If James Bond had a boat

By Steve Nussbaum | Photos by Erika Carter

John Kelly, Jimmy Edwards, Jeff Browning, Lisa McClure, Brigitte Cooper and Amy Browning enjoy a beautiful morning in Hell’s Gate on Fuelish Pleasure II.

On any given weekend, many beautiful yachts can be seen cruising Possum Kingdom Lake.
Any boat over 40 feet can rightly be considered a yacht, and there are plenty of those to be found on the lake. But one that stands out is the “Fuelish Pleasure II,†which is owned by John Kelly.
Kelly, who hails from Wichita Falls, Texas, said he’s been a frequent visitor to Possum Kingdom Lake his whole life. He’s the president and owner of Kelly Propane and Fuel, which is based in Wichita Falls.
His family had a home on the west side of the lake for many years, he said, but these days he and his majestic watercraft reside at The Harbor.

John Kelly, Jimmy Edwards, Jeff Browning, Lisa McClure, Brigitte Cooper and Amy Browning enjoy a beautiful morning in Hell’s Gate on Fuelish Pleasure II.

On any given weekend, many beautiful yachts can be seen cruising Possum Kingdom Lake.

Any boat over 40 feet can rightly be considered a yacht, and there are plenty of those to be found on the lake. But one that stands out is the “Fuelish Pleasure II,†which is owned by John Kelly.

Kelly, who hails from Wichita Falls, Texas, said he’s been a frequent visitor to Possum Kingdom Lake his whole life. He’s the president and owner of Kelly Propane and Fuel, which is based in Wichita Falls.

His family had a home on the west side of the lake for many years, he said, but these days he and his majestic watercraft reside at The Harbor.

Kelly has two children, Makenzie, age 25, and Parker, age 23, and the three of them, along with his girlfriend, Brigitte Cooper enjoy spending time on their yacht. Makenzie is a newly engaged, first-grade teacher and graduate of Midwestern State University. Brigitte is the “first mate†and ultimate hostess. Over the past few years, their time during the spring has been spent following Kelly’s son, Parker, around the country playing baseball. Parker is a senior and the starting third baseman for the nationally ranked Texas Tech University baseball team. “Parker doesn’t get to enjoy (the family’s boat) as much, because he’s always off playing baseball during the summer,†Kelly said. “But the whole family loves it.â€

The yacht, a 2019 Galeon 510 SKY, measures 54 feet long and features two 670-horsepower motors in a state-of-the-art engine room. It was made in Poland and features the latest in modern European design and technology.

Kelly bought the boat new in 2020, and the vessel made quite the journey to Possum Kingdom Lake. Kelly traveled to Fort Myers, Florida, to see the boat before he bought it, and the vessel then traveled across the Gulf of Mexico to Houston.

From Houston, the Fuelish Pleasure II traveled to Lewisville, Texas, for some finishing work before finally making its way to its final destination. The entire journey took about 45 days.

The first noticeable thing about the yacht is its ultra-sleek design. It looks like something out of a James Bond movie. The exterior has many unique features, the most obvious of which are the side wings that fold out and make a much larger deck space for entertaining. On one side of the craft, the wing folds out and makes a sit-up bar for two that opens to the galley kitchen inside. The other side expands to add more room for seating and deck space.

The back deck of the vessel lowers to allow for easy access in and out of the water, and the rear deck features is a half-circle seating space that swivels to either face inside or look out over the water. Under that seating space is a hydraulic lift that exposes a large garage space for lake toys.

All the doors and windows in the boat slide open to let the entire boat feel more open. The main cabin sports a sloped glass ceiling that slides electronically to open up the captain’s chair and living space, and the entire space has the ultimate in design sophistication.

The vessel’s interior is a testament to luxury. The galley kitchen has a dishwasher, convection oven, refrigerator and stove top, and there’s also a washer and dryer on board, with walnut cabinets and doors and white leather seating throughout. The salon features a television that can be lowered into the custom cabinetry, and down the steps are two large bedrooms that resemble five-star hotel rooms, with custom bedding, lighting and cabinet storage, as well as their own luxury bathrooms. There also is a bunk room below the deck.

Kelly said his family hasn’t spent the night out on the yacht, but he noted that they do love to cook and entertain on the boat.

Kelly said the yacht’s unique design gets plenty of looks from boaters in Hell’s Gate, and the family likes to mingle with other boat owners and enjoy all that the lake has to offer. Their vessel is one that stands out on the lake, and it easily could be in a James Bond film with its sleek design and transformer style.