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Top 13 Luxury Sport Fishing Yachts You Need to See

• By Yachting Staff
• Updated: August 8, 2024

It is possible to fish from any type of boat, but a sportfishing yacht is purpose-built for angling aficionados to chase fish of all sizes and species, whether it’s fun fishing for sailfish and mahi-mahi off the beach in Palm Beach or campaigning a professional-level billfish crew on the high-profile (and big-money) tournament circuit from the Bahamas to Bermuda and back. The best sport-fishing yachts combine rugged, blue-water construction with performance, range, agile handling and the comforts of luxury-yacht living. On the outside, sportfish yachts are notable for their dance-floor size cockpits for fish fighting; livewells to keep baits kicking; in-deck fish boxes to keep the catch chilled; and an armada of rod holders for drift fishing, kite fishing or trolling. They also are known for big diesel horsepower and speed, often north of 40 knots. Sportfish yachts are also notable for luxurious interiors with supple leathers, granite countertops, high-end galley appliances and spacious staterooms. These are highly self-sufficient angling platforms geared for life beyond the horizon where the water is deep and the fish are big.

Top Luxury Fishing Boats

The following 13 sportfish yachts are all vessels we’ve reviewed. They are listed in no particular order.

• Viking 82 Convertible : A new breed of sportfishermen emerges from this iconic New Jersey boatbuilder.
• Royal Huisman 171 : This superyacht sportfish is touted as the biggest sportfish yacht ever built.
• Rybovich 94 : A 41-knot, super-sized sport-fisherman from a legendary name in the boatbuilding game.
• Release Boatworks 43 Gameboat : An owner-operator-size, custom-built competitor with classic lines and modern performance. 
• Viking 38 Billfish : One of the top inboard-powered sport-fishermen under 40 feet available today.
• Jarrett Bay Boatworks 64 : Rebelette is a 43-knot fish chaser from the custom North Carolina boatbuilder.
• F&S Boatworks 82 : Special Situation is special indeed: 82 feet of custom sportfisherman, with a top speed of more than 40 knots.
• Bayliss Boatworks 60 : The first walkaround model for this noted boatbuilder, Sequentis is designed to fish the competitive South Florida tournament sailfish circuit .
• Viking 90 Convertible : The flagship of the Viking fleet, the 90C leads a new breed of mega-yacht sport-fishing boats. 
• Merritt 88 Sky Bridge : The renowned custom boatbuilder introduces an 88-foot sky-bridge model designed for global sportfishing adventures.
• Duffie 70 : This 70-footer from Maryland’s Duffie Boatworks blends craftsmanship, performance and fishability.
• Albemarle 53 Spencer Edition : Blending production efficiency with custom-boat design was a dream several years in the making, and the result is well worth the effort.
• Winter 46 : The boatbuilders at Winter Custom Yachts have optimized the walkaround concept with this MAN-diesel-powered 46-footer.

Viking Yachts 82 Convertible

Viking Yacht Company recently debuted its newest sport-fisherman: the 82 Convertible . Hull No. 1 is serving as the factory demo for the busy summer tournament season in Bermuda and along the East Coast. Thanks to many factors, including the use of computational fluid dynamics, performance is exceptional: twin MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines provide a reported 42-knot top hop and a 36-knot cruise speed. This 82-footer also leverages several proven systems for ease of use and efficiency, such as digital switching from Octoplex as well as the Optimus electronic power steering system. The Viking 82 is engineered for many systems that were previously custom installations and are now on the options sheet, including omnidirectional sonar, multiple water makers and crushed ice machines, tuna tube bait systems as well as the extensive use of refrigerated storage boxes. The Viking 82 is available in three models: open bridge, enclosed bridge and sky bridge.

Quick Specifications

Royal Huisman 171

A 171-foot sportfisherman? Yes. That’s exactly what the six-deck Special One is, from Dutch builder Royal Huisman. The interior and exterior design is from noted Dutch yacht-design firm Vripack, which calls the vessel “a sport-fisher on steroids.” The hull and superstructure of the supersize sportfish is Alustar aluminum, a material known for its strength and relatively light weight. Even with six decks, Vripack has managed to create sleek lines. It starts with a high freeboard forward that seemingly dares the ocean to approach. Transitioning from the bow, the sheerline slopes downwards in a steady cadence. The flowing sheerline resolves seamlessly at the cockpit. The vessel’s raked house and stacked deck are juxtaposed against the long profile, creating a sinewy aesthetic, which is no simple feat in this 171-footer. Add in all of the expected angling accouterments and 30-knot speed, and you have a sportfish yacht ready to chase fish around the world.

Rybovich 94

Size, speed and agility is a unique trifecta in a sportfish boat, but the 94-foot, 41-knot III Amigos from Michael Rybovich and Sons checks all those boxes as well as a few more too. The sportfish boat, designed by Patrick Knowles with naval architecture from Dusty Rybovich, is built in cold-molded mahogany. Prop pockets help keep the boat’s half-load draft down to a Bahamas-friendly 5 feet. The Rybovich 94’s impressive speed is helped by a pair of beefy 2,600 hp MTU diesels.

The owner of III Amigos also owns a 196-foot Feadship superyacht and, while he wanted the sportfish to be all business on the outside, he wanted luxury-yacht finishes on the inside. Subtle but telling touches are the solid doors to the staterooms; each mimics the owner’s Feadship with ¾-inch thickness. The doors close flush (each has hidden hinges), and the sound is of a Rolls-Royce door closing.

Release Boatworks 43 Gameboat

Reminiscent of arguably one of the most classic sport-fishing boats of all time—the 43-foot Merritt—the 43 Gameboat from Release Boatworks takes that design to a new level of sophistication and performance. These include a hull built using blister-resistant modified epoxy resin, which is vacuum-infused using Airex foam cores with E-glass hybrid fiberglass laminates to maximize strength while minimizing weight. The stringers are built with fiberglass encapsulated foam, and the bulkheads are vacuum-infused with composite cores. The extensive use of composite materials throughout the boat creates a strong finished product and saves a great deal of weight, providing admirable performance. With standard twin 550 hp Cummins QSB6.7 diesels, the 43 Gameboat cruises at 30 knots and tops out at 35 knots. Notable options include 600 hp Cummins QSCs or Volvo Penta D-8s, omni sonar, gyrostabilization and various tower options. The Release 43 Gameboat is also available in walkaround, flybridge walkaround or express layouts.

Viking Yachts 38 Billfish

The Viking Yachts 38 Billfish offers a special place in the hearts of bluewater sport-fishing enthusiasts around the world, with its combination of versatility, comfort and performance. The reasons are numerous. As an owner-operator vessel, the 38 Billfish offers simplicity and ease of maintenance, serving as a ready-to-go fishing machine that is equally adept at inshore and offshore excursions as well as for extended cruising with family and friends, thanks to its reliable inboard diesel power. It has a large cockpit as well as the speed and range to fish well offshore alongside much larger vessels, while also providing a fast, safe and comfortable ride in a variety of sea conditions.

Jarrett Bay Boatworks 64

North Carolina’s Jarrett Bay Boatworks latest build is the 64-foot beauty known as Rebelette . From its spacious tackle center to a one-of-a-kind walnut interior Hull No. 65 is a tailored fit, and it also has the latest in propulsion tech in the form of twin 2,025 hp Caterpillar C23B diesels. Taking full advantage of the Cat power, Rebelette cruises ­comfortably at 1,750 rpm while making an easy 31 knots. With 1,650 gallons of fuel, it has range to spare at this speed. Push this vessel up to 1,950 rpm to reach a fast cruising speed of 37 knots, which is impressive in any book. Wide-open throttle is 43 knots, fully loaded and ready to fish.

F&S Boatworks 82

F&S Boatworks’ stellar reputation stands tall in the world of custom sportfish builders so it’s no surprise that its latest creation, the 82-foot Special Situation , continues the tradition. One of the hallmarks of any F&S is the performance and Special Situation certainly doesn’t disappoint in that department. Powered by a pair of  2,600 hp MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines, at 2,000 rpm and 80 percent engine load, cruising speed is 36 knots, burning just south of 200 gallons per hour. Backing off to 1,650 rpm, it’s using 122 gph at 28 knots. At the other end of the spectrum, the top hop is more than 42 knots at 2,450 rpm.

Bayliss Boatworks 60

The 60-foot Sequentis was recently delivered to its new owners by the team at Bayliss Boatworks and it represents the first walkaround design for the storied North Carolina custom boatbuilder. Designed for live-bait tournament sailfishing in South Florida, Sequentis has 360-degree fishability as well as multiple livewells and pitch-bait tubes. And in a sport where having the ability to quickly relocate to a hot bite can mean the difference between finishing in first place or dead last, Sequentis is also fast. Powered by two MTU 12V2000 M96X diesel engines, it reportedly hit speeds of well over 42 knots during the initial sea trials in July 2024.

Viking Yachts 90

The flagship of the Viking fleet, the 90 Convertible , has improved elements including the builder’s latest lifting-strake design, a refined driveline and prop pockets, and advanced propulsion systems. Performance was optimized through the use of computational fluid dynamics software, allowing the Viking design team to analyze pressure distribution, study trim angle and trim tab effectiveness, and modify the strakes and chines to increase running efficiency.

Merritt 88 Sky Bridge

Merritt’s Boat & Engine Works introduces its latest, an 88-foot sky bridge designed for global sportfishing. Featuring luxurious interiors, advanced electronics and twin 2,600 hp MTU engines, this sport-fisherman offers yacht-level comfort, high performance and functionality for long-range angling adventures. The Merritt 88’s performance is greatly enhanced due to the extensive use of carbon fiber, Corecell and advanced epoxy in its construction, making this boat not only stronger, but also lighter weight and faster than its predecessors.

The new 70-footer from Duffie Boatworks , Dem Boys exemplifies exceptional craftsmanship, with notable features such as a luxurious four-stateroom layout and high-tech systems, including a proprietary closed-loop freshwater cooling system to virtually eliminate fouling. At 2,000 rpm, the Duffie 70 has a fast cruise of 36.5 knots, enough to make those long runs to the distant offshore canyons considerably quicker, while consuming less than 200 gph. At top hop, Dem Boys hit 43.5 knots.

Albemarle 53 Spencer Edition

Albemarle Boats and Spencer Yachts formed a partnership to design and build a semicustom Carolina boat, with the goal of bringing in the characteristic design elements, styling and performance from the custom world but to do it in a production setting, allowing for faster build times on the order of months rather than years. It was a dream several years in the making, and the result is the Albemarle 53 Spencer Edition .

Winter Custom Yachts

Tim Winters and his team of boatbuilders at Winter Custom Yachts in North Carolina have truly optimized the walkaround concept, taking full advantage of its inherent versatility. Anglers are no longer confined to the limited space in the cockpit and have the freedom to fight fish all the way around the boat from bow to stern. Even just taking the family on a shorthanded picnic cruise is safer and easier since everyone has full access to the bow without having to navigate a slippery deck. Its latest 46-footer , Thumper , is one of the most versatile boats in this size range on the water today.

• More: Albemarle Yachts , Bayliss Boatworks , Duffie Boatworks , F&S Boatworks , Jarrett Bay , Merritt , Release Boatworks , Royal Huisman , Rybovich , Sportfish Yachts , Sportfishing Boats , Viking , Winter Custom Yachts , Yachts
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Best Sport Fishing Boats

• By Marlin Staff
• Updated: May 2, 2019

Who doesn’t like to look at sleek, gorgeous sport fishing boats? Even those who’ll never have the means to purchase one or ever feel the need to venture offshore in pursuit of blue-water species love to stop and ogle the big pretty sport-fisher at the end of the dock. Gleaming bright work, rich teak and lines that seem to stretch on for days captivate anyone with a touch of saltwater in their veins.

But sport fishing boats haven’t always looked the way they do today. In the not-so-distant past (our sport is barely more than 70 years old), sport-fishers were more or less working boats, and they looked like it. The need to go farther and faster in pursuit of bigger fish or more productive waters slowly pushed builders to the edge of the technological capabilities of the time. Any changes that came about were rooted in competition — one guy wanted to go farther faster and catch more fish than the other guy.

While that may sound simple, it takes a special character to start experimenting with a sport fishing yacht that might cost several times one’s annual salary, with no real way of knowing if something is going to work until it splashes in the water. Of course, sport fishing boat manufacturers now can use computer-aided design software to make models and run simulations that take a lot of the guesswork out of the process, but boatbuilding is still a fine art, which makes each and every builder an artist.

So here’s a glimpse into what makes 30 of the top boatbuilding artists in our industry tick and how they go about creating one masterpiece after another.

The entire coastline of North Carolina enjoys a long fishing tradition, so it’s no wonder that the state has spawned an enormous number of boatbuilders. Albemarle Sportfishing Boats started building boats in 1978 after Scott Harrell, a Ford tractor dealer, started vacationing and fishing in Hatteras Village, North Carolina. He eventually started selling boats as well, but even so, he wasn’t satisfied with what was available on the market at that time. The rough waters tore apart most of the trailer boats that Harrell sold and fished on, so he decided that he wanted to build a boat that would take a beating and still provide a dry, comfortable ride.

Burch Perry, Albemarle’s general manager and Harrell’s grandson, says that while the company may have left trailer boats behind, they still build boats that are meant to last.

“We are on our 35th year, and we are still a pretty traditional builder when it comes to the construction techniques we use on our boats,” Perry says. “The materials have got a lot better and much stronger. We still build our boats to fish comfortably and to last a long time. In fact, a lot of times we find ourselves trying to sell a new Albemarle to someone and competing with one of our boats that we built years ago.”

Although Albemarle builds boats from 24 to 41 feet, in recent years the company has focused on boats in the upper end of its range — vessels from 36 to 41 feet. “Even though the outboards have gotten bigger and more economical, we felt it would be better for us to build more of our larger boats,” Perry says. “We like the diesel inboard power because we believe it provides the best fishing platform since you don’t have to fish around an outboard. We think the pod drives are really cool, but they are bit cost prohibitive in our size range. We will build you a boat with pods if you prefer them, but we think that we will continue to see a big demand for shaft-driven inboards.”

New owner Scott McLaughlin purchased the company from Brunswick several years ago after admiring the brand for years. “He definitely wants to continue the brand’s legacy and see it carry on,” Perry says. “And his ownership allows us to do just that.”

Since 1992, when Dominick LaCombe teamed up with the Chouest family to create American Custom Yachts Inc., the company has focused on building boats that can really scoot. The first ACY that Marlin reviewed back in 1994 topped out at 50 mph — incredibly fast by even today’s standards. Today, the company is still going strong, building super-fast boats built to match the specific needs of each customer.

