’s a map of how to get there.’ Nick and I were well prepared.”

These drawings and a stack of photos of what she had been and could become were Edmiston’s proposal in 2012 to a potential owner who had chartered the smaller and older but elegantly restored  Fair Lady .

“He immediately grasped the potential beauty of the yacht and the concept of bringing something back from the edge. He was interested in polishing a jewel not creating a replica,” says Jacqueline Lyne, director of Edmiston’s recently formed Yacht Management division, which co-directed the project with Collier.

It was to be a project to highlight “Made in Britain”, and thus  Pendennis  Shipyard in Falmouth, Cornwall (which had also restored  Fair Lady ) was the logical yard for the task along with  BMT Nigel Gee  for the engineering to make the yacht achieve LY2 standards for charter.

For the interior design, Edmiston suggested London-based Guy Oliver, who, as the designer for the Connaught hotel, Claridge’s and the state rooms at Number 10 Downing Street, knows his way around a period interior.

Malahne  arrived at Pendennis from Tarragona, Spain, in September 2012. Pendennis had proposed to restore her in two parts: the only way.

“Part one was the job of taking the yacht apart so we could find out what we had,” says Pendennis’s joint managing director Mike Carr. “Part two was to rebuild _Malahne_out of it.”

After the deconstruction, evaluation of  Malahne ’s bones went frame by frame – a nearly six-month process of determining what to save, what to scrap and what would need to be refabricated to meet the modern codes.

“We went right to the last nail,” says Henk Wiekens, Carr’s fellow MD. “This is the most intense refit project we have ever done.”

Assessing integrity was one thing, but figuring out how to best use her volume for the new owners, crew and necessary machinery was quite another.

The original double-height engine room was one area mined for more guest space as was the original owner’s dining room on the lower deck – now the crew mess.

The yacht’s new main-deck dining room was originally occupied by engine exhaust trunking. The crew and galley areas are among the biggest physical changes to the original yacht.

In the 1930s there was a marked difference in the accommodations of officers and crew – they even had separate entrances from the deck. GL Watson & Co styled completely new crew quarters for 11, including two single officer’s cabins plus a captain’s cabin and a new galley reusing period Camper & Nicholsons joinery details.

The machinery for modern living such as air-conditioning and refrigerator compressors, fire suppression, electrical distribution panels, laundry and water-makers is squirrelled away in all sorts of places to make incredible use of the relatively narrow forward sections.

For Pendennis, the biggest concern was achieving modern stability criteria, which in the days before stabilisers was achieved by draught and weight. A lot of weight came off the hull, but lots would be going back in with all-new hull plate and safety features not imagined in 1937.

Fortunately, materials were available to Pendennis that were similarly not available to Camper & Nicholsons in 1937, such as the aluminium used for the bridge bulwark and superstructure, and composite for the replacement funnel, which hides the communication domes.

Even replacing the hull steel was a challenge when fitting old and new pieces together, because modern steel has less carbon, fewer inclusions and is easier to weld. The new plate was applied in the same staggered pattern as the original.

The rebuilding process took a further two years: one for structure and systems and one for the fit-out of interior and decks. The prime directive was to make _Malahne_look as if she had always been this way, always lived in and loved.

“He’s (the owner) been in grand homes and Claridge’s, where I have worked as a designer for 20 years. I wanted to create for him what looked like the original space but would offer comfort and service impossible back in the day,” says Guy Oliver. The new spaces were configured for family use but with a nod to select charter.

One of Oliver’s big decisions was not without risk: he wanted everything hand-finished on site to avoid finishes that looked plastic. “You want a sense of brush stroke,” he says. “Luxury is about bespoke and unique and being made by people not machines.”

It was a decision that involved extra time and scheduling as well as careful preservation as each bit of joinery or furniture was completed.

The result of this work is magical: colours and a softness that make the yacht look like an authentic collection of desired, acquired objects rather than a design montage.

Soft chenilles and down-filled cushions in just the right mix of prints and solids, beautiful timber floors and rugs, valanced, pleated curtains and elegant nickel hardware create a smart deco-style environment that lives like modern comfort.

