Category: Sport Fishing

Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works Beginning in 1955, when brothers Buddy and Allen combined their talents to build vessels for South Florida fishermen, a custom boat bearing the Merritt family name has always been a proven, desirable platform for catching fish.

Today, the custom fishing boats emerging from the Pompano Beach, Florida, yard, that was started back in 1948, range right up to a Merritt Custom 86, with luxurious amenities that far outstrip the bare-bones features of the first builds.

Currently, the yard is busy with the construction of a 66 and an 86, with the most recent launch being a 72 named My Love. One thing has not changed over the years—the yard is renowned for the craftsmanship of its builders.

merrittboat.com

Persistence is a Michael Rybovich and Sons custom 86 Sportfisherman, a recent launch with four ample staterooms, including an amidships master suite. The yacht has a contemporary interior by Elizabeth Dalton of Dalton Designs that takes maximum advantage of the stunning wood and joinery to create a lush, comfortable environment family and guests.

The flybridge is massive, with loads of seating and storage for guests, finished in white with varnished accents and protected by a large hardtop. There’s seating for four to five on the mezzanine, which is replete with storage lockers.

A pair of 2,600-hp MTU 16V2000 M94 diesels help this yacht (LOA 86′; Beam 21’6″; Draft 5′; Displ. 125,000 lbs.) achieve top speeds of 45 knots and cruise at 35 knots.

michaelrybovichandsons.com

Unless you were sleeping at the switch, you undoubtedly know that Bertram is back, with a 35 that pays homage to the renowned 31-footer that helped Richard Bertram build an empire of tough, hardcore sportfishing yachts.

The new 35 is from the board of Michael Peters, with a longer and beamier version of the iconic Bertram 31 and retains its classic style and desirable rough-water ride. (The new design has a deadrise of 22 degrees.)

The 35 (LOA 35′; Beam 12’5″; Draft 2’6″; Half-load Displ. 20,800 lbs.) will be offered in cruising and fishing configurations, with twin 460-hp Caterpillar C7 diesels aimed at 40-knot top speeds. Attractive options include a bow thruster to help move the nose around authoritatively in cross winds and a Seakeeper gyro stabilizer to help ensure comfort aboard for family and guests.

bertram.com

The Hatteras GT 70 Convertible fuses the renowned builder’s reputation for toughness and reliability with luxury and comfort afloat. Designed with the performance-minded tournament angler in mind, the GT 70 (LOA 70’6″; Beam 21’4″; Draft 5′; Displ. 120,000 lbs.) has a fuel capacity of 2,140 gallons and standard twin 1,900-hp CAT C32A diesels, which provide cruising speeds in the mid 30-knot range and top-end speeds of more than 40 knots, according to the builder.

The five-stateroom layout includes two suites with double berths and three with Pullman berths, along with crew quarters. Mezzanine seating offers comfortable viewing, as well as a place for the next fisherman in the queue to get ready for the fight. Twin custom helm chairs have excellent views of the action in the cockpit.

hatterasyachts.com

Based on its proven and successful  48 Convertible hull, the new  Viking 48 Open (LOA 49’1″; Beam 17′; Draft 4’8″; Displ. 66,342 lbs.) is designed with the serious fisherman in mind.

The 124-square-foot cockpit has aft-facing seating on a split mezzanine, plenty of storage, easy under-steps access to the engine room, and separate coolers for bait and drinks. The transom has a large door and liftgate for boating big fish, as well as family and guests, plus a livewell. The oversized lazarette will accommodate a ton of gear and a Seakeeper 9 gyro stabilizer.

Several MAN diesel engine options offer performance up to 39 knots at the top end and will cruise efficiently in the low to mid-30 knot range.

vikingyachts.com

Builder’s Choice is Jarrett Bay’s fourth custom hull built for a well-known family in the sportfishing community, and it is the largest boat to date for those owners (LOA 64’8″; Beam 18’8″; Draft 5’4″; Displ. 78,000 lbs.). Power for this yacht is a pair of CAT C32 ACERT diesels in a conventional drive configuration.