“It’s extremely important to get to know your customers and find out exactly how they plan on using their boats,” LaCombe says. “It’s good to know how they are going to be traveling and what kind of accommodations will be needed for crew and guests. Some customers might come in here and say that they want a 60-footer that they can travel the world in. I might have to tell them that if they made the boat a bit bigger, that they would have better range, more overall efficiency and room to carry spare parts. With our extensive fishing experience, we can give an owner a list of pros and cons concerning all aspects of the boat, and between us, we can usually come up with the best scenario that matches how they want to use it,” LaCombe says. “Every bit of input we can get from the mates, captains, etc., helps us match up the right boat to fit the owner’s needs.”

LaCombe says his customers usually have a pretty extensive knowledge of boatbuilding, so it makes his job a little easier. “You get to really know these people after seeing them around at the boat shows and tournaments. We never build the same boat twice, so we listen to our customers’ ideas and incorporate them whenever possible. From the first time I meet a potential customer, sometimes a year goes by before we sit down and sign a contract. And it should take that long. The customer should check out everybody and look at all the options out there. I prefer a well-educated customer.”

Most of the boats featured in these pages, while exceptional sport-fishers, were never built to be full-time, working charter boats. Private owners who travel extensively to fish in remote areas have a totally different set of needs than the average charter-boat captain who’s more concerned about staying efficient and being able to fish hard in any kind of weather. Capt. Buddy “BC” Cannady, one of the B’s in BB Boats Inc. (the other being Billy Maxwell) has built more than 132 boats, and some of them have been chartering for a long time. Tuna Duck, Cannady’s oldest boat and one that has been chartering for 35 years, does 150 trips a year or more with Capt. Dan Rokes at the helm. Another BB boat Trophy Hunter was in second place at the Pirates Cove Big Game Tournament at the time this article was being written.

Maxwell met Cannady during the winter in 1989, when Maxwell was repairing a torn-up boat. “After I finished the boat, he asked me to come to work for him during the winter of 1990 because I had worked so hard on that first boat,” Maxwell says. “We became partners in 1999 and built my brother-in-law David Graham the Easy Rider.”

While Cannady has 36 boats at more than 50 feet under his belt, 23 of those were built under the BB partnership with Maxwell.

“The cool thing about working with Buddy is that it’s always been a wintertime project, providing four or five months of work for the working captains and mates that have to quit fishing,” Maxwell says. “Everybody who works in our shop is either a captain, mate or involved in the commercial fishing industry. All of our guys know how to fish and where to put things. They are all experienced watermen … Buddy is a legend. It’s been a pleasure to work with him.”

And both men take pride in the fact that they work on the boats as well. “We have our hands on everything — and that’s the way we like it,” Maxwell says. “Our first priorities are economy, safety and ease of use. We want you to be able to make it back safely, hose the boat off and go again the next day.” As an added bonus, a BB can hit 30 knots while burning just 60 gph — you can’t beat that.

Bertram Yacht got its start in 1960, when Richard Bertram began racing and winning on an experimental hull called Moppie. That hull went on to anchor one of the most successful sport-fishing models of all time, the legendary 31 Bertram. The company went on to build just fewer than 13,000 boats in its 53-year history, expanding the line and making more history with iconic fishing hulls like the 54 and 60 Bertram.

“We build saltwater sport-fishing boats,” President Alton Herndon says. “And that means we focus on the fishability, ride, speed and comfort on every boat that leaves this facility. Our customers go to sea often enough that they are sometimes going to get caught in rough sea conditions; we build boats that will bring them home.”

Bertram Yacht recently relocated from the Miami area north to Merritt Island, Florida. “It’s been a very good move for us,” Herndon says. “We had outgrown the Miami facility in terms of the size of the boats we could build and launch there. We had to lift our 80-footers over the buildings on a crane to launch them into the canal, so it just didn’t make any sense to stay down there.”

Bertram also benefited from the huge number of skilled boat builders in the Merritt Island area, and Herndon says that they have on file more than 2,000 applications without advertising. “We’ve got a wonderful team here, and the folks we’ve hired were selected from this large group of applicants. It’s really a wonderful area.”

But that’s not to say that everyone is new. Herndon says that quite a few employees made the move to Merritt Island and that the total Bertram team averages 15 years of experience per employee in the boatbuilding business.“They know their jobs, and they know them well, and the quality of the product reflects that. I’m very proud of our team,” he says.

“The other side of being a successful boatbuilder is to take care of your customer after the sale. And that’s actually the most enjoyable part — spending time on the water with them and getting to the know them. We design and build our boats for their intended use, so who better to learn from than our customer?”

John Bayliss made a pretty big splash in the sport-fishing world in 2002 when he opened up his shop in Wanchese, North Carolina. Like so many builders before him, Bayliss started his career as a fisherman before moving on to boatbuilding. One of his early side trips, a stint as the factory captain at Hatteras Yachts, opened his eyes to a whole different world of boatbuilding and gave him a bunch of good ideas that he would one day incorporate into his own line of gorgeous sport-fishers.

“Boatbuilding is a lot like an arms race,” Bayliss says. “You build a boat with all these good ideas in it, and someone sees those features and says those are great, but how about this, this and this? So then you incorporate those ideas, and it just keeps growing from there. The owners who are really into fishing, like we are, come up with excellent ideas. So it’s a never-ending cycle to make the next boat better than the last one.”

Bayliss says that a passion for the sport and building boats is one of the main reasons behind his success.

“My employees are as passionate about fishing and boatbuilding as I am,” he says. “They might be out with their wife at dinner, but you can be sure that they are thinking about a fix for a little problem on the boat they are working on. Our guys take that level of commitment and creativity to the next level. Creativity fosters more creativity. If the people you surround yourself with share the same passion, then you are going to be successful — and that goes for fishing, football, just about anything,” he says.

“We are extremely committed and will stop at nothing to make sure that we will build the very best sport-fishing boat that we can build. I’m very competitive with myself, and my people are right there with me. If we make a mistake or see something that we need to make better, then we will make it right. We are way more particular than even our owners,” Bayliss says. “Boatbuilding is, in a lot of ways, just like fishing -— you’re not going to make a ton of money doing it, but it sure is a pretty dang cool way to make a living. Between fishing and boatbuilding, I don’t feel like I’ve ever really had real job yet.”

Like most boatbuilders in North Carolina, Capt. Sunny Briggs got his start working during the winter months in the yard for some of the area’s legendary boatmen, such as Capt. Omie Tillet and Capt. Sheldon Midgett. In fact, Capt. Buddy Davis and Briggs worked side-by-side under Midgett until Briggs broke off to start his own shop in his backyard in 1982.

“We all started out the same way, charter fishing during the spring and summer and then boatbuilding in the winter,” Briggs says. “I was mate for 13 years before I started running boats. That was my whole life … I didn’t do anything else but go to school and fish.

“Most of my customers come to me with a size of boat that they are already interested in, so I’ll sit down with them and draw something up to see what we can put into a boat that size,” he says. “We’ll calculate the range and speed and go from there. Many people think that they can get away with a more reasonable price by building a 50 versus a 60, but that’s not really the case. Those two boats have the same equipment, pretty much the same horsepower, with a bit more fuel and water on the 60. We haven’t added much that would make the price go up. The most reasonably priced part of the boat is the hull. So if you can add a couple of the feet to the hull to get a better running surface and riding surface and pick up a bit more room on the inside, then you are far ahead of the game.”

Briggs says that his 61 or 62 is his favorite size. It doesn’t have excessive power, provides a nice space for entertaining, a big cockpit, and he can still achieve a great look that is appealing to the customer. In his opinion, the 61-footer even rides better than smaller sizes, such as a 57 or 58.

“I look back to the Johnny Harm days, and all the really good guys had a wooden boat and diesel engines. And when the Cummins diesel first came out, you’d seldom saw any of the greats going around in anything other than a wooden hull — it’s just a better ride,” Briggs says.

In 1988, Henry Morschladt and Michael Howarth sold their iconic sailboat company, Pacific Seacraft, deciding to build what they thought would be the premier sport-fishing yacht on the market. In 1991, Cabo launched its Ed Monk-designed 35-foot flybridge model. Immediately, the marketplace saw a new standard, and the bar was set high. Offshore anglers couldn’t believe that sailors had designed the boat. Several of what would become Cabo’s signature features caught their eyes, including oversize custom hinges, molded-in bait tanks with the first windows to turn the lighted livewell into an aquarium, fully gel-coated bilges and spacious interiors. In addition, the wiring and plumbing runs were true works of art.

In August 2013, Versa Capitol Management, a private equity investment firm with $1.3 billion of assets, purchased Hatteras and Cabo Yachts. Cabo/Hatteras president and CEO John Ward, a 24-year marine executive whose experience includes Boston Whaler and Mercury Marine, will continue to lead the Hatteras/Cabo team.

“Three things define Cabo,” Ward says. “Fishability, the highest quality components like hinges and hardware, and wiring and plumbing that have no peers.”

Other changes have come along as well. A redesigned hull now runs smoother and drier. Overall, Cabo’s sea-keeping ability is vastly improved compared to the first hull. Fortunately, the public took notice of these small, well-built sport-fishers, and they’ve become extremely popular throughout the Gulf states and abroad. “This is a tough segment, suffering huge declines with the advent of big outboards,” Ward says. “Fortunately, the Cabo brand still has an incredible following all over the world and is going strong.”

Morschladt and Howarth pioneered many of today’s styling and construction advances, Ward says. “We’re still waiting to define any new direction our new owners feel necessary.”

Like Pacific Seacraft before it, Cabo’s customer service philosophy has always had the goal of “out-servicing” its competition, no matter what it takes. With Cabo, warranty claims became painless. And it shows in every customer loyalty brand survey.

Ward feels Cabo’s service has never been better. “We treat the two brands the same when it comes to customer service,” he says. “Except in Cabo’s case, I think we are better today, since the boat is now built on the East Coast, and we have our service facility down in Fort Lauderdale, [Florida]. We can react more quickly and efficiently. Plus, when necessary, we’ll get on a plane to fix it.”

Ira Trocki, a cosmetic surgeon with a passion for boating, created a company that builds some of the most iconic sport-fishing brands in the business. One of the iconic names that Trocki still honors with his builds is Buddy Davis, who died at the age of 62 in January 2011.

Like many builders in the Dare County, North Carolina, tradition, Davis Yachts builds custom Carolina boats. These are purpose-built boats with sharp entries and exaggerated bow flares to meet the strong currents of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, and the often rough seas of the Gulf Stream.

“Buddy Davis designed boats to handle huge head seas, to perform in a following sea like it is riding on rails and yet be stable on all points,” Trocki says. “The beautiful bow flare isn’t just for looks. The spray from the knife-sharp bow gets blocked by the flare, so it’s beautiful but functional.

“We build each Buddy Davis by hand,” Trocki says. “But we use all the latest technology. In fact, we are more advanced than many, as we employ a resin-infusion process for each hull.” The gelcoat is sprayed onto the mold, and then multidirectional fiberglass, Divinycell composite foam coring and more fiberglass is laid — dry — into the mold. “We cover the entire mold in a vacuum bag and then draw the resin from one end of the mold to the other. This makes for an exact resin-to-glass ratio while eliminating any and all air pockets. It is the most perfect laminate you can muster. It makes for an extremely light, strong and stiff hull. There’s no wood in a Buddy Davis hull,” Trocki says.

And while it gets a lot of lip service in the industry, at Buddy Davis, customer service truly does take priority. “We go a step above just making it important,” Trocki says. “One of our customers had an engine problem on July Fourth. Of course, the engine company didn’t answer its phones. The customer called us and said that he had eight people coming from afar to spend the holiday and was terribly disappointed he couldn’t use his boat. The president of Buddy Davis, Bob Weidhaas, himself a mechanic by trade, left his family’s events and drove two-and-a-half hours to the customer’s home to personally fix the engine.”

Trocki is also a Buddy Davis owner. “Like other owners, I want to be able to look out at my boat and enjoy it as piece of art … except mine can run 40 knots.”

_— Dean Travis Clarke _

In 1987, Jim Floyd and a friend decided to build a strong, seaworthy sport-fishing yacht based on the variable-deadrise running surface of Floyd’s old 23-foot Seacraft. “I grew up fishing on a 23 Seacraft,” Floyd says. “Coincidentally, the patents on its hull design ran out just about the time that I wanted to build my first boat, so I adapted the Seacraft bottom for larger hulls.”

After 10 years of designing and modeling, Floyd built his first yacht in a barn in Delaware. That boat, the 59-foot Fin-Ally, had perhaps the most unique bottom in the genre, complete with longitudinal steps for improved tracking and roll stability. To date, F&S has built more than 20 large sport-fishing yachts for its truly satisfied owners.

“I want to build the strongest boat I possibly can,” Floyd says. “The ride should be the same — the best possible. Our stepped bottom is superior to other designs on every point of performance.” F&S customers become friends because Floyd pays attention and treats them fairly. “I try to build as much boat as I can for the money allotted,” he says.

Floyd has created boats ranging from his smallest — a 36-foot center console with twin outboards — to his largest so far — a 75-foot convertible currently under construction. All F&S boats consist of cold-molded hulls with Corecell topsides.

F&S occasionally pushes the design envelope, taking lines to a more modern place. However, it also builds exquisitely traditional sport-fishermen. Though he has built one 50-footer with IPS pod drives, Floyd says, “We actually tend to stick with the tried and true on at least 50 percent of the technology decisions. Certainly we use advanced technology like honeycomb and composites for construction. But for other systems, like power, electronics and the like, we generally opt for the tried and true that we know will perform well and last.

“We have all raised the standards over the last ten years. I’d be behind the eight ball if I didn’t keep up,” Floyd says. “We step forward and embrace the latest and greatest — but with hesitation. After all, ultimately, we answer to the customer.”

Floyd also has a refreshingly realistic take on customer service. “We have a warranty,” he says. “However, with that said, we have never turned our back on any problem on any boat anywhere in the world. I have three guys who can be on a plane in no time. We are a microscopic-size business on the global scale. We can’t afford a single unhappy owner.

Like a lot of boat companies, Gamefisherman got its start when one man saw a need and decided to fill it. While working for Rybovich, Mike Matlack noticed that a lot of people were interested in buying a smaller-size day boat. “Nobody was building them,” he says. “I felt that there was still a demand for little 37-footers, so I left Rybovich, and the first Gamefisherman, a 40-foot flybridge, rolled out in 1986.”