Meanwhile, GL Watson & Co was doing the same thing with exterior design. Replica deck hardware was researched and redesigned, the original John Roby portholes were recast to meet current code and other items were remade from original drawings in the extensive GL Watson & Co archive.

The original binnacle had been chucked in the 1983 modernisation and try as he might, Collier could not find another 1937 binnacle, but he did locate one from a 1934 Camper & Nicholsons motor yacht that makes him almost as happy.

For the interior joinery stylings by Ruiter Quality Interiors, Oliver studied the art deco-style house at Eltham Palace, which was built at the same time as  Malahne  and would have presented a similar design language.

It was a time when designers mixed exotic woods or unique cuts for interior interest. For example, the bookcase backgrounds are roto-cut Japanese tamo ash, while the master suite features sycamore veneers in a chevron pattern, European tiger oak defines the dining saloon and macassar ebony with bronze insets makes an eye-catching bar.

Electricians had to go back to basics to hook up the onboard telephone system as the phones are rotary dial. A pair of original 1950 wall phones are in the master suite and reconditioned 1930s desk phones are used through the rest of the accommodation.

While 122 of the overhead lights on board were custom designed by Oliver as yacht-sized adaptations of deco originals, a pair of Queen Mary reading lights with quaint 14 watt French bulbs, had to be accommodated.

This faithfulness to the past even impacted the fairing. The hull and superstructure are semi-faired, using lighter, flexible aluminium battens that follow the shape and existing contours of the hull.

The paint is also semi-shiny in an off-white typical of the time. The 70 per cent gloss on the Awlgrip paint took a great deal of sampling to get right. With stainless steel rigging too shiny to match the period, Pendennis found a supplier who would sell the stainless wire pre-finished and unpolished to mimic the galvanised steel of the 1930s.

Collier believes that the project’s success stems from the fact that  Malahne  was “right for the doing. Her original lines and her full-beam sections made her suitable to arranging the yacht for a modern family. Fifty metres is a really, really nice size. It gives you good guest accommodations, a good balance of decks to indoor spaces and you can get the yacht into virtually anywhere”.

Carr, meanwhile, is extremely proud of the standard of workmanship on board: “Over the past two and a half years the team worked incredibly hard to bring Malahne back to life. Seeing the final transformation from her 1980s form back to her original design, her launch marks a proud moment for everyone.

“Our tradespeople have applied quality, care, pride and passion to every aspect of the project. There have been unprecedented opportunities to showcase their restoration skills, whilst sympathetically integrating modern systems. Malahne now commands a special place in the Pendennis fleet.”

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There are three air-conditioned cabins to choose from, as well as the back lounge, which can be converted to an outdoor cabin for guests who would like to sleep under the stars. The Master Cabin is located at the bow of the boat and was designed with maximum comfort and privacy in mind, complete with reading lights, ventilation hatches, portholes and a private en-suite bathroom.

The two Cocoon Cabins, located on the Lower Deck, are cosy and functional and equipped with reading lights and portholes. Both have direct access to a shared bathroom and toilet.

Life On Board

Whether you’re looking for a quiet spot to unwind with a book or a social area to hang out with your family or friends while sipping a drink at the bar or having dinner at the dining table, you’ll find plenty of space aboard the Splendour. Start your day on the Upper Deck with some morning yoga, soak up the sun, dive into the sea for a refreshing dip, or enjoy a cocktail while watching the dazzling Indonesian sunsets.

Slip into the cool waters off the Swim Deck for a wonderful snorkeling experience. Relax in the generously-sized back lounge or watch a movie or view your own photos and videos on the huge pull down screen that converts the back lounge into your own private cinema. At night Splendour’s alfresco Upper Deck will become your star-gazing platform.

On board facilities on the Splendour Yacht Charter include an eight-seater tender with 40HP engine available for private transfers, water-sports, and local voyages, snorkeling gear, a double stand-up paddleboard, two wakeboards and two surfboards.

