No shoes and no booze. Those were the rules for everyone including Knights of Momus Queen Claire Henderson. No one in the black-tie attired Mardi Gras group boarded Tilman Fertitta's 164-foot super yacht until their party slippers were removed and their champagne glasses put aside.

It was a splendid party idea — dock the lavish yacht, The Boardwalk, at Pier 21 in Galveston and plan a Mardi Gras fete around it, using the yacht as more backdrop than party locale.

Knights of Momus King Tilman and Paige Fertitta joined forces with Dancie and Jim Ware, a former Knights of Momus king, to throw the early-evening champagne reception for the debutante queen and for Knights of Momus duchess Mary Elizabeth O'Leary of Houston. The oh-so-civilized bubbly action served to spice up the night before the curtain rose on the famed San Luis Salute, chaired by the Fertittas

While the magnificently-appointed yacht was off-limits to raucous partying, a clear tent (perfect for viewing the vessel) housed the open bar and caviar station and white leather sofas resting on plush carpeting. Waiters in white jackets swirled through the mix of guests offering wine, champagne and hors d'oeuvres. Luxuriating in this amazing scene were the Knights of Momus duchesses (26 total) and their escorts and various friends of the hosts.

Early arrivals included parents of the queen, Anne and James Henderson plus Joan and Doug McLeod and Lisa and Mike O'Leary, parents of the dutchess. They were among the first to tour the yacht that sleeps 12. The vast master suite (larger than some one-bedroom apartments), the individual cabins for each of the Fertittas' four children and a spectacular guest suite had visitors green with envy.

"We designed this for the family," Tilman said. "You see our kitchen looks like a kitchen in a home. It's not the typical yacht galley. We hang out in here with the kids. It's just like our home."

The Boardwalk has a crew of eight that keeps the vessel pristine. That includes the jacuzzi deck, the helipad on top and the various deck areas for lounging. It is anchored most often in Ft. Lauderdale but makes vacation jaunts for the family to the Bahamas and into the Caribbean. This summer, the Mediterranean is on the itinerary. And no you cannot charter or borrow Tilman's yacht. It's strictly for the family.

The no-shoes policy is standard throughout the yachting world. Those teak decks are just too fragile for the spike heels of Manolos and the stains from less than brand-new tennies.