Eventually, Matlack expanded the line, going both bigger and smaller, but he never got away from his true purpose: building smaller, nimble sport-fishing machines. In 2006, he moved the operation to Stuart, Florida. “We still build the smaller boats,” he says. “Everybody else is building 80-footers. I don’t want to get into that market. That’s what they make Holiday Inns for. Our boats are first and foremost fishing boats. There are guys who will build you a nice fish boat slash condo, but our boats are fishing boats. We are trying to start a mothership operation, since it just makes more sense. If you are traveling, it’s better to have the mothership. An 80-footer can get there, but when the boat gets there and the boat has to go fishing, where are your nonfishing guests going to go? They have to get off. With the mothership, the game boat goes fishing and everyone who wants to stay back can relax on the mothership.”

Matlack uses cold-molded, composite construction in his boats, which allows him to build a different boat for every customer. “If somebody walks in here and wants a 39, 46 or 62, I can build it because I’m not using a mold,” he says.

As far as game boats go, only a handful of boats share Gamefisherman’s reputation for nimbleness. “Our boat’s handle very well,” Matlack says. “That’s one of the things we really work at. They are as fast as we can reasonably make them, and they back up and spin real well. We have large cockpits … I build the boats from the back end forward. Out of the 17 40s that exist, there’s only one here in the States, and the rest are all in the hottest fishing spots: three in Panama, Guatemala, Hawaii, etc. They all end up where the serious fishing guys want to be.”

Peter Landeweer comes from a large fishing family that started out fishing for giant bluefin tuna up and down the East Coast on a 53 Hatteras. The growing family soon outpaced the Hatteras and decided to design and build its own boat, a 67-footer they named Snow Goose. “Garlington came up for sale in 1993, and that’s how we got into the boat business,” Landeweer says.

Richard Garlington started building boats in the mid ’80s, and his boats’ low profiles, clean lines and rounded edges immediately began to turn heads. Landeweer liked the look as much as anyone. “We like the timeless, traditional look -— a boat from 20 years ago doesn’t look old if it has the traditional sport-fish look,” he says. “There’s a certain style that you have to stick with — the S-shear, the split shear — you can’t change it too much. But just like the basic design of the fighting chair, you can make things a bit prettier, but the design doesn’t change much at all. And it really doesn’t need to in my opinion. A lot of people copy the lines of the Garlingtons.”

Landeweer says that the 61 is their most popular model, but that with the new power options now available, the smaller boats like the 44 are starting to make more sense. “You can get 1,400 horsepower out of a 12-cylinder now, which gives you plenty of power in a much smaller and lighter package,” he says. “We started building our 49-footer due to all of the resorts being built everywhere. Why do you need a huge boat when you just leave boat at the end of the day and go stay in an apartment? I’ve built three 80-footers, and most guys still get off the boat.”

Garlington Landeweer utilizes an all-composite, vacuum-bagged, wet-laminate construction. “There’s not a single piece of wood in the construction of the boat,” Landeweer says. “I like the composite. We are not the lightest, but we are stronger. Everybody does it their own way. All of our boats are molded in a female mold.

“We are not the fastest boats either, but we are right up there. We might be the softest-riding. It’s more important to me how she runs in a head sea, since it’s not always calm when you want to go out fishing.”

Willis Slane dreamed about a boat he could use to fish the rough conditions around Hatteras, North Carolina. He heard about a new material called fiberglass and contacted a young West Palm Beach, Florida, naval architect named Jack Hargrave. Together, they designed a 41-foot trunk cabin sport-fisherman with a 14-foot beam, powered by a pair of 275 hp Lincoln V-8s. She boasted a projected top speed of 30 knots. On March 22, 1960, the first Hatteras Yacht, Knit Wits, was christened.

Hatteras went on to greatness and survived a number of different owners, most recently Brunswick Corp. In August 2013, Versa Capitol Management, a private equity investment firm with $1.3 billion of assets, purchased Hatteras and Cabo Yachts.

“Both Hatteras and Cabo are cornerstone American brands in their respective markets, and both have been affected during the extended economic downturn,” Versa Capital CEO Gregory L. Segall says. “We see great opportunity to build value in these businesses, while retaining the expertise in engineering and Eastern Seaboard production that has given Hatteras/Cabo their well-earned reputations.”

Cabo/Hatteras president and CEO John Ward, a 24-year marine executive whose experience includes Boston Whaler and Mercury Marine, will continue to lead the Hatteras/Cabo team.

“Hatteras has always enjoyed a reputation as a capable, seaworthy boat,” Ward says. “One hallmark of the brand is that it never goes too light. All bottoms are solid fiberglass, some resin-infused and others hand-laid.

“I feel Hatteras sits in the middle of the technology boom. Resin infusion is one technology that we use that makes for a better laminate. Other examples include Seakeeper gyros for added stability at slow speeds and digital switching and breakers. I have no doubt that we will be employing more advanced technology in the future, as long as it differentiates us in the marketplace,” Ward says. “We don’t own an engine company, so we are fortunate that we can work with a variety of fabulous and responsive power suppliers. We rarely encounter problems with customer service there.”

Ward offers his formula for good customer relations. “What we need to do is make the process seamless and totally transparent. We need really good relationships with vendors. We need to step up and handle any vendor problems and then duke it out with those vendors ourselves rather than just handing it over to the customer,” he says.

— Dean Travis Clarke

When Jack Henriques immigrated to the United States in his 20s, he carried four generations of Portuguese boatbuilding experience with him. He founded Henriques Yachts Inc. in 1977 and quickly launched its first model, the Maine Coaster, a 35-foot downeast-style boat. Upon his death in 1997, Henriques passed the company on to his two daughters, Natalia and Maria, and his son-in-law Manny Costa.

“We are a small, semicustom boatbuilder that listens closely to our customers so that we can easily meet their needs. If you want a custom tackle center or a special interior feature, we can provide those things. We just launched a 50 footer — our biggest model — and we have a 42 under construction right now, which should be completed this spring,” Natalia Costa says.

“We build traditional sport-fishing boats used to fish the Northeast canyons, so our boats can make long runs and bring you back home. Our first boats were no-frills fishing boats, and although they are still strong and durable, we’ve grown out of the more plain interiors to much more nicely appointed staterooms. We’ve come along way since making the old Maine Coasters,” Natalia says.

Each Henriques is built to order, which opens up room to customize interiors and fishing packages. “If there is anything that can be customized, we will do it. We modify our interiors to fit the owners’ needs,” Manny Costa says.

The biggest distinguishing factor on a Henriques is the large cockpit. “We have the largest cockpits of any boats in our size,” Manny says. “The fishermen we build for require space in the two areas in which they spend the majority of their time. Our cockpits and engine rooms are the roomiest in the industry. Our 50-footer has a 210-square-foot cockpit.” This trend works its way down the line. The 42 Express offers 155 square feet of space in the pit.

As technology and building techniques improved over the years, the company philosophy remained the same. “Henriques has always been about building a safe, structurally sound vessel for the most demanding fishermen and the elements they brave when they tackle the sea,” Manny says. “Luckily, we’ve stayed very busy revamping our 50 and building our new 30 Express. We look forward to putting more sport-fishing boats out on the water.”

After charter fishing for a few years in North Carolina, Randy Ramsey decided that his old boat had had enough and began building himself a new one. “I was building the boat in a old pole barn with incandescent lighting and dirt floors,” Ramsey says. “Before I even finished it, a fellow came along and asked me if I could build him one just like it. I said sure. By 1993, we were on hull number 13 or 14. I had to sell my charter boat and start building boats full time. My life has really been a representation of the American dream. If you have a passion for something, you can still be successful.”

Jarrett Bay makes a true Carolina-style fishing boat, with a beautiful bow flare that appeals to a lot in the sport-fishing crowd. “Most of our buyers are pretty savvy, and we try to sell them much more than just a boat; we want to plant the idea of the great lifestyle that you can enjoy when owning one of our boats. We strive to build something that’s going to work for you,” Ramsey says. “If you don’t like me, then you shouldn’t build a boat here. Relationships are very important in the boatbuilding process, and we need to be friends and family. We want to be able to talk to the people and speak freely so that we build the exact boat that the customer needs.”

Ramsey hasn’t changed the way he builds his boats either. “We want a bulletproof hull, one that is probably a bit heavier than most,” he says. “We glass our hulls both inside and out, which makes the hulls a wooden-cored, fiberglass hull. The houses and interiors get foam coring to keep the weight down. We also like the very conspicuous Carolina look. You can trace our look and lineage back to Omie Tillet. They do have a lot more rake and a little less flare than they did at one time, but we still try to stay true to the Carolina look. We all want our boats to look like they are going 50 mph while they are sitting still … and we try hard to make sure that they do,” he says.

“We’ve been around for 27 years now, through a lot of ups and downs, so we know how important it is to service the customer after the sale — we want people to know that we will always be around to help them out,” Ramsey says.

Because of Jim Smith’s penchant for building racing boats in his early days, Jim Smith sport-fishing boats were, for a long time, looked at as primarily go-fast boats. Jim Smith Boats Inc. owner and president John Vance says that in the early days, a lot of folks were skeptical about using some of the brand new construction methods that were coming out at the time.

Always a pioneer, Smith originated cold-molded, lightweight construction while working at Monterey Boats, a big reason why he was able to take lot of unnecessary weight out of a boat. “We build an efficient boat,” Vance says. “I don’t even have to talk about the speed because that’s our reputation. It’s been a bit of plus for us that we’ve always been on the leading edge when it comes to increasing the size of boats as well. In 1981, we were building a 50-footer that many said was too big to fish from. Well, we just launched a 105. During the ’90s, when people were building 65s, we were building a 70. We’ve always been a little bit ahead in the market in the size game. If you are looking at building a big boat, our name kind of pops up.”

As with most builders, Vance is very cognizant of what his owners want and takes great pains to ensure that they get it. “These guys have usually owned a bunch of boats, and they like to take all the ideas that they’ve seen on their boats or their friends’ boats and incorporate them into a final package,” Vance says. “We listen and try to give them what they want. Sometimes we can’t due to engineering or structural concerns, but we sit down with a piece of paper and, with respect for their knowledge, make sure that they get what they came here for. Our reputation was built on speed performance, and that was what distinguished the company for many years. However, we went to using professional naval architects in the ’90s, and what that did was make our boats great sea boats. Now, we focus on ride quality in every aspect of the design and engineering of our boats.”

Like so many of his boatbuilding brethren, Paul Mann made his way in the world as a mate and captain fishing the rough seas out of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. So he knows what goes into making a good fishing boat.

“I design my own bottoms and understand what differences are needed to accommodate each owner’s individual fishing style,” Mann says. “A client who wants to fish eight hours a day in rough seas but doesn’t want the boat to roll dramatically requires a boat with less deadrise aft, so it’s stable. Conversely, running hard and long in rough water needs a different bottom with more deadrise and convexity for a smoother ride, but it will roll more in a beam sea. Either way, every Paul Mann boat runs perfectly in a following sea with virtually no yaw and very little lag on the back of a big wave. All my running surfaces have some degree of convexity for a better ride and less drag. I design boats that most closely meet an owner’s requirements without going too far in either direction, so they’re happy with the all-around performance.

“I also like to keep the client regularly informed about where the project stands budget-wise to avoid any and all surprises. Ultimately, my goal is to give my client a high-quality boat that does everything required, comes in on budget and on time,” he says.

Just because Mann comes from an old-school line of builders doesn’t mean he’s not quick to take advantage of the modern methods and techniques that will make his boats better. “Today, everyone wants to go faster and spend less,” he says. “With the price of fuel, you have to use advanced composites in your boat to make it lighter. As for the electronic and electrical gadgetry, I find that most times, it’s the owners who push that envelope further. I would prefer to go toward more conservative operating systems. With simple and functional systems, you rarely have issues.”

Mann enjoys great repeat business because he knows that the relationship doesn’t end with the sale. “Customer service is as important as building the boat,” Mann says. “When someone buys a Paul Mann boat, the service comes with it. Our boats often travel far from the Eastern Seaboard and out of the country. Service must follow that. We’ll fly our craftsmen anywhere the work needs to be done. I am always available to my owners and captains via email or phone.”

For the last 10 years, a small-boat company in Costa Rica has been producing exceptional little fishing boats in the 32- to 46-foot range that have won one tournament after another. (At one point several years ago, there were five Maverick boats in the top five at the Los Suenos Triple Crown. Dragon Fly, a 42 Maverick, won Los Suenos’ first leg and was named overall champion last year, then won the Presidential Challenge in Marina Papagayo, Costa Rica.) The company was started by Richard Lebo and Larry Drivon but was recently purchased from Lebo by Drivon and Gary Mumford, an expat who has been living in Costa Rica for the last 14 years. “Richard decided it was time to retire, and he went back to the States, so Larry and I decided to carry on,” Mumford says. “The company is 10 years old, and we’ve built 10 boats; we are working on 11 and 12 right now.”

Maverick boats not only look like the quintessential little sport-fisher, they perform like it too. “We build a light, super strong boat that’s made to fish every day,” Mumford says. “One of our boats, Spanish Fly, which was built in early 2004, has over 30,000 hours on it. We took a potential customer out on that boat the other day, and he was amazed how tight it still was — no squeaks, nice and quite still. These cold-molded boats will last forever when taken care of properly.”

Maverick is the process of retooling its shop and hired long-time Capt. Parker Bankston as shop foreman to oversee the new changes. Bankston has worked through several builds at the Viking Yachts plant and spent some time at Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works as well, so he’s spent a lot of time in the boatyard and knows how to build sport-fishers right. Bankston also runs the plant’s new computerized numerical control machine and is the head of new product development.

“We triple plank our hulls and stringers using a combination of Okoume plywood and laurel mahogany, but we are now building all our decks and houses with Divinycell core and using Alexseal coatings,” Mumford says. “We are also starting to get some good cooperation with engine manufacturers like Catepillar, Yanmar and Cummins, which are stepping up to the plate.” If you want a super tight fishing boat with a good value for your dollar, you’d be hard-pressed to find one better than a Maverick.

Few builders enjoy the decades-long reputation for excellence that Merritt’s Boat enjoys. The Merritt family moved to Pompano Beach, Florida, from Long Island, New York, in 1947, and opened the boat shop in 1948 in order to take care of the family’s charter boats. Soon, Merritt’s quality workmanship and high-level customer service thrust the company into the forefront of the South Florida boatbuilding boom.

“We are doing real good,” Roy Merritt says. “Business is as good as it’s ever been. We’ve built so many boats over the years that they keep coming back. We are working on hull 101 right now, and we’ve got four 86s and a 72 being built right now.”