The volcanic islands of Komodo, Lombok, Sumbawa and Bali inspire adventure. A range of activities is available to satisfy all ages and customized voyages have been carefully crafted to discover the most spectacular scenery and wildlife around the Indonesian waters. Hike at sunrise to stunning viewpoints that will take your breath away. Explore the islands and meet the villagers. Take the paddleboard and go bird watching.

Gaze in awe as thousands of bats come alive at sunset and shadow the sky. Encounter Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. Surf the world-class breaks of Lombok and Sumbawa. Enjoy a private sunset picnic on a deserted beach. Meanwhile, the waters of Indonesia are teeming with life and snorkeling is a wonderfully accessible activity for everyone including children.

Discover vibrant reefs of soft and hard corals and come face to face with colorful fish, turtles, gentle reef sharks and giant manta rays. The very able crew will ensure that you and your family and friends are well-looked after, not only on board and on land, but also on and under the water. The crew will also arrange treasure hunts for Splendour’s young pirates.

The Splendour Yacht Charter is the perfect customized private adventure for families and smaller groups seeking to explore an incredible diversity of nature, wildlife and scenery.

Itineraries & Prices

All itineraries are subject to change due to seasonal weather conditions (and resultant variations in river and tributary water levels) affecting accessibility to locations. Thus navigation routes, times and excursions may need to be modified at the cruise captain’s or your guide's discretion.

4 Day - Komodo National Park

Embarkation

AM : Start your journey with a small island with captivating beauty, both in the land and below, such as Sebayur island.

A great place for a starter, Sebayur is blessed with undulating hills of brownish-yellow grass, providing a pleasing contrast with the surrounding ocean. Its charming view invites you to take a short track to the hilltop, to enjoy an unobstructed ocean view and sense idyllic remoteness.

If you are a licensed diver, don’t miss the chance to dive in Sebayur - diving is Sebayur’s main attraction, anyway! A number of world-renown diving sites lie just a few hundreds of meters off the shore, such as the famous Batu Bolong, Crystal Rock, and Castle Rock. The surrounding marine life is spectacular with sloping reefs, coral walls, colorful sea critters, and schools of many kinds of fishes. It’s almost like diving in a clear aquarium. Past the beautiful coral plateau, the water is heaven for pelagic hunters, turtle galore, micro diving, and occasional passing Mantas.

PM : If you wish, you can spend your first afternoon here. The island is famous as one of the best spots in Flores to enjoy the most beautiful sunset ever. Sits on the idyllic hills and watch the sky change into pastel colors, before heading back to the cruise and prepare for tomorrow’s adventure.

Gili Lawa Darat

AM : Start the day with something fresh, and docking to Gili Lawa Darat is our suggestion. n fact, the island is one of the greatest places to catch a wonderful sunrise. Take a little tracking to the hills and enjoy an almost magical scenery when the sunrise from the horizon, slowly reveals the ocean and the bumpy hills of the archipelago from the darkness of the night. From January to May, you will be greeted with lush green grass covering the rolling hills, and the grass turns crisp and yellow during the dry season—turning the island into beautiful savannah.

PM : An afternoon in the cruise clearly calls for a dip in the clear water, and it will be a great loss to miss a chance to meet the Manta. The Manta Point in Komodo National Park waters is the best place to see these intelligent creatures, as the water is rich with plankton - a delight for the Manta Rays. The Mantas are often traveling in a group and are present almost all year round. Lucky divers can even spend solid 30 minutes of interaction with the Mantas as long as the condition is right.

Komodo National Park

AM : The fourth day of adventure will be perfect to visit the limelight of Komodo National Park, and that means the Komodo Dragons themselves! Sail to Rinca, home of the biggest lizard on earth.

PM : A visit to this daunting creature can only be compared by a thrilling stop to a massive bat cave, the Kelor island. They are sleeping soundly during the day and you can watch them safely from the boat, but the real deal happens at dusk. Thousands of bats fly when the sky is turning into velvety tangerine, scattered and start preying their food in the neighboring islands. This is your last night on the cruise, and surely this will be a view you could never forget.

