Yacht That Helped Sink Gary Hart Is Up For Sale

MIAMI - Wanted: someone with a sense of history and humor to plunk down a cool $1.225 million for a pleasure craft.

Advertised in newspapers around the nation this week, the opulent 83-foot yacht has a built-in Jacuzzi, three rosewood-paneled staterooms and requires a crew of six that can handle intimate parties of 30-40 people.

Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Nicholson, Elton John, Julio Iglesias and James Caan have visited the three-decked Monkey Business at Turnberry Isle, a ritzy resort complex north of Miami. But, of course, its most famous passenger was Gary Hart.

The former U.S. senator from Colorado fell from Democratic front-runner for the presidency into infamy in less than a week after his charter trip from Florida to Bimini with model Donna Rice came to light in 1987.

Hart and Rice swore there was no hanky-panky, but Rice's friend, a bikini store owner named Lynn Armandt who was along for the ride, told the media otherwise.

Yacht broker Bob Offer of Fort Lauderdale is selling the boat for Donald Soffer, a millionaire developer with holdings in New York and Miami.

``The boat has a character of its own,'' said Offer. ``When you walk on board, you really want to have a good time.''