The boat carries 1,800 gallons of fuel and 275 gallons of water. With a raised mezzanine for spectators, the cockpit has three teak-planked levels, a mid-height step with storage, a 140-square-foot main level with room all around, and a custom fighting chair.

The spacious bridge contains a large console, room for two custom chairs with a good view of the cockpit and a huge lounging area forward. The luxurious salon is warm and comfortable. jarrettbay.com

With its distinctive design, the new Huckins Sportfisherman 45 celebrates the company’s 75-plus years as builders of desirable custom wooden fishing and cruising boats. Wombat is powered by twin 480-hp Cummins diesels turning Zeus pod drives, which help her achieve top end speeds of 35 knots burning 50.5 gph, or cruise comfortably at 28 knots and sip fuel more efficiently at 33 gph.

Wombat’s low and graceful hull (LOA 44’10”; Beam 13’9″; Draft 3′; Displ. 23,000 lbs.) is a cored fiberglass composite structure, with a full-on fishing cockpit that features three insulated fi sh bins with in-drain macerators, a Dometic icemaker, a mid-cockpit rocket launcher for stand-up angling, and Rupp outriggers. The company’s trademark Quadraconic® hull has a solid reputation for smooth running and minimal pounding compared to other hulls.

huckinsyacht.com

With more than 40 years of experience building luxury yachts from 36 to 77 feet in length, Riviera’s reputation for sea-kindly, comfortable boats is well-established.

The Riviera 77 Enclosed Flybridge (above) (LOA 81’2″; Beam 20’9″; Draft 5’9″; Displ. 116,600 lbs.) is a serious long-range battlewagon that carries 2,536 gallons of fuel and 349 gallons of water. Standard engines are a pair of 1,900-hp MAN V12 diesels with conventional shaft drives, and has a predicted range of 556 nautical miles at 26.4 knots, according to the builder.

The fighting cockpit is a whopping 177.6 square feet with a raised, weather-protected mezzanine measuring 76.4 square feet and equipped with copious amounts of storage. The standard layout includes four staterooms with ensuite head compartments, and the level of luxury is first class all around.

riviera.com.au

In the company’s line of Luxury Performance Sport Yachts, the Sea Force IX 94.5 (LOA 94’8″; Beam 22’11”; Draft 5’8″; Displ. 160,000 lbs.) is the largest of six models that begin at 81 feet. All are equipped with enclosed flybridges, though the 94.5 also features an open skybridge one level higher with a helm station, obviating the need for an add-on tower.

In addition to the enclosed helm on the flybridge, there is also an exterior helm on the open-air deck aft, well-suited for maneuvering when the fish is hooked up. There are four general layouts available, three of which include a full beam master. Standard power is twin 2,600-hp MTU 16V2000 94 diesels turning traditional shaft drives in performance prop pockets. Top speed is 36 knots, and easy cruise is 27 to 28 knots, according to the builder.

seaforceix.com

AMERICAN CUSTOM YACHTS

With more than 60 years of experience building traditional, cold-molded custom sportfishing yachts, ACY stays current on the latest materials and techniques to satisfy performance-oriented customers.

Double Take (above) is an ACY 67 (LOA 67′; Beam 18’8″; Draft 5’4″; Displ. 92,000 lbs.) built for a customer who plans on extensive travel globally and fishing everywhere. Twin 1,900-hp Caterpillar C32 ACERT Tier 3 diesels easily achieve 32 knots at cruise, and with 2,000 gallons of fuel, the yacht has a predicted cruising range of 450 nautical miles at that speed. The cockpit is equipped to tackle a wide variety of species, with three large livewells, a pair of Eskimo ice machines and six tuna tubes. Mezzanine seating helps keep the cockpit clear and the off-watch refreshed.

americancustomyachts.com