Disembarkation

AM : The last day of the excursion is perfect for a sleepy pleasure before heading back to the port town. After so many adventures, having a last authentic vibe of Flores will be a foolproof closure, indeed. One last trek to the hills and you are set to grab the wonderful panoramic view of Flores, Rinca, and other islands you have visited.

PM : Relax in the white sand beaches before ending your Flores Komodo tours for good.

6 Day - Komodo

Padar Island

AM : After spending first two days with water activities, your third day of excursion should be something fun. Why not visit the famous Padar Island today? A trek to this island is one of the most essential things to do during a Flores tour package, something you don't want to miss. As the hills lack of shady trees, it’s best to take a sunrise track early in the morning while the air is still cooler.

Reach the hilltop where you can catch a spectacular sunrise, and you will understand why radar Island steals thousand hearts of wanderers. Once you have finished exploring the magnificent surrounding, make your way down to Padar’s remarkable multicolor beaches, particularly the pink one. It’s time to chill.

PM : Since you are visiting the pink beach of Padar, let’s just spent the whole day indulging in the blushing beaches? Lucky you, we can take you to another pink beach in the tip of Komodo National Park, hidden from other groups of travelers. Get into your snorkeling gear and you will see that the pink beach trails down beautifully to the sea bottom, blushing with the same hue.

Sunbathing in the pink sand while watching the contrasting blue ocean truly feels like a world away from everything. Sadly, it will come the time to leave this lovely beach, and it’s time for the next journey.

Accommodations

Social areas.

Suites & Cabins

Master cabin.

This room has been designed with maximum privacy and comfort in mind. The fine lines accompanying the bed will ensure you rest comfortably at night. The air-conditioned room features reading lights, ventilation hatches, and a personal B&O speaker system.

Double Cabin

The double rooms come with a touch of coziness and functionality. Guests can revive themselves with a good night's sleep in these cabins that come with the finest bedding for comfort. The cabins have direct access to a shared bathroom that comes with basic amenities.

Technical Information

• Air conditioning
• Snorkeling gear
• Stand up paddleboard
• Wakeboard / Water Ski
• Surf boards

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• I'd like to be contacted via WhatsApp.
• I'd prefer not to be contacted by phone or SMS.
• All charter prices displayed are for private use of the entire vessel
• High season supplements apply (Christmas, New Year, Chinese New Year, Easter & Summer)
• Additional price for child after 6 pax adults : USD 40 per child

Splendour by OXO

Komodo national park, perfect for families, friends and small groups., book direct, really, we’ll get you the best rate and more.

A rare yacht of its kind in Indonesia, Splendour is inspired by American 1920 pleasure yachts and designed specifically for leisurely cruises. Splendour was built with passion on the shores of Ara Beach in Sulawesi, the very birthplace of the country’s boatbuilding tradition, and refined with contemporary lines, warm textured interior and modern preferences to suit the OXO lifestyle and taste. With everything you need and nothing that you don’t, Splendour is set to take you on an adventure of a lifetime.

PRIVATE BEACHES

Gourmet dining on board, water sports equipment, outdoor cinema, fully serviced, incredible nature, cabins and facilities.

Classic Design

Unique & comfortable.

Spanning 65 feet in length and spread over 3 flat-surfaced decks, the boat follows a classic design built for comfort, while the interiors and finishes are modern and minimalistic.

Unlike many other yachts, Splendour is an open plan yacht. The inside seamlessly meets the outside making our bar, dining and back-lounge areas an engaging interconnected space that is inviting and bright.

CENTRAL MEETING SPOT

The U-shaped lounge is a perfect space for gathering together, relaxing or enjoying an aperitivo, and it can also turn into an outdoor cinema.

FOR DAY & NIGHT

Being flat and spacious, it’s the ideal place for morning yoga, meditation or simply watching the world go by. Jump off for a refreshing dip or read a book under the sunshade. It’s the best place to watch the sunset and have an al fresco dinner.

