John Wayne arrived in Spain aboard his yacht, a former WW2 minesweeper, in 1963, to shoot a movie: he spent the summer enjoying our coasts.

It was 1963 when John Wayne, one of the biggest stars of old Hollywood, travelled to Spain to shoot a movie.

He had been chosen to be the protagonist of The Fabulous World of the Circus, a film directed by Henry Hathaway. He would co-star with fellow movie stars Claudia Cardinale and Rita Hayworth.

The city chosen for the filming of one of the parts of the plot was Barcelona.

The filming of The Fabulous World of the Circus began in September 1963 in Barcelona. Then it moves on to take place in a recording studio in Madrid, but John Wayne was ahead of the trip.

At the time, he had just acquired his famous luxury yacht, which he named Wild Goose. The household name movie star decided that that summer he would travel to Spain to spend a holiday on the Mediterranean coast aboard his own boat.

The superstar was accompanied by his wife, two of his children and a group of invited friends

As it was originally a minesweeper of the United States Navy (US Navy) that had been used in World War II, John Wayne’s yacht was a piece of history.

The Wild Goose Story

Before becoming John Wayne’s yacht, the Wild Goose was a warship. Built in 1942, the ship was originally a minesweeper from the U.S. Navy shipyard known as USS YMS-328.

This 136-foot vessel sailed in World War II and served in and around the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.

After World War II, USS YMS-328 was decommissioned in 1946 and later sold.

After going through a couple of owners, John Wayne bought it in 1962 for $116,000 and underwent an expensive renovation.

With the modifications, Wayne added five cabins, designed the interior to feel more spacious, and raised the ceilings to accommodate his tall stature.

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