Roy Merritt’s time in the business has shown him that you don’t want to mess around with the tried-and-true shape of a sport-fisher. “Most of our customers are second-boat guys, and we are usually going to build them a boat around what we have. If they want something that we aren’t comfortable with, then we won’t do it,” he says.

“There are a lot of man-hours that go into making things right; the boat had to look special and hold up. The boats we build now, with the new materials and composites, will be around for 100 years,” Roy Merritt says. “We have all these different materials going everywhere: composite hull, outside skins made of Kevlar and e-glass, carbon-fiber decks and carbon-fiber cores — we do everything we can to make them light and make them perform. Our 86 cruises 29 knots and burns 135 gph an hour … that’s the sweet spot for that hull. Other boats that size might burn another 40 or 50 gallons per hour to do the same speed. No matter how much money you have, you don’t want to waste fuel, so we do what we can to make them light. The length of the boats just seems to keep getting bigger. Traveling fishermen like the feel of their own mattress and have their favorite pillow — you don’t have to get another room onshore when you own one of our boats.

“I have a great job; it’s like I have a hobby shop where I can do all these experiments to try to make boats that are bigger, go faster and go farther,” Roy Merritt says.

The Leek family built the first Ocean Yacht, a 40-foot flybridge model, in 1977. Since then, they have christened hundreds of boats in the 40- to 70-foot range.

“Ocean Yachts are beautiful boats,” general manager John Leek IV says. “But we mean them to be comparatively more affordable than other brands.” Ocean has always prided itself on having many owner/operators in its stable rather than boats with professional hired captains and mates. “We design our boats so as to make [do-it-yourself] work as easy as possible for those owners who want that,” Leek says.

“We provide a high-quality finished product. We fill a niche where customers feel they’re getting great value for their dollar. Our design team has always had great taste, and our interiors have always spoken to women in a family. First and foremost, the interior design has to be functional. But then the materials must speak to women — they are warm and inviting. Selling a boat to a family is infinitely easier when the wife loves it too,” he says.

“In some instances, advanced technology is just not useful when you try to make an affordable boat,” he says. “Every element you install raises the price. While Ocean is early to embrace new technology, it still has to be sensible for the end user, be affordable and both simple to own and operate. We absolutely lean toward simplicity at Ocean Yachts. With that said, we will certainly customize any boat the way the owner wants it. Gone are the days of straight production. So I guess our philosophy is that we embrace the tried and true and simplicity.”

Obviously, no company that charges hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of dollars for a product can simply kiss the customer goodbye after the sale. But Ocean seems to have struck an even-handed attitude toward customer service.

“Our customer service department isn’t 24 hours a day,” Leek says. “But we know our customers and their spouses — and even their children and dogs — by their first names. They have all our staff’s personal cellphone numbers, and they can call us directly. Our customer service is built on a personal relationship. If the dealer is able to help them, we encourage that. If not, we will respond immediately and resolve any issue.”

It’s funny how life can throw a few curveballs at you from time to time. John Patnovic, the new president and owner of Post Yachts, wound up buying the venerable boatbuilding company after a visit to the old Post plant to purchase some of its unused lumber. “The old owner of Post keeps his boat in my marina, so when I heard that they had a bunch of wood lying around, I went over to see if I could pick it up cheap,” Patnovic says. “I ended up buying the whole company –— my wife was thrilled.”

After the purchase, Patnovic moved the operation from New Jersey to Chestertown, Maryland, where he could keep a close eye on things. Now, he’s ready to start building boats. “We are all ready to go,” he says.

“Post has always been a build-to-order company, and we will remain that way,” he says. We can build hulls ranging from 42 to 66 feet, and we should have some coming together shortly. Our bet is that the boating industry is going to be a lot different than it was in past, and we think that a small, nimble custom manufacturer is going to have a place at the table. We can make any changes you want at a reasonable cost and will provide the finished boat at a more than reasonable cost.”

Although Post is an old name, that doesn’t mean it is stuck in the past when it comes to the building process. Post boats feature resin-infused hulls and a deck house with the same bottoms that made Post famous. “They were well-regarded and good sea boats, but the new ones will be a little bit lighter for more speed and bit more range. Everybody wants to go faster these days,” Patnovic says.

Post will continue to service its two primary customers, sport fishermen and cruisers. “We will continue to cater to both parties. If you want a hard-core fishing boat with cockpit freezers and tuna tubes, we can build it. We now have all the boats digitized and put into 3-D CAD programs, which allows us to easily add staterooms or make any changes whatsoever. Give us 24 hours, and we will give you a photograph of your new boat,” Patnovic says. “We have the ability to build a superior, proven boat at a great price. Everyone will have my personal attention because we are not going to be building a whole lot of them at once. We just want a shot at your next boat.”

After charter fishing for 16 years in Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, Ritchie Howell started building smaller boats in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Soon, he found himself hook-and-line commercial fishing with none other than Paul Spencer. “We put or money together on the first couple of boats we built … me, Billy Holton, Paul Spencer and Irving Forbes,” Howell says. Spencer eventually persuaded Howell that he had what it took to be a boatbuilder, so Howell started a shop of his own. “I had a lot of help,” Howell says. “I got to learn from a lot of great guys. I wasn’t a smartass to them, and I listened to what they had to say.”

That ability to listen, Howell says, also allows him to make a boat that will satisfy the customer. “The more details a potential owner can provide to me, the better the end result. It’s like Burger King: You can have it your way, but we have to know what they want,” he says.

“I’m confident can give someone the best product for their dollar. We build only yacht-quality boats, and it wasn’t like that when we started out. I’m not in a place where we can go back and build a charter boat, and we are very price competitive for a yacht-quality boat,” Howell says. “The things that set our boats apart are the performance and the ride. On the last five or six boats we’ve built, we’ve been able to build them with a sharp entry and a stabilizer that keeps the boat from rocking. It’s really the best of both worlds.”

Howell still prefers to build plywood and fiberglass hulls. “I really think that this combination makes the strongest hulls,” he says. “Everything else has Corecell core. I don’t just want to rely on foam for the hull. With that said, we are looking to maybe build an all carbon fiber boat. I think the attraction of the carbon fiber is its incredible strength-to-weight ratio. We should be able to build them bigger, with less power to make them even more efficient,” he says.

“Everything’s about speed and performance and fuel burn. Our boats are fast and burn half the fuel at the same speed of a production boat.”

Bob Roscioli began his 51 years in the boating industry by pumping gas as a dock boy at Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. After several stints in various boatyards as a painter and prep man, Roscioli struck out on his own and started his own paint business. Roscioli built up the business and soon became known as one of the best brush painters around. “I went on to build some of the prettiest sport-fishers in the world, but I’m still known as painter,” Roscioli says.

Roscioli got into the boatbuilding business proper when he purchased the big boat division of Donzi in 1987 after seeing the 65 Donzi that Jack Staple and Dick Kent had built for themselves. “That big fiberglass boat with those big 1692 engines in it was an animal,” he says. “But they didn’t really know how to market it, so I decided to buy them out and give it go.” The rest is go-fast boating history.

Always a pioneer in going bigger and faster, Roscioli says he still feels that the most important thing to consider when heading into a boat is building a good relationship with the customer. “The first thing I want to find out is to see if there is a synergy between the buyer and our company,” he says. “We love building boats, and we want to have fun doing it. We want to make sure that the client who buys our boats feels like they are part of our family. The boats actually speak for themselves when it comes time to make the sale. I encourage our clients to ride on our boat and then ride on the others they are considering — our boat sells itself.” Besides their remarkable efficiency and speed, Roscioli boats are known for their exquisite fit and finish that extends to every part of the boat, including the engine room. “When we started building boats, going down into the engine room was a bit taboo … but I wanted to make an engine room that the ladies wouldn’t mind going into,” he says. “I saw a pair of show engines at the Detroit booth at one of the boat shows that sported a $20,000 metallic green paint job, so we were the first boats to have stand-up engines rooms and engines painted with urethane.”

Roscioli just introduced a new design called the Evolution, which will come in sizes ranging from 82 to 92 feet. “This boat is like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” Roscioli says. “This one is going to be for the brave people.”

Michael Rybovich and Sons Boat Works is the fulfillment of Michael Rybovich’s long-time dream. “We have a new family-run boatyard,” Rybovich says. “From the time we sold our yard in the ’70s, up until two and a half years ago, it was dream of mine to put the Rybovich family back into a boatyard. After a few twists and turns over the past several years, we finally got where we wanted to be.” Rybovich opened up a full-service and new construction yard in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, about 10 miles north of the old Rybovich facility.

It didn’t take long for the Rybovich name and reputation would work its magic. “We have two boats under construction right now and two more under letters of intent,” Rybovich says. “We are building custom, cold-molded sport-fishers just as we always have. We are a one-off builder that builds directly to the needs of each individual customer.”

Although Rybovich is an old name in boatbuilding, its newest build is a unique departure from the norm. “Our first hull out of this shop is a very interesting project — a 64-foot walkaround. We built two walkarounds in the ’80s and found them to be extremely practical, especially for sail fishing in the Palm Beach area. We have taken that concept to a three-stateroom, three-and-a-half bath sport-fisherman. It’s a really exciting project,” Rybovich says.

The company also has an 86-footer under construction. “It’s a more conventional flybridge sport-fish with as much power as we can put into it,” Rybovich says. “That boat is being built for one of our customers that has one of our boats right now. That kind of return business contributes greatly to the success of our yard. It’s a special thing when guys come back to you because they were happy with the first project and relationship that you have built together.”

Rybovich strives to build boats that perform at a superior level in all sea conditions, and the quality of the workmanship has to be top notch. “We like to think that our fit and finish is second to none. It’s one thing to develop a reputation for quality, but it’s another thing all together to be able to maintain that level of quality. We can do that, and that’s essentially why we are still here,” he says.

Born in the small fishing village of Wanchese, North Carolina, Ricky Scarborough Sr. did what seemed natural: commercial fishing, hunting and building boats. Boats and boating were not just a hobby but a way of life. Determining what made a boat sit the way it does in the water, ride the way it should and look the way it should all but consumed him.

In 1977, Scarborough, in need of a worthy vessel to commercial fish in but without the funds to purchase one, built his own in the downstairs portion of his home. When he began, a fellow fisherman approached Scarborough and asked to purchase the boat, but Scarborough needed it for the summer season. He agreed to sell it come fall and then began another. That was the start of more than 32 years and 80 custom projects from 25 to 85 feet, with the majority between 50 and 75. No one in North Carolina — and few anywhere else — have built more custom projects over the same time period.

In 1993, Ricky Scarborough Jr. came to work for his father after receiving a business degree from East Carolina University, and he has been building boats ever since. Ricky Jr. believes in taking the Scarborough boat to a new level while keeping the legacy and quality of what puts Scarborough boats in a league of their own. “Our boats have more traditional Carolina lines, and we can look back at 30 years of experience to help keep us on the right path. We’ve been in the same spot for over 30 years with a really low overhead. That allows us to provide a good value per dollar without sacrificing quality,” Ricky Jr. says.

“A custom boat build is as much about the relationship with customer as it as about the end product. I try hard to make the building process as easy and as pleasant as possible,” Ricky Jr. says. “With the flexibility provided by the cold-molding process, the customer can really get involved in every aspect of the build, and it wasn’t always that way. If you like the boats that we’ve put out, if you like they way they look, if you like the way they ride and you like working with us, then we are going to make a great boat together. I never take it for granted that there might not be another customer coming along, so we try to make our customers very happy.”

Few builders enjoy the reputation that Paul Spencer has earned over his long career, both as a charter captain and premier boatbuilder. Spencer got into the business like many of his North Carolina contemporaries — by building a boat of his own to go charter fishing. He’d grown up looking at the boats built by Buddy Davis, Omie Tillet and the rest, and since his father-in-law at the time was Sheldon Midgett, it was just a natural evolution for him to try his hand on his own boat. That first boat performed so well that he immediately began getting orders for more.

But even though Spencer comes from a strong North Carolina background, his boats are a bit of a departure from the style. “We have a little bit of a different look,” Spencer says. “Our boats tend to be a bit leaner and longer than most. This creates the look that we like and also helps them perform really well. I got to visit a lot of the shops up here as I was coming up, so I got to see what they were doing. I also liked some of the things I saw coming out of Florida, so I started mingling the ideas a little bit. Taking a bit of the bow flare out, lowering the bow, making my own style.” The marriage between the two styles proved to be an unmitigated success, and Spencer is now working on hull number 95.

“It’s really important that when we start a build that we sit down with the client to find out just what they plan on doing with the boat,” Spencer says. “I might ask them what kind of accommodations they may need and where they plan on taking the boat to fish. If they need four staterooms and three heads, then that means it’s going to be a pretty long boat for me … a 66- to 69-footer. The challenge is building a boat that will go as fast as the client wants to go and still have enough space for all the fuel they need to have a good range. Over the years, we’ve found ways to use every bit of space, including building integrated fuel tanks instead of metal ones.

“The second challenge is to get all the equipment on the boat that the client wants and still stick to your budget. They all start out with a budget, but when they see some of the stuff out there that they can get, they can get excited and want it all. Since the build represents this person’s dream boat, we try to make sure they get what they want,” Spencer says.

Tribute Performance Boats’ lineage starts with Rich Scheffer Sr., who was the foreman at Jim Smith until Smith passed away. Scheffer started Tribute in Smith’s memory 21 years ago. The quest for performance, one of the key ingredients in a Tribute, started in those early days when rocket ships were offered by only a few builders in South Florida. “Only a few guys were able to build a 40-plus knot sport-fish in those days without the benefit of advanced composites and today’s bigger horsepower engines,” Scheffer says. “Not only were these early Tributes fast, but they also caught fish and traveled the globe extensively when only a few boats were doing it. For example, in 1997 the Manleys caught one of the first-ever fantasy slams on the 58 Tribute Escapade in Venezuela, catching a blue, white, swordfish, sailfish and spearfish.

“Each Tribute is built with a purpose and posses her own distinct personality since we start with a clean sheet of paper. It all starts with the wish list and a good understanding of how your boat will be used and where it will go,” Scheffer says.

Tribute has indeed produced some boats that vary greatly in personality — from the more contemporary 72-foot Alican to the spaced-age 86 enclosed-bridge Double Down. With many in the fleet measuring more than 70 feet, the larger Tributes are built with the plan to travel extensively, stay on the troll and follow the fish without coming back to home port for major service for years. Superb engineering and longevity is something on which Tribute prides itself, and that becomes pretty apparent when you step into one of its engine rooms.

“We are a family business at Tribute and have grown to be very close to our owners throughout the years — over half of our owners have built two or more boats with us,” says Rich Scheffer Jr., the founder’s son and the man now leading the construction efforts alongside industry veteran Dennis Close. “We even have a few boats running around with nearly 20,000 hours on them. Constant improvement and seeking out new innovative processes is something we pride ourselves on, so our boats will last as long as you will love them.”

The Healey family started building boats in New Gretna, New Jersey, in 1964, when brothers Bill and Bob Healey purchased Peterson-Viking Builders. Forty-nine years later, the company enjoys a stellar reputation as one of the premier production builders in the world. However, just a glance at any Viking on the dock tells you that Viking Yachts is much more than a typical production boat company. In fact, its boats are about as custom as you can get in many respects.

“Basically, the first thing I want to get across to our customers is that we are boatbuilders; I’ve grown up doing only one thing in life. I live it, eat it and sleep it, and so do all of our managers,” executive vice president Pat Healey says. “We all started young as a team, and we apprenticed under some of the great ones like Bruce Wilson. Guys like Lonni Rutt, our [vice president] of engineering; and David Wilson, the man in charge of new product development; Bill Gibbons, our propulsion man; and Ryan Higgins, our company captain, are all very involved in the design and engineering of our boats. It’s all about the people and having the proper team together … most of them are 20-plus-year employees of Viking.”

One thing that’s remarkable about Viking is its incredible consistency. While a lot of builders build one or two very good boats a year, Viking somehow manages to do it 60 or 70 times a year. “Over the last 15 years, we’ve become arguably one of the best … no one is building a boat at our level and with the numbers of boats we are building,” Healey says. “And we ship them all around the world. A good 30 percent of our business comes from our international sales.”

Healey is also grateful to the high quality of customers that choose a Viking. “We’ve got great customers … they are the best of the best. We’ve got customers who purchase one of our boats over and over again, and they are a big part of why we are celebrating our 50th anniversary on April 1, 2014,” he says.

Healey is also proud of the service and dealer network that the company has put together over the years. “Having those key components, with all of dealers like HMY, Galati and Bluewater, are all part of what makes Viking the best of the best,” he says.

Jim Weaver never imagined he would end up building boats for a living; however, after years on the water and with his experience in the construction business, he decided to build a boat for himself in 1998. The vessel turned out so well that he got an offer to sell it, which he did. He then built another, and before long, Weaver Boat Works began to take shape.

“Most of the customers who come our way have already made their mind up about buying one of our boats,” Weaver says. “We have a reputation for doing what we say we are going to do, when we are going to do it and for how much. I’m not much of a salesman and don’t try to be. If you build a nice boat for a fair and reasonable price, people are going to want to buy it.”

Weaver makes fast boats, and he attributes a lot of his boats’ speed to the work of his naval architect, Donald Blount. “All of our boats have been fast,” he says. “We’ve never built anything that didn’t run at least 40 knots. When you build a boat that can go fast, that means it has a very efficient hull design. Our 80 hits a top end of 48 knots and cruises at 30 knots while burning 100 gph. At just 1,200 rpm, that boat is up on plane and doing 25.8 knots.”

That efficient hull also comes into play when it’s time to slow down and start trolling. “Our boats have a very clean wake because they are not as heavy. It’s the same when backing up; our boats are more of a sports car than a pickup truck,” Weaver says.

In 2007, Weaver built its first 80-footer and has built six more since then. “You usually sell a boat off another boat,” Weaver says. “They will see it fishing, or get passed by it, and have to have one too. We’ve been very fortunate. Out of the 25 or 26 boats that we’ve built, six of those were repeats. It’s a great feeling when a man buys your boat and 10 years later, comes back and buys another one.”

To meet the strength requirements with those speeds, Weaver uses Kevlar to reinforce the inside and outside of each cold-molded, one-off hull that comes out of his shop. “We build every boat as strong as we can make it,” he says. “They’re really over-designed and intended to take punishment.”

Willis Marine Inc. is one of the few companies that got its start in North Carolina but then relocated Florida. “I started building boats up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in a little town called Frisco,” owner Mark Willis says. “I fished professionally for several years up on the Outer Banks and decided to build myself a little 30-foot charter boat. Well, as soon as it was done, somebody bought it. Then I got real busy building boats. My ex-partner, Buddy Smith, and I started Island Boatworks up there, and after we built a few, I left and came down to start my own shop in Stuart, [Florida].”

Willis brought the lessons he learned in North Carolina to Florida and started building sport-fishers using a variety of different methods. “We specialize in building cold-molded boats out of triple-planked Okoume plywood,” he says. “Today’s plywood is always consistent, and it makes a light, strong hull. But I really don’t have a preference when it comes to building methods. If someone came to me and asked for a plank-over-mahogany hull, I would gladly do it for him, because I know it also makes a great hull. We can also build an all-composite hull if that’s what you want — we are pretty well-versed in all of it.”

No matter what materials or technique you choose, you can rest assured that when choosing a Willis, everything inside will be in the proper place. “We pride ourselves in good planning and strong, dependable systems. Some builders will rush to get a boat sold and will just start shoving stuff into the hull to appease an owner. You have to pay attention to the planning so that you can get to, and repair, anything that goes wrong without having to disassemble the whole boat to do it. It’s just commons sense,” Willis says.

“We are working on hull number 14 right now, and it’s a 77 with a cold-molded hull. All of the topsides are carbon-fiber composite, a little departure from what we have done the past, but this boat should be a very lightweight, high-performance boat,” Willis says. “We went with a much more modern look on our new one; she’s got a lot of sex appeal … a different look for us. We’ve done all of our styling in house, which is a source of pride for us on this one.”

Winter Custom Yachts specializes in building modern, Carolina-style sport-fishing boats. Capable of building custom boats ranging from 24 to 75 feet, owners Tim Winters and Will Copeland came to the business with engineering backgrounds, and their meticulous attention to detail reflects that ethic. “I think the main thing that separated us from the pack is our willingness to take the design aspect to a much greater detail,” Winters says. “Since we all come from engineering backgrounds, we are probably more methodical than most with our layouts. We are also a bit modern with our styling. We like a more subtle look and pair it with a more hybrid bottom that’s designed by Rhodes Yacht Design.

“We incorporate a lot more curves in our boats and a lot more belly in the transom. They back up better when you put some belly in the transom, and it also lets it spin and move side to side much better. They are much more nimble, and you can really see the difference,” he says.

“Everything is 3-D molded now, which allows you to jig every structural component. This allows us to mock up the boat and let the owners see exactly what they are going to get. When we hit the floor, this makes everything go as smooth as possible. This also allows you to customize even the smallest details, including each piece of hardware and all the finishes that will go into your vessel,” Winters says.

This combination of modern styling and advanced planning has worked out well for the company, even in the hard economic times of late. “We’ve got nine in the water, five under construction and three waiting to be built,” Winters says. And not all of those boats fit the conventional mold. “We recently built two single diesel boats and equipped them with an oversize bow thruster. You can really make those things dance, and you wind up using a lot less fuel. Maybe this will be my niche going ahead,” he says. Winters embraces all engine and layout configurations; he’s got a 43-foot convertible on the floor with Zeus Caterpillars, a 35-foot walk around with a single 360 Cummins and a 46-foot walk around with conventional inboard power. In short, if you want it, Winter can build it.

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25 Best Sportfishing Boats of the Last Decade

• By By Jim Hendricks and Chris Woodward
• Updated: March 27, 2019

We all have our list of we think are the best boats for fishing. If we’re lucky, we already own them. If not, we lust after them with undiminished fervor. We dug through our archives and found 25 awesome sport fishing boats that we felt are worthy of making our best of the best list. Is your favorite among them? If not, is your dream boat one of these captains’ favorites ?

We listed our best boats for fishing alphabetically by manufacturer. You’ll find a wide variety of fishing boat brands, and we also did our best to incorporate a combination of small and big fishing boats.

Albury Brothers 23

Boston Whaler 370 Outrage

Carolina Skiff 218DLV

Contender 32 ST

EdgeWater 318CC

Everglades 243cc

Grady-White Express 330

Hell's Bay Professional

Hydra-Sports 3400 CC

Invincible 36 Open Fisherman

Jarrett Bay 77

Jupiter 41 Sport Bridge

Maverick Mirage 17 HPX-V

Pathfinder 2200 TRS

Pursuit OS 385

Regulator 28

Scout 350 LXF

SeaHunter Tournament 37

Southport 29 TE

Sundance DX20

World Cat 320CC

Yellowfin 36

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10 Best Fishing Boats 2024

Table of Contents

Last Updated on July 11, 2024 by Boatsetter Team

Choosing the best fishing boats from a very crowded field is no easy task, and if you plan to find a fishing boat rental so you can try before you buy, you’ll want to narrow your search down to some top picks ahead of time.

Among all the top fishing boat brands and all the different models on the market, each of the 10 on this list offers something special (listed from A to Z).

Explore All Available Fishing Boat Rentals

1. Carolina Skiff 21

Photo Courtesy of Carolina Skiff

Carolina Skiffs are straightforward, simple boats, and that’s their greatest asset. They’re easy to run, easy to maintain, and easy to enjoy. Plus, with few systems aboard there’s little to go wrong.

The Carolina Skiff 21 comes in three models: an E21 DLX version that’s simple, open, and best for all-around utility; a more upscale LS model designed for shallow-water fishing with more accessories and accouterments; and an Ultra Elite version that has additional creature comforts like wrap-around bow seating and illuminated stowage compartments.

Visit Carolina Skiff to learn more.

2. Cobia 220 CC

Anglers with young children will love the Cobia 220 CC for its high sides and deep interior, which are great for containing the kids. These are sporty boats, too, with a top-end breaking 40 mph, so you can give those kids a real thrill-ride. On top of that it offers all the fishing accouterments you could hope for like multiple flush-mounted rodholders, a 50-gallon fishbox, under-gunwale rod racks, and a 26-gallon livewell.

Visit Cobia Boats to learn more.

3. Crestliner 1700 Storm

Photo Courtesy of Crestliner

When it comes to finding the best fishing boats made for fishing in lakes and reservoirs, aluminum rigs like the Crestliner 1700 Storm often lead the pack. Highlights include integrated tackle and rod stowage, a Humminbird PiranhaMAX 4 fishfinder, and a large aerated livewell. The Storm also sports an electric trolling motor on the bow , so you can sneak up on the fish in stealth mode.

All those goodies are great but what sets this boat apart from the pack is its construction, featuring an all-welded modified-V hull , 0.10” thick hull bottom and hullsides, extruded aluminum ribs, and 1.25” strakes. Some builders use thinner aluminum in boats of this size but with the 1700 Storm you can fish in confidence.

Visit Crestliner to learn more.

4. Key West 219 FS

Photo Courtesy of Key West Boats

Anglers looking for a 21-foot boat that runs fast but smooth in a choppy sea will want to try out the Key West 219 FS . This model features a stepped 19-degree/24-degree hull design that cuts through the waves better than an average V-hull. What about the “fast” part? Even with minimal power the 219 FS reaches speeds in the mid-40s.

The “FS” in the model name stands for “ forward seating,” so there are plenty of places to sit back and relax. Plus, there’s a head compartment in the console adding to the creature comforts aboard.

Visit Key West Boats to learn more.

5. Mako Pro Skiff 17 CC

Photo Courtesy of Mako Boats

Few fishing boat brands are as well known as Mako Boats, and their Pro Skiff line has been a huge hit since its introduction. Currently built in 13- to 19-foot models, the Pro Skiff 17 CC has enough size to take on open bays but is still small enough to handle easily. It also has Mako’s unique “Advanced Inverted V” hull design that smooths out a chop while enhancing stability.

As a result, few boats their size feel as capable underfoot. Since the Pro Skiff 17 carries its beam all the way forward, it also has more deck space than most 17-footers.

Visit Mako Boats to learn more.

6. Nitro Z19

Photo Courtesy of Nitro Boats

If you want to blast to the bass at highway speeds, enjoy casting from a purpose-built bass fishing boat , and have enough tackle stowage to fill the shelves of a bait shop, a Nitro Z19 may be in your future. It has room for you to stow a total of 14 Plano 3700 tackle boxes, as well as port and starboard lockers for rods up to eight feet. All the other fishing goodies are onboard , too, like a foot-pedal-controlled trolling motor on the bow, a fishfinder at the helm , and two 19-gallon livewells in the deck .

This boat’s strongest suit may well be its forward casting deck , which offers gobs of space for multiple anglers because the design carries a wide 7’10” beam topsides, even though the hull bottom width is 6’2”.

Visit Nitro Boats to learn more.

7. Sportsman Masters 267 OE

If you’re looking for a big, bodacious bay boat, the Sportsman 267 OE will likely fit the bill. It’s 26’7” length and 9’2” beam provide gobs of room aboard, yet even with all this size the boat can still creep into a mere 1’3” of water and fish the shallows. That size and beef also means you’ll be comfortable when cruising, and if you plan to fish open bays or even in the ocean the 267 OE will be up to the task.

Added bonus: this is one of the few bay boats around to come with a “coffin box” style fishbox in the bow, which not only has enough room for an entire school of fish inside but also has a chaise lounge on top. Double added bonus: the 267 OE also has an upper station helm atop the hard top so you can try sight fishing for heavy hitters like cobia and bull redfish.

Visit Sportsman Boats to learn more.

8. Robalo R207

Many anglers believe that only center console boats qualify as the best fishing platforms, but family fishermen often disagree. The extra protection and comfort provided by a dual console like the Robalo R207 is a better choice for some people’s needs, because the wraparound windshield and closing bow door keeps the wind and spray at bay.

This model, in particular, differentiates itself by adding unexpected perks like a locking head compartment, a 13-gallon livewell, flush-mount gunwale rod holders, and Kevlar reinforcement in the hull.

Visit Robalo Boats to learn more.

9. Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX

If you’ll be fishing in a lake, reservoir, or relatively protected waterway, and you like the idea of a fishing pontoon boat , the Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX will prove ideal. Fishing features include a molded livewell, rod holders, and fore and aft fishing decks with pedestal chairs.

Although this isn’t the fanciest pontoon boat around it a has a different sort of ace up its sleeve: The Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX costs a whole lot less than most fishing pontoons of its size and delivers a tremendous bang for the buck. As a result it’s proved quite popular over the years and you’ll see it pop up over and over again when looking for pontoon boat rentals .

Visit Sun Tracker Boats to learn more.

10. Yamaha 222 FSH Sport

All of our other best fishing boats are propelled by propellers—but not this one. The Yamaha 222 FSH Sport runs on jet power, thanks to a 1049cc TR-1 engine that blasts water out through a 155mm high-pressure pump. Fishing features include an 18-gallon livewell, rocket launchers on the hard top and flush-mount holders in the gunwales, and stowage pods for your tackle.

Handling is uber-sporty, too, almost like that of a personal watercraft (PWC) . If you want a jet boat turned fishing machine which you can use for watersports when the bite gets slow, this one will be your pick.

Visit Yamaha Boats to learn more.

Which of these fishing boats will prove to be the prime choice for you and your needs? There’s only one way to find out: jump aboard some fishing boat rentals, and try them out for yourself.

Browse Available Fishing Boat Rentals Near You

With over three decades of experience in marine journalism, Lenny Rudow has contributed to dozens of boating and fishing publications and websites ranging from BoatU.S. Magazine to BDOutdoors.com. Rudow is currently the Angler in Chief at Rudow’s FishTalk , he is a past president of Boating Writers International (BWI), a graduate of the Westlawn School of Yacht Design, and has won numerous BWI and OWAA writing awards.

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Best Sport Fishing Boats – Top 30 Options for 2024

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People in the non-fishing world often ask – What exactly makes fishing a sport? It’s a valid question since it’s not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of sports.

To clarify, a “sport” is anything that requires some level of physical exertion, skill and can be done competitively. Any activity that meets these three criteria can be classified as a sport.

Here’s a fun fact for you. More than 49 million Americans fish every year, which represents approximately 15 percent of the population. Now, that’s a lot if you think about it.

If you’re thinking about taking up this thrilling hobby, you’ll need a proper boat to do it in. You can’t very well fish competitively in any old raggedy watercraft and expect sterling results. So, we’ve reviewed the 30 best sport fishing boats in the angling world to help you pick a high-quality craft.

If you’re looking for a sport fishing boat that offers the perfect combination of fishability and luxury, it doesn’t get any better than the HCB Estrella. This 65 ft. long beauty is powered by five Yamaha outboard engines, has a cabin that sleeps up to five people, and comes with loads of fishing-friendly features that are guaranteed to give you an edge over the competition.

 Hcb  →

The Mikelson 75 SF sits pretty at the top of the hierarchy when it comes to luxury sport fishing yachts. This 75 ft. long sport fisher comes with an enclosed flybridge, expansive salon, 360-degree panoramic windows, five staterooms, and a host of fishing features to boot. It is truly one of a kind.

 Mikelson Yachts  →

The Boston Whaler 280 Outrage is designed to cater to thrill-seeking sport-fishing enthusiasts and day-cruising lovers alike. This center console model has loads of comfort and convenience amenities and fishing-friendly features guaranteed to give you a memorable on-water experience.

 Boston Whaler  →

Bertram 35 Flybridge Sportfish

If you’re just dipping your toe into the sport fishing world, the Bertram 35 Flybridge Sportfish is the perfect vessel to ease you into it. It is rugged and luxurious, making it ideal for sport fishing and family cruising alike. Below-deck is a cabin that sleeps two.

 Bertram  →

Invincible Boats 42’ Open Fisherman

The Invincible Boats 42’ Open Fisherman was designed with pro anglers in mind. This sport fishing boat offers an unmatched passage-making capability and remarkable stability that you don’t get with any other long-range boat. It has 360-degree walkaround fishability and is fully customizable.

 Invincible  →

Release 46’

When fishing offshore, you need a watercraft that’s designed to deal with the choppy waters of the high seas. The Release 46’ is one of the most stable, maneuverable, and fuel-efficient boats in its class, which is why it is so popular among pro anglers.

 Release Boatworks  →

Bluewater 355E

If speed is what you crave, the Bluewater 355E is guaranteed to quickly get you to fishing hotspots. It has a maximum horsepower rating of 1,100 thanks to its three powerful outboard engines. It is designed to meet the speed, range, and fishability demands of serious anglers.

 Bluewaters  →

Grady White Express 370

If you’re looking for an express sport fishing boat, then you’ll love what the Grady White Express 370 brings to the table. This 32 ft. vessel has a spacious cabin complete with a galley, loads of storage below deck, and tons of fishing accessories.

 Grady-white  →

Contender 39ST

The Contender 39ST is the ultimate offshore sport fishing boat. It has an exceptionally long range to get you to offshore fishing sites fast, giving you more time to identify exclusive hotspots before any other boats get there. It comes with a ton of fishing-friendly features.

 Contender  →

Crevalle 26

The Crevalle 26 is the ultimate hybrid sport fishing boat. It is designed for both inshore and offshore fishing. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another boat that offers the versatility this particular vessel has. It comes with 28-gallon release wells, a baitwell, rod holders, and a ton of other fantastic fishing features.

 Crevalle  →

Scout 175 Sportfish

Fishing competitively doesn’t always have to happen in oceans and big lakes. The Scout 175 Sportfish is specially designed for sport fishing in rivers. It comes with ample seating, an aerated livewell, and a spacious casting platform.

 Scout  →

ACY58 Flow Control

The ACY58 Flow Control from American Custom Yachts is one of the most versatile multipurpose sport fishing boats we’ve come across. It is specifically engineered for speed and performance using Kevlar, fiberglass, and an ultra-light hull made from fir stringers and Bruynzeel plywood.

The below-deck cabin is simply exquisite. It is ideal for an overnight stay – something you don’t often get with other sport fishing boats.

 Willis Custom Yachts  →

Lowe FM 1900 WT

The Lowe FM 1900 WT is the ideal tournament freshwater fishing boat. It features a deep-V hull design for maximum stability and a walkthrough windshield for easy access to the bow and stern fishing decks. It can store up to 10 fishing rods at a go.

 Lowe Boats  →

Thresher 25CC

The Thresher 25CC is the ultimate saltwater sport fishing beast. It is made of a fiberglass/composite stringer construction, making it corrosion resistant against the damaging effects of salty water. It also has an extended aft deck fishing platform with removable knee pad rails and is chock-full of fishing accessories that make it every angler’s dream.

 Thresher Boats  →

Beavertail Predator 16

If you’re looking for the best watercraft to give you an edge over your flying fishing competitors, the Beavertail Predator 16 is guaranteed to do just that. It allows you to skim through the marsh in hot pursuit of your prey and stealthily stalk trophy fish once you get to the fishing site.

 Beavertail Skiffs  →

Lund 2000 Sport Angler

The Lund 2000 Sport Angler is the ideal fishing companion for hunting lake trout. It features several extruded gunwales that allow you to attach a host of fishing accessories. It seats up to six people and has ample storage for 12 in. rods.

 Lund  →

Grady White 251 Coastal Explorer

The Grady White 251 Coastal Explorer is specially designed for shallow-water fishing, which is where you’ll find several bass hotspots. This center console boat comes with a 25-gallon livewell, built-in rod storage, and several other amenities that make it perfect for fishing and family-use.

PolarKraft Sportsman 1860 SE

The PolarKraft Sportsman 1860 SE is the perfect all-welded pike fishing vessel. It comes with an 18-gallon livewell, 10 in. lockable rod storage, and seats up to five people at any given time. Its extra-thick hull design makes it one of the most durable watercraft around.

 Polar kraft  →

Everglades 243 CC Bay Boat

When fishing for catfish, you need a sport fishing boat with a hull designed for freshwater-use. The Everglades 243 CC Bay Boat is designed for both inshore and offshore fishing. You’ll particularly like the patent-pending upper station to help you spot catfish you never even knew were there.

 Everglades boats  →

Lund 1800 Sport Angler

If you’re looking for the perfect sport fishing boat for catching walleye, the Lund 1800 Sport Angler is just the vessel you need. Don’t be fooled by the minimalist design of this vessel. It comes with a ton of gunwales that allow you to attach a host of fishing accessories.

Alumacraft T-Pro 195

The best all-around muskie fishing boat is no doubt the Alumacraft T-Pro 195. This professional-level 19 ft. long tournament vessel was designed with serious anglers in mind. It has plenty of in-floor storage for rods and other gear, huge raised platforms, as well as timed live wells.

 Alumacraft  →

31 Power-Up

If you plan to fish for marlin, you’re going to need a hardcore sport fishing boat to venture offshore. The 31 Power-Up from Regulator Marine offers the stability you need to navigate the rough ocean waters as you head out to the fishing site.

It has a massive tackle center, a livewell that doubles up as a fish box, and several other accessories guaranteed to make your fishing expedition a breeze.

 Regulator  →

Contender 35ST

If you’re hunting for tuna, the Contender 35ST is arguably one of the best performing offshore center console boats you can do it in. It is designed with a deep-V hull for optimal stability in rough ocean waters and exhibits excellent fuel efficiency and maneuverability.

Crevalle 33 CSF

When you’re fishing for sailfish, you’re going to need an excellent offshore sport fishing boat to do it in. The Crevalle 33 CSF represents the next frontier in sailfish hunting. It has in-floor storage for a cast net, 6-rod lockable storage, three livewells, and several other handy features.

435CC Center Console

Everglades is well-known for building boats with loads of patented features that you won’t find in any other watercraft models. The 435CC Center Console is the perfect example of this. It is a top choice among pro anglers when fishing for sharks. For one thing, it is massive. Plus, it is designed for fishability.

 Everglades Boats  →

Striper 220 Center Console OB

The Striper 220 Center Console OB is built to handle offshore rough waters, which is precisely where you need to be when fishing for mackerel. The flared hull design guarantees a smooth ride even in the choppiest of waters. It comes fully loaded with several fishing accessories.

 Striper Boats  →

Spencer 87’

If you’re looking for a sport fishing boat that will get you to and from the fishing site in style, then you’ll love the Spencer 87’ yacht. It features an innovative, spacious, and luxurious interior to give you the comfort and convenience amenities of home while you’re hunting big game offshore.

 Spencer Yachts  →

Viking 92 Convertible

The Viking 92 Convertible is the ultimate tournament watercraft. In addition to being chock-full of fishing accessories and features, the interior of this sport fishing boat oozes luxury and elegance. It has six en-suite staterooms and a master suite that fits a king-size walkaround bed. It doesn’t get any better than that.

 Viking Yachts  →

Bayliss 64’

The Bayliss 64’ is not only designed for speed and range but also comfortable accommodation. It has three cabins with 2.5 heads and comes with lots of fishing-friendly features like a transom fish box, tackle storage, and a livewell supply.

 Bayliss Boatworks  →

Invincible Boats 42’ Center Cabin

If you’re looking for a fishing boat that’s built for rugged performance while also offering the creature comforts of home, the Invincible Boats 42’ Center Cabin gives you the best of both worlds. It has a 7 ft. double berth cabin below deck that’s perfect for an overnight stay.

Do Your Homework Before You Pick a Model

There you have it – the 30 best sport fishing boats in the world. The watercraft you pick will depend largely on where you intend to fish and how you plan to do it.

It should also be versatile enough to allow you to enjoy other aspects of the boating lifestyle beyond just fishing.  So, if you ever need to get away for the weekend, entertain a few friends, or cruise with the family on a sunny Sunday afternoon, the boat you get should be able to do that.

If you plan to pursue big game to distant hotspots well beyond the continental shelf, ensure that the boat you buy has a massive fuel tank suited to long-range fishing.

Moreover, since it also means that you’ll be out on the water for days on end, the watercraft in question should have enough room to comfortably accommodate a sizable crew. It also needs to come with all the amenities you would need to make the whole trip pleasant.

Finally, ensure that you factor in the costs of maintaining the boat , over and above what you would spend to purchase it. Many people often underestimate all the expenses associated with owning a sport fishing boat, some of which include marina docking fees, insurance, repairs, maintenance, and cleaning.

Good luck, and don’t forget to have fun!

In the meantime, if you’re shopping around for the best walkaround boats , check out our review on the top options to consider.

About Chris

Outdoors, I’m in my element, especially in the water. I know the importance of being geared up for anything. I do the deep digital dive, researching gear, boats and knowhow and love keeping my readership at the helm of their passions.

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Top 5 Sportfish Yacht Brands [Buyer’s Guide]

The best sportfish yachts for sale..

Travel further and faster with a sportfish yacht . These unmistakable boats are built with purpose. Fishing enthusiasts enjoy the amenities and speed packed into a single machine, while families enjoy the comforts of a much larger yacht.

Sportfish boats can range in price from as low as $90,000 to upwards of a few million — it depends on the year, size, model, and amenities. If you’re in the market for a new or used sportfish yacht , simply choosing a brand can be overwhelming. We narrowed down the top 5 sportfish brands and examples of yachts for sale with Denison.

1. Bertram Yachts

Bertram sportfish yachts are legends in the marine industry. Their business history began over 60 years ago when the 31 Bertram won the Miami to Nassau Offshore Race. That boat and her performance set the stage for Bertram’s continued success and reputation. Today, Bertram boats are the result of state-of-the-art construction techniques, incorporating vacuum resin-infused composite construction.

Bertram delivers unmatched performance and luxury while still delivering a tournament-winning fishability. For example, the new Bertram 61 , which revolutionized the deep-V hull. This hardcore fishing machine is constructed using cutting-edge composite materials; it incorporates the raised deck and stepped shear of the past with present day elements for a unique look that is all Bertram. And the ride is better than ever.

2. Viking Yachts

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions the word ‘Viking’? Scandinavian seafaring warriors… and the New Jersey-based boat brand. Viking Yachts was founded by brothers Bob and Bill Healey in 1964. The business soon become a leader in semi-custom fiberglass yacht production with over 4,000 Viking sportfish and motor yachts delivered. Viking’s highly regarded seafaring reputation is rooted in its commitment to producing 90 percent of the boat in-house.

Viking sportfish yachts are characterized by their massive presence and deep-V hull. Like NINA MARIE , an 82’ Viking 2010. Her 5 stateroom, 6 head layout has the interior volume of a much larger motor yacht, yet the seakeeping ability of a Viking sportfish. This used Viking yacht for sale is powered by twin MTU M93 16V2000 2400HP with just 1800 hours.

3. Hatteras Yachts

When your slogan is “experience life without limits” then you’ve caught our attention. Hatteras sportfish yachts are designed and built to offer an unmatched boating experience. The business began in 1959 in North Carolina, when founder and marlin fisherman Willis Slane envisioned a fishing vessel that could withstand the unforgiving waters off Cape Hatteras. 

In 1960, the company introduced the Hatteras 41 Convertible, the first all-fiberglass sportfishing boat available in the 40-foot range. What followed were continuous innovations and a remarkable legacy of superior craftsmanship, engineering, and attention to detail that remain the brand’s hallmarks sixty years later.