Master Cabin

Maximum comfort & privacy.

This well-designed space with clean simple lines features an en-suite WC, bathroom, fine linens, reading lights, air-conditioning, ventilation hatches, 4 portholes, and a personal B&O speaker system.


Master Bathroom

Modern finishes.

The en-suite master bathroom is modern and minimal – super functional with everything you need and nothing you don’t.


Cocoon Cabins

Cosy & functional.

Both cocoon cabins are identical on the starboard and port side of the lower deck. They have direct access to a separate bathroom and WC. Both cabins feature fine linens, air-conditioning, reading lights, 2 portholes, and a personal B&O speaker system.

Cocoon Bathroom

Minimal contemporary.

The cocoon bathroom is a shared toilet and shower room, both in a minimal contemporary design.

Converted Back Lounge

Sleep more guests.

On your request, we convert the back lounge into a twin outdoor cabin. You have the option of keeping it open for an outdoor sleep or fully enclosing the back area with our waterproof wooden blinds to offer a contained space with privacy.

BE SOCIAL OR HIDE AWAY

The front lounge is a pleasant space to sunbathe or watch dolphins and turtles while cruising. 

FOR YOUR PLEASURE

You’ll find an 8-seater tender with 40HP engine available for private transfers, water sports, and local voyages.

MOVIE NIGHT

At night the back lounge can convert into your own private outdoor cinema. 

ESSENTIAL FACTS

Yacht specifications.

• One air-conditioned master cabin with en-suite bathroom and WC
• Two air-conditioned double cabins with shared bathroom and WC
• Optional outdoor sleeping areas on the back lounge

SALOON & LOUNGES

• Dining saloon
• Open-plan kitchen bar​
• Back Lounge
• Front Lounge​
• Main deck bathroom and shower
• Upper deck with sunshade, deckchairs and tables, sun loungers, beanbags, green lawn
• Swim deck accessible from water with freshwater shower
• "> "> Built: Ara, Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Type: Classical 1920 American pleasure boat design made from solid ironwood and teak.
• Meassurements: Length 20m, Beam 5m, Draft 2.3m
• "> "> Engine: Yanmar 180 hp
• Reach: 900-1000 nautical miles
• Water: 2 ton stock, freshwater maker
• Air Conditioning: All cabins are fully air conditioned.
• Sound System: 2 unit speaker available on board ">
• Battery system: Our state-of-the-art battery system enables you to enjoy complete silence, yet maintaining all creature comforts.
• Onboard water-maker: Quality, fresh water is produced onboard.
• Tender: 8-guest seater tender with 40HP engine available for private transfers, water sports, and local voyages.
• 1st Officer
• Chief Engineer
• Guide / Buttler

Island Picnic

Private & breathtaking.

Enjoy a private picnic on the beach. Our team will set up tables and chairs, towels, music, food and drinks on a secluded beach.

WORLD CLASS

Experience some of the most pristine spots in the world for snorkelling. The waters of Komodo are teeming with life, and with many shallow spots, making snorkelling accessible for everyone. Our expert crew will make sure you and your guests are well-looked after onboard as well as under water.

Wakeboarding

Adventure & sport.

Our custom designed tender is there for your pleasure. Glide on still waters in secluded coves on our wakeboard – or longboard for those who prefer a gentle ride. Mornings and at sunset are the best times.

Glide under water in this fun and exhilarating activity, perfect for the adrenaline seekers.

Dinner under the Stars

Unique dining experience.

Enjoy one of the delicious meals from our chef on our top deck with a sky full of stars above you – a really one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Island Hopping

Your own paradise.

Pop from one paradise island to another and explore what each has to offer. Our tender will take you effortlessly between the yacht and the islands, and our team will prepare refreshments and equipment for your enjoyment.

Treasure Hunt for kids

For all ages.

Amongst these ancient islands and spice trading routes, there are treasure chests to be discovered by the pirates onboard Splendour! Our specially designed treasure hunts get your kids active and inspired. We encourage them to use their minds, find new skills and work as a team if needed! 

Wildlife Spotting

Flora & fauna.

Take the paddle board out and go bird watching, see a spectacle of thousands of bats fly overhead at sunset, get up close to the majestic Komodo dragons found only in the area, and spot elegant deer on a deserted beach or striking eagles gliding by. There is so much wildlife to experience out there.

Komodo adventure

Komodo dragons.

Go onto Komodo island and take a trek to see the infamous Komodo dragons. A must-do for first timers, see these majestic dragons in their habitat. 

Board Games

Fun & leisure.

Play a round of chess or enjoy any of the other boardgames we have on board.

Sunset Aperitivos

Relax & indulge.

Relax on the upper deck at sunset and enjoy an aperitivo with cocktails, wine and gourmet snacks prepared fresh by our onboard chef.

FITNESS WITH A VIEW

Whether a short trek of 10 minutes or an hour-long excursion, discover vantage points that will quite literally take your breath away. This is a country of contrasts and rugged beauty, mostly uninhabited, untouched and protected from any sort of tourism-related development. 

DEPARTURE port

Labuan bajo.

A quaint fishing town on the island of Flores, Labuan Bajo is quickly developing into a lively transportation hub, being the gateway to the natural wonder of Komodo. The airport of Labuan Bajo is a short 5 minute drive to the port, and there are many direct flights to and from Bali daily. The whole journey from Bali to Splendour is only about 1.5 hours, making the travel easy and effortless.

Destinations

Padar Island

Trekking & sunsets.

‍Padar Island is a popular destination located between Rinca and Komodo islands, known for its 3 coloured beaches. From the 360° view at the top, you’ll see a pink beach, a white beach and a black beach, all from the same island. Steep hills, breathtaking landscapes, and gigantic bays make it a true “Neverland”. We love Padar for a sunset or sunrise trek.

Manta Point

Snorkeling with manta rays.

Manta Point is home to the longest reef in the National Park and features shallow dive and snorkeling sites. It gets its name from the many manta rays that gather there all year long, making it the perfect place to observe these gentle giants. These magnificent creatures can grow up to 6m wide and are harmless to humans. To get up close to one will be a once in a lifetime experience.

RELAXING ON THE BEACH

Famous for its strong pink coloured sand and sparkling turquoise waters, Pink Beach is one of the most stunning and unique beaches. 

Komodo Island

Visit komodo dragons.

Named after the giant lizard living in its hills, the island is the biggest island in Komodo National Park. Less visited than Rinca due to its remoteness, the dragons thrive, with an estimated population of 1000, along with Sumba deers, water buffalos, wild horses, and many different snake and bird species. You can visit these dragons safely with the local guides.

Gili Lawa Darat

Relax & enjoy.

Gili Lawa Darat has a large, almost closed-off bay located in the heart of Komodo island. Highly protected from the swell and winds, it is perfect for water sports such as kayaking and stand-up paddle. It is one of our favourite spots in the park to anchor and spend the day hanging out and enjoying the waters.

Mesa Island

Cultural experience.

Mesa Island is an authentic cultural experience and a unique opportunity to visit the local Bajau community who still live very traditionally in this small fisherman village.

Rinca Island

Trekking & komodos.

Rinca Island is a trekking island and home to the largest population of Komodo dragons. There are a variety of trails to choose ranging from 1-3 hours, and while wandering around looking for the ancient animals, you will be guided by a professional ranger.

Sebayur Island

Relaxing snorkel.

Sebayur Island is a beautiful spot known for magnificent diving. Expect pristine ocean, lively coral and calm swim-able waters.

Kalong Island

Spectacle of bats.

Kalong Island is a small beautiful island, but rather more known from afar. It is the setting for the spectacle of bats that come alive at sunset. Look onto Kalong Island when the sun starts to set and see thousands of bats flying overhead.

Turtle Point

Swim with turtles.

Officially called Siabar Besar, but also known as Turtle Point, this is “The City of Turtles”. It’s the best dive spot to see and swim with many turtles in calm, pristine waters.