Hatteras sportfish yachts – such as JUST LIKE THAT , a 70’ Hatteras 1999 – offer plenty of outriggers, rod holders, storage, and spacious lounge areas. This used Hatteras for sale features an aft cockpit that’s a fisherman’s dream with a molded-in transom fish box, updated refrigerator/freezer plates, fresh/salt water wash downs, rod holders, and built in step boxes. The Hatteras modified-V hull delivers a sharp entry and a stable ride. No pounding here.

4. Merritt Yachts

Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works is a family-owned and operated business that started in 1948. The yard is located in Pompano Beach, Florida, and has gained a reputation for high-quality work and friendly customer service. The first boats built by Merritt were strictly for catching tuna. But they lacked creature comforts. With enhancements over the years, the small mom-and-pop business became known for building all-around outstanding boats.

EL CHUPACABRA is an 80-foot Merritt built in 2006 that boasts a high-quality composite construction and exceptional craftsmanship. Her unmistakable profile is bound to attract attention on the water as she’s powered by MTU M91 16V2000 engines. Run, don’t walk to this opportunity to own a classic Merritt sportfish .

5. Cheoy Lee

Cheoy Lee is backed by five generations of shipbuilding expertise. The company began in Hong Kong in 1936 building merchant sailing vessels during World War II. By the 1950s, the Cheoy Lee began building motor yachts while embracing the latest technological advances. Today, the company builds semi-custom yachts for owners who value performance, innovation, quality, and service.

FOUR ACRES , a 70’ Cheoy Lee 1988, remains one of the more aggressively styled big sportfishing yachts in the late-model marketplace. The ride is soft and dry as she’s built on a double-V bottom and Carolina flare bow. The accommodations of the boat rival those of a good-sized motor yacht thanks to an impressive 20-foot beam. This used sportfish for sale is available with Denison.

Whether you’re a first-time buyer or veteran boat owner, a sportfish is an exciting purchase. You’ll gain access to a different world of boating and fishing thanks to advanced technology, amenities, and performance. Contact a Denison yacht broker to find your next sportfish yacht.

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Offshore Options | 28 Famous Sportfish Builders

The winter sportfishing season is in full swing. If you are stuck on land dreaming of the perfect sleek boat to get you out on the water, this is for you. We have pulled together a list of 28 famous sportfish builders to jump-start your search for your next dream boat.

28 Famous Sportfish Builders | The List

1. Albemarle Sportfishing Boats Started in 1978, the focus of Albemarle Sportfishing Boats is on building boats that stay dry, provide a comfortable ride, and can still take a beating. Albemarle offers boats ranging from 24 to 41 feet in length with the majority of their boats being diesel inboard powered models from 36 to 41 feet long.

2. American Custom Yachts American Custom Yachts was founded in 1992 to provide anglers with the fastest, strongest boats possible. The team is very customer-oriented with a focus on learning the individual needs of each client and matching them up with the best boat for their unique fishing and boating style.

3. BB Boats If you are looking for a sport fisher that will hold up to full-time charter use, BB Boats should be on your short list. The layouts are done with ease of use, safety, and fuel economy in mind to maximize customer experience and business profitability.

4. Bertram Yacht Since 1960, the team at Bertram Yacht has been designing and building boats sturdy enough to brave rough seas while retaining fishability, speed, and comfort. The 31, 54, and 60 Bertram models have all made the list of legendary sport fisher vessels. Bertram also prides itself on customer service, providing plenty of guidance and support following the sale.

5. Bayliss Boatworks One of the hallmarks of Bayliss Boatworks is a focus on relentless innovation. After each new model is released, the team actively solicits owner feedback that they can incorporate to make the next model even better. This attention to detail and passion for excellence ensures a line of boats that never stagnates.

6. Briggs Boatworks Inc. The sweet spot for sport fishers is, in the opinion of Briggs Boatworks, 61 or 62 feet. Their models in these lengths offer large cockpits, plenty of entertaining space, and just the right amount of power for an excellent ride. Briggs works with customers to design the length and layout that are the best fit for them and their boating needs.

7. Cabo Yachts Legendary designing Ed Monk was behind the first Cabo Yachts design in 1991. Signature features of the Cabo line that continue on today include molded-in bait tanks with windows, oversize custom hinges, gel-coated bilges, and roomy interiors. Wiring and plumbing are done in notably high-quality components and a streamlined design.

8. Davis Yachts The custom Carolina design is a favorite of many oceangoing anglers thanks to its handling stability in heavy seas and strong currents. Davis Yachts is one of the builders for the custom Carolina design. Look for the signature pronounced bow flare and a multi-directional fiberglass hull that is strong and stiff yet very light.

9. F&S Boatworks When looking for the signature touch that makes F&S Boatworks sport fishers stand out from the rest, start at the bottom and work your way up. The hull design of F&S boats from their 36 to their 75-foot models is based on that of the Seacraft. Longitudinal steps enhance roll stability and tracking while the rest of the design blends traditional and modern elements drawing on the best components available.

10. Gamefisherman While many builders focus on the larger sport fishers, Gamefisherman went into business specifically to fill the need for smaller day boats in the 37 to 40-foot range. The focus of the layouts is on fishing first with everything being designed around that purpose including the nimble handling characteristics.

11. Garlington Landewee r The design of a Garlington Landeweer sport fisher is traditional and timeless from the clean lines to rounded edges, and low profile. An all-composite hull design provides strength, and the ride is pleasantly soft even in a head sea.

12. Hatteras Yachts Hatteras is one of the early legends in the sport fisher world, getting its start in 1960 with fiberglass hull designs that are solid and sturdy enough to stand up to the harsh coastal waves of unforgiving seas along the Carolina coast. Newer models take advantage of resin infusion techniques and Seakeeper gyros.

13. Henriques Yachts Inc. Portuguese building techniques came to America with the founding of Henriques Yachts in 1977. Their semi-custom designs are reactive to customer needs both for interior and fishing packages. Expect to find large cockpits for the size and a structurally sound boat that can handle whatever the rough seas throw at it.

14. Jarett Bay Boatworks Another custom Carolina builder, Jarett Bay Boatworks offers a pronounced bow flare design with a sturdy, heavy hull. The hull is made of a wooden core with inner and outer fiberglass for ultimate stability. Meanwhile, the house and interiors are foam cored to decrease the overall weight.

15. Jim Smith Boats Inc. Boats from Jim Smith are known for their speedy, lightweight designs thanks to cold- molded construction. Consider one of their boats if you are looking for a larger vessel up to over 100 feet in length that delivers speed performance along with ride quality.

16. Paul Mann Custom Boats The bottoms on Paul Mann boats are tailored to the customer’s personal fishing style whether they need stability or a smoother ride. Advanced composite construction keeps the weight down and fuel efficiency up while outstanding customer services garners repeat clients.

17. Maverick Yachts Maverick Yachts is another builder focused on smaller sport fisher models. Maverick boats are in the 32- to 46-foot category and offer a light, strong, tight design. Expect to find value and longevity for the price.

18. Merritt’s Boat and Engine Works Started in 1948, Merritt’s Boat is one of the legends in the sport fisher industry. These boats withstand the test of time and harsh seas with light but sturdy construction. Look for the composite hull with e-glass and Kevlar skins plus carbon-fiber decking and cores that maximize fuel efficiency by decreasing overall weight.

19. Ritchie Howell The design team at Ritchie Howell is proud of their ability to provide yacht-quality boats at competitive prices. Most hulls at Ritchie Howell are plywood and fiberglass through they are also open to the idea of an all carbon fiber design. Expect a Ritchie Howell boat to deliver speed and performance with a lower fuel burn than production run vessels.

20. Roscioli International The two words that define Roscioli International designs are big and fast. Their designs focus on fit and finish with a level of quality and workmanship that owners can be proud of right down to the interior of the engine room.

21. Michael Rybovich and Sons Boat Works Each Michael Rybovich and Sons boat is a custom design with a cold-molded hull catered to the specific needs of the customer. Quality workmanship and superior performance in rough seas are the focus of the design and build teams. This coupled with excellent customer service means that many clients return when it is time for a new boat.

22. Scarborough Boatworks The founder of Scarborough Boatworks grew up boating and analyzing the handling characteristics of the best fishing vessels. When he later started his own boatworks, he focused on quality and value favoring traditional Carolina lines and a cold-molded hull.

23. Spencer Yachts Spencer Yachts vessels are well-known for their stellar performance and unique look. A Spencer sport fisher is longer and leaner than the competition. Every bit of space is maximized so customers can get the most use out of it while staying within budget.

24. Tribute Performance Boats Speed built the Tribute legacy from the early days when Tribute offered one of the only sport fishers capable of 40+ knots. Today, the brand keeps innovating while staying true to its roots. Longevity and outstanding engineering born of clean sheet designs keep each Tribute vessel feeling fresh and new.

25. Viking Yachts Viking Yachts has crafted a reputation for consistency, building more than 60 high quality boats a year after having celebrated their 50th birthday in 2014. While some of the other sport fisher brands cater more to American customers, Viking Yachts has a global following as well with an estimated 30% of sales coming from international customers who are drawn to the brand.

26. Weaver Boat Works The very efficient hull design of Weaver boats supports impressive speed with an equally impressive low fuel burn. An added benefit is a very clean wake. High speed boating necessitates a reinforced hull that can take a beating, and Weaver meets the challenge with Kevlar reinforced cold-molded construction.

27. Willis Marine Inc. With Willis Marine, the focus is on the planning phase of each vessel they design. While they specialize in cold-molded hulls from triple-planked plywood, Willis has also turned out some full composite hulls and can meet other buyer preferences while retaining their keen attention to detail.

28. Winter Custom Yachts Carolina style sport fishers from 24 to 75 feet in length are the specialty of Winter Custom Yachts. Their modern style and attention to the design details stem from the team’s shared engineering backgrounds. Customers can customize everything down to the individual pieces of finishing hardware.

Excited by the prospect of owning your very own sportfish? Check out our current sport fishing inventory . We just may have your dreamboat in stock.

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The World’s Best Yacht Brands

19th jul 2024 by samantha wilson.

Even to those in the industry, the definition of the term “ yacht ” often falls in a gray area. What one defines as a yacht, another may refer to as a boat. This ambiguity is an accepted oddity within the yachting world and while there are some broad definitions, there are no firm rules. 

Where the industry generally unites is in defining that recreational vessels over 80 feet are classed as superyachts, although even there, some will hold out for 100 feet. Boats below 80 feet become more difficult to define. A luxury sportfishing boat is unanimously considered to be a yacht, as are modern luxury trawlers. But in many quarters, most boats over 30 feet are classified as a yacht if they have a quality, “yacht-like” finish. This can include small motoryachts, cabin cruisers, well-appointed center consoles,  and express or open sportfishing models . Sailboats are also widely referred to as yachts when even shorter than 30 feet, perhaps because cruising sailors are frequently known as “yachties.” Virtually all larger sailboats with cabins and galleys are called yachts.

Which brings us to the other definition of a yacht, and that is the level of luxury it possesses. A simple, mid-sized fishing boat that’s a little rough around the edges is unlikely to ever be graced with the name “yacht”; the finishings, the furnishings, the electronics, the decks, the cabins, galleys, and general outlook of the boat play a significant role in it being given the title of yacht. 

Let’s take a look at the many different types of yachts on the market today and look at some of the best yacht brands building them. It’s important to remember that there are a huge number of luxury boat brands all across the world, and this is just a small selection. 

Best Motor Yachts

The term motor yacht can describe any luxury recreational vessel from 30 feet up to the largest superyachts, but is typically used for mid-sized cruisers from 30 to 80 feet in length. They’ll have cabins, galleys, saloons, and heads; they’ll have a high-end finish, plenty of space for sun lounging, and be geared towards families and weekend cruising.  

Best Motor Yacht Brands

Sunseeker: With its origins in the 1960s, this British brand of motor yachts has an extensiveline-up (and even more models on the used market). Models range from mid-sized to superyacht scale, and they have both a luxury finish and a sleek, distinctive appearance. Sunseeker boats for sale

Riva Yachts: The Riva Yachts brand has a long history and for decades has been synonymous with fine Italian craftmanship. Today it is owned by Ferretti Group and offers a range of sleek, elegant motor yachts that honor its classic heritage. With a current range including Sportfly, Flybridge, and Open models, it remains one of the most prestigious brands in the industry. Riva boats for sale

Princess Yachts: Another British brand, Princess Yachts builds fine motor yachts from midsize to superyacht size. The company was founded in the 1960s and operates out of a huge, 1.1 million square feet shipyard. Its luxury motor yachts are some of the most technologically advanced for their size in the industry.  Princess boats for sale

The term motor yacht covers a wide range of sizes and styles of vessels, but is usually used for motor boats between 30 and 80 feet. Princess photo.

Best Sailing Yachts

In an era where motor yachts dominate the waters, it’s easy to forget momentarily that sailboats were the very first yachts. Over around 30 feet they fall into the yacht category, with cabins, galleys, and heads making them suitable for longer-range cruising. The rigging and sails tends to make little difference to sailing yacht classification, but rather the vessel’s ability to cruise farther and longer and in more comfort and luxury.  Sailing yachts for sale

Best Sailing Yacht Brands

Hallberg-Rassy : The long-standing Swedish brand Hallberg-Rassy has an impressive line-up of quality ocean-going sailing yachts that offer sturdy blue-water capabilities and comfortable, elegant interiors. The brand has a range of models from 34 to 69 feet that are excellent long-distance cruisers.  Hallberg-Rassy boats for sale

X-Yachts: Offering top performance in both their competitive and cruising models since 1979, the Danish X-Yachts brand has long been admired on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for quality boats and excellent sailing capabilities. While best known for their racing models, the X-Yachts team now offers bluewater performers up to 56 feet overall in length.  X-Yachts boats for sale

Jeanneau : Jeanneau has been building capable, innovative ocean-going sailing yachts for over 60 years and has gained a great reputation for innovative design and good sailing performance. The brand’s current range includes large yachts, small ocean racers, and 35- to 49-foot cruising models that are cleverly designed, perform well, offer excellent handling, and are relatively affordable.   Jeanneau boats for sale

Beneteau: While Groupe Beneteau owns and builds an array of both motor yachts and sailing yachts (including Jeanneau, above), its flagship Beneteau brand is known for building and selling more sailboats every year than any other brand. The company offers spacious, modern cruising and luxury models 30 to 60 feet in length, and well-respected performance models 14 to 53 feet. Beneteau boats for sale

The classic sailing yacht offers home comforts, cabins, and long-range capabilities. Hallberg-Rassy photo.