THRILLING SNORKEL

Probably our favourite dive and snorkeling spot, Shot Gun is incredible and exciting. It features a drift that “shotguns” you through the water. Simply float and get carried by the currents through beautiful reefs while observing all the marine life – including reef sharks if you’re lucky!

PARADISE BEACH

An absolutely stunning small sand bank in the middle of the ocean, this spot is really the definition of island paradise. We love to have a picnic aperitivo here.

Last Minute & Early Bird Bookings Contact our Villa Specialists to find out if your dates are eligible for our Last Minute and Early Bird discounts.

BOOK DIRECT For the best rates available.

Other options, yachts & stays.

Families, friends or only a couple? We have got you covered with private yacht charters of all sizes, or you can simply book a single cabin. Stop over in Bali? Stay at one of our OXO properties in Bali and let us make you a package offer.

cabin booking

Splendour cabin.

• 1 CABIN | 1-3 CABINS, 2 ADULTS, 2 CHILDREN

Only need 1 or 2 cabins? We understand that you might not need a whole yacht. We’ve got you covered with our cabin bookings.

PRIVATE CHARTER

Ikan kayu private charter.

• 6 CABINS | 13 GUESTS

Perfect for larger groups, your have this traditional-style luxury yacht for your private enjoyment.

Pritidaya by OXO

• | 6 ADULTS,
• 2 CHILDRENS

Ananta by OXO

• | 5 ADULTS,
• 1 CHILDRENS

Wonderland by OXO

• | 8 ADULTS,

Krtajna by OXO

• 5-6 BEDROOMS
• | 12 ADULTS,

Chameleon by OXO

OXO Townhouses Umalas

• | 4 ADULTS,

COMING SOON

Booking details, the things you want to know..

Please read our detailed Voyages Terms and Conditions here.

VOYAGES TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• Ideal for families and friends who are looking for a private voyage.
• Exclusive charter of the entire yacht
• 1 Master Cabin and 2 Cocoon Cabins
• Each cabin occupied max by 2 adults and 1 child up to 12 years old
• Converted back lounge optional
• Max guests 6 adults and 3 children
• Additional price per pax after 6 pax: Adult IDR 1,200,000/night and Child IDR 600,000/night
• Minimum charters 3 nights, no maximum.

CABIN BOOKING

• Ideal for singles and couples who are looking to join a voyage for a cabin price.
• Master Cabin or Cocoon Cabin
• Minimum charters 3 nights, 4 days.
• Our voyages are all inclusive charters covering your entire experience. ">
• All meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Morning and afternoon snacks and refreshments
• Coffee, tea, juices and non-alcoholic beverages ">
• 8 snorkeling sets
• 1 stand-up paddleboard
• 2 wakeboards
• 2 surfboards
• Games and boardgames
• Full crew of 6 including private guide and chef
• Airport transfers
• Cruise permits
• Fuel charges
• Additional services and extras are available and charged separately.
• Flights and Hotels: We can assist you with booking flights and hotels prior and after your voyage.
• Alcoholic Beverages: A fully stocked bar including cocktails, wines, beers and spirits is available on board.
• Travel and cancellation insurance.
• National Park Fees: Including park entrance tickets, snorkeling, trekking/hiking/climbing, observation wildlife regional retribution, rangers and yacht parking.
• Yacht Relocation: Should you wish us to relocate to another area, we do offer yacht relocation at an additional charge.

PLEASE READ THE SMALL PRINT

• Minimum 3 days 2 nights voyage for Shared Voyage and Private Charter
• Check-in time starts from 8 am. Night-before check-in optional on request
• Check out time up to 4 pm
• Departure Port: Labuan Bajo
• Ending Port: Labuan Bajo
• Airport is Komodo Airport / Labuan Bajo : Departure port is 5 minutes drive from the airport
• Booking Terms: 50% deposit required to secure booking

komodo voyages

Adventures beyond the ordinary, select your home, your adventure awaits.