Best Luxury Yachts

The term luxury yacht can define any vessel that offers an exceptionally high-quality finish, luxury furnishings, and is generally a cut above the rest. The term luxury can apply to all styles of boats that we look at in greater detail on this list, including cruisers, modern recreational trawlers, sportfishing yachts, superyachts, motoryachts, and sailing yachts.   

Best Luxury Yacht Brands

Azimut: The Italian Azimut|Benetti Group brought together two of the top brands in Europe in 1985 and has grown to be one of the most respected luxury brands in Europe and the US. While Benetti builds superyachts exclusively now, Azimut builds seven lines of models ranging 42 to 125 feet and outboard-powered to hybrids, flybridge speedsters to trawlers and larger motoryachts.  Azimut boats for sale

Sunreef: Builder of power and sailing catamarans in Gdansk, Poland, Sunreef Yachts started as a yacht charter agency and then began building luxury, ocean-going, flybridge-equipped catamarans in 2003. Today, with a new, dramatically larger factor and heavy investment in energy-independent technologies, Sunreef power and sail models range from 44 to 100 feet, and a superyacht range is well underway. Sunreef boats for sale

Sanlorenzo: The Sanlorenzo shipyard has been building high-quality motor yachts since 1958 and offers a range of sophisticated, custom luxury yachts. Its Yacht Series ranges from 78 to 120 feet in length, while the Superyacht Series offers yachts up to 220 feet. Sanlorenzo boats for sale

Luxury yachts can be of many types and sizes including cruisers, modern recreational trawlers, sportfishing yachts, superyachts, motoryachts, and sailing yachts. Sanlorenzo photo.

Best Superyachts

Superyachts are generally categorized as yachts (both motor and sail) over 80 feet, and they are typically the largest and most luxurious vessels in the world costing millions of dollars. The heart of the superyacht manufacturing industry is in Europe, with many of the world’s top brands based in Italy, France, the Netherlands and Germany, but with builders in the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia also making big waves. Superyachts set the bar for the boating industry, pushing the boundaries of innovation and engineering. 

Best Superyacht Brands

Lürssen: German brand Lürssen have their finger on the pulse of innovation, and their huge luxury yachts pave the way for the industry as a whole. Lürssen has built some of the largest and most expensive luxury yachts in the world including 511 feet-long Dilbar . 

Feadship: Dutch brand Feadship is a major player in the superyacht world, and has built some of the largest luxury vessels including Anna at 360 feet. It was founded over 70 years ago as an alliance of several shipyards and continues to challenge itself to create ever-more daring and innovative vessels.  Feadship boats for sale

Oceanco: Another Dutch builder, Oceanco, focuses on superyachts in the 80 meter range, with their largest being Infinity at 374 feet featuring seven decks and luxuries including a spa, sauna, gym, and yoga studio.

Superyachts are the largest and most luxurious of all the vessels and can range from 80 feet to more than 300 feet in length. Oceanco photo.

Best Small Yachts

Pocket yachts offer the best of both worlds, with clever use of interior and deck space providing versatility, overnight stays, and comfort for family and friends aboard. And all in a compact and often more affordable package. Larger doesn’t always mean better, and these brands are proving just that with their small yachts. 

Best Small Yacht Brands

Hinckley Yachts: Dating back almost a century as a sail and power yacht builder, Maine-based Hinckley Yachts now produces elegant pocket cruiser yachts. Its Picnic Boat range of models 37, 39 and 40 feet in length combine classically beautiful lines, cutting edge technology, and a finish of rich woods and plush seating. The jet-powered boats provide a quiet, smooth, and fast ride, as well as exceptional comfort both inside and on deck.  Hinckley boats for sale

Chris-Craft: For those wanting to buy a boat with true yacht looks and power, you can’t go wrong with the all-American brand Chris-Craft. While its range of models are smaller in size than many others on this list, its 34-foot Catalina and 35-foot Calypso certainly fit in the yacht category with small interior cabins and heads.  Chris-Craft boats for sale

Small yachts, or pocket cruisers, offer the chance to experience the yachting lifestyle in a more compact package. Hinckley Yachts photo.

Best Affordable Yachts

Yachts are a luxury asset, and whenever we talk about affordability it ultimately comes down to a buyer’s personal budget. Of course, buying a used boat is always going to be more cost effective than a brand new one, but there are also yacht brands that focus on quality and value-for-money affordable yachts including:

Best Affordable Yacht Brands

Ranger Tugs: Ranger Tugs is one of the most affordable yacht brands, with a great choice of family-friendly pocket yachts and long-distance cruisers. The R-23, in particular, has been built with price at the forefront and allows buyers to purchase an excellent trawler boat at well under the price of most competitors.  Ranger Tugs boats for sale

Cutwater Boats: While Cutwater describes its vessels as boats, we feel the size range and finish of their cruising trawlers qualifies them for yacht status. They are functional, reliable, and affordable, with a quality finish and plenty of home comforts making them good value-for-money.  Cutwater boats for sale

There are brands which offer excellent value-for-money yachts, with high quality workmanship and finishes at lower cost than the competition. Cutwater photo.

Best Sportfish Yachts 

The sportfishing yacht market is booming in the United States, with the popularity of these mean fishing machines growing year on year. Sportfishing yachts are characterized by their speed and reliability, as well as offering plenty of fishing amenities, comfort, and a great driving experience. There are many brands out there to choose from, with some of the major players including:

Best Sportfish Yacht Brands

Scout Boats: Scout’s center console sportfishing yachts are some of the most luxurious in the industry. With models ranging from 17 to 67 feet, they offer accommodation, large horsepower, as many as four outboard engines, spacious flybridges, and all manner of fishing accessories. These sportfishing yachts combine cruising comfort with serious offshore angling to create a multi-functional cruising yacht.  Scout boats for sale

Boston Whaler: No list would be complete without Boston Whaler on it, so popular is this all-American brand and its stellar reputation. In its current line-up the Conquest, Realm, and Outrage ranges offer models which easily fall into the over 30-foot luxury yacht category, with multiple, hefty horsepower engines, all the offshore fishing equipment you can imagine, and a beautiful finish.  Boston Whaler boats for sale

Viking: Head-turning, luxurious, and seriously powerful, Viking Yachts’ range of sportfishing yachts is one of the best in the industry. The family-run brand has a huge line-up, with nearly 20 models ranging from 38 feet to a whopping 90 feet including convertibles and enclosed flybridge yachts, each one finished to an incredibly high spec.  Viking boats for sale

Sportfishing yachts combine comfort and high speeds with exceptional offshore fishing capabilities. Viking Yachts photo.

Best Trawler Yachts

The slow, sturdy trawler has had one of the most impressive makeovers of any vessel. Once considered a fishing boat workhorse, today they are one of the most sought-after long-distance cruising yachts on the market. These impressive ocean-going yachts offer luxury, comfort, space, speed and fuel-efficiency in one highly capable and attractive package. Today’s trawler yachts are differentiated by their iconic silhouette resembling a mini superyacht. 

Best Trawler Yacht Brands

Nordic Tugs: These American-built trawler yachts are the epitome of what today’s trawlers can be: luxurious, long-range and spacious. They’re anything but a tug boat, and built with meticulous attention to detail creating reliable, adventure-bound cruisers.  Nordic Tugs boats for sale

Outer Reef Yachts: Designed to suit their owners, these semi-custom long-range cruisers have been built in Taiwan for Outer Reef in the US for more than 20 years. Interiors display extraordinary craftsmanship, whether the yachts are 58 feet or more than 100 feet long. Outer Reef boats for sale

Grand Banks: One of the pioneers of the cruising trawler, Grand Banks have brought these hugely popular yachts to superyacht levels in a compact package. They have six decades of boat building under their belt, offering reliability, customer service and forward-thinking ideas.  Grand Banks boats for sale

Nordhavn: Nordhavn produces well-engineered, high-performance trawler yachts ranging from 41-foot pocket cruisers to 120-foot superyachts. Yet each one always retains its trawler image, which has been Nordhavn’s signature look for several decades.  Nordhavn boats for sale

Modern recreational trawlers are long-range spacious yachts which make good liveaboards or for off-grid explorations. Nordhavn photo.

Best Sport Yachts

The sport yacht (or sports cruiser as it is also commonly referred to) brings speed, adventure, versatility, and comfort to the table in huge measures. They range from around 30 feet all the way up to 80 feet and, while there’s no hard and fast criteria to define them, are usually sporty-looking powerboats with an open cockpit, a forward cabin forward, and no flybridge. 

Best Sport Yacht Brands

Axopar: Finnish brand Axopar simply exudes adventure with its range of hardy yet elegant sports boats. With distinctive angular styling and a forward-thinking multifunctional and modular concept, its boats allow owners to travel farther and do more. Its largest 37-foot and 45-foot models offer everything from watersports to overnight trips, navigating inclement weather, transporting on-land adventure sports equipment and more.  Axopar boats for sale

Sea Ray Boats: Sea Ray has been building some of the best sport cruiser yachts in the US since its founding in 1959. Today it remains one of the most popular, with a strong focus on customer service and satisfaction, as well as attention to detail. While most of its current models are smaller (and more affordable) than others on this list, its hugely popular Sundancer series offers models up to 37 feet with outboard and stern-drive configurations and a strong emphasis on interior and deck space.  Sea Ray boats for sale

Tiara Yachts: Tiara Yachts was founded in 1974 and is highly regarded as one of the premier sport yacht builders in the industry. Its models range from 34 to over 60 feet, with a choice of inboards and outboards. Features such as huge side swim platforms, rotating cockpit seating and dinettes, impressive fishing accessories, and accommodations for up to four people, they are as sporty as they are luxurious.  Tiara boats for sale

Racy looking sports yachts offer speed, adventure, versatility, and comfort. Sea Ray photo.

This article was published in March 2023 and updated in July 2024. 

Written By: Samantha Wilson

Samantha Wilson has spent her entire life on and around boats, from tiny sailing dinghies all the way up to superyachts. She writes for many boating and yachting publications, top charter agencies, and some of the largest travel businesses in the industry, combining her knowledge and passion of boating, travel and writing to create topical, useful and engaging content.

More from: Samantha Wilson

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Travel Tips to Kabardino-Balkaria: More than Mt. Elbrus!

If you’ve traveled to the North Caucasus before, there is a good chance you’ve already been to Kabardino-Balkaria, and you didn’t even know it!  Kabardino-Balkaria lies in the center of the North Caucasus region, is home to Mt. Elbrus, but more than that is a treasure chest of travel possibilities.  Here is our guide to traveling through the republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, or 9 travel tips to this beautiful land:

1. How do I get there?

Kabardino-Balkaria hosts a large number of both foreign and Russian travelers every year, and has an improving infrastructure able to handle the incoming masses.  Let’s start with the obvious.  You might be a mountain climber or skier coming to enjoy the slopes of Mt. Elbrus.  That means you’re likely arriving on an airplane to Russia.  Here are your travel options:

A. Plane – We advise you fly into the Mineralni Vodi (MRV) airport in the Stavropol Region, which is about 45 minutes from the border of Kabardino-Balkaria.  MRV is the largest airport in the North Caucasus, and has daily direct flights to and from all 3 airpots in Moscow (SVO, DME, and VKO), direct flights from St. Petersburg, and several international flight routes as well, including from Istanbul, Dubai, Greece, Tel Aviv, and Bishkek.  The MRV airport has a growing infrastructure and is the most obvious choice to fly into if going to Elbrus.  From MRV, it’s a 2 hr. drive to Nalchik, and a 3.5 hr. drive to Mt. Elbrus.

That being said, the capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, Nalchik (NAL), also has a small regional airport with a daily flight to/from Moscow as well as weekly flights to Istanbul. As is to be expected in most smaller, regional airports around Russia, the service standard at a small airport like this will be minimal.  As a result, we recommend you flying in and out of MRV if able.  It’s a 2 hr. drive to Elbrus from Nalchik.  You can also fly into other regional airports which are 2 hrs. from Nalchik, such as OGZ in North Ossetia (Vladikavkaz) or IGT in Ingushetia (Magas).

B.  Car/Public Transport – If you have a car, are using a taxi, or are hitch-hiking your way to Kabardino-Balkaria, the region is accessible by a variety of roads and vehicles.  A major Russian federal highway E50 runs through Pyatigorsk into Kabardino-Balkaria, and can take you towards Mt. Elbrus, Nalchik, and deeper into the North Caucasus.  There are daily mini-buses, or “marshrutkas”, that travel to Nalchik from Pyatigorsk, Vladikavkaz, Grozny, and Magas, if you’re coming from a neighboring republic.  From the main Nalchik bus station, there is a marshrutka that goes to Terskol (i.e. Mt. Elbrus) daily around 12:30 pm; for that matter,  marshrutkas run daily into every valley of this beautiful republic.  For the seasoned international traveler, you can drive from the country of Georgia up the famed “Georgian Military Highway” through the heart of the Caucasus Mountains, cross the border into Russia at the “Verkhni Lars” border stop, and be in Nalchik in about 2.5 hours as well. 

Anyone traveling on their own should download the “Yandex” taxi app, which is Russia’s version of Uber, and has a very user-friendly app with affordable prices.  In smaller villages/towns where Yandex’s service doesn’t reach, just ask a local and they’ll direct you to a friend or relative who can taxi you where you need to go!

C.  Train – Kabardino-Balkaria is also very accessible by the famous cross-country Russian train system if that’s your preferred method of travel.  Almost all trains to the North Caucasus pass through Mineralni Vodi in the Stavropol region to the north, so make sure wherever you are coming from, Mineralni Vodi is one of the stops.  Despite Nalchik having a train station, the city is about 45 minutes from the main railway route that runs diagonal through the North Caucasus, and as a result it’s a bit convoluted to get a train directly to Nalchik.  That being said, the town Prokhladni is a regular stop on trains going to/coming from Baku, Makhachkala, Grozny, Nazran, and Vladikavkaz, so you can always hop off there and find your way by public transport or taxi.

2.  What are the best places to stay?

This list could get exhaustive, fast. 🙂  Let’s first look at an overview of the republic’s geography, followed by hotel recommendations:

A. Nalchik – This is the capital city of Kabardino-Balkaria, with a population of around 250,000.  Nalchik is growing and new, modern hotels are being built regularly.  Here are some of our recommendations:

-Modern and comfortable:  Azimut , Butik Otel

-Budget with less frills:  Hotel Rossia , Korona

You could comfortably spend a week in Nalchik, while doing day trips into Kabardino-Balkaria’s beautiful mountain valleys.

B.  Baksan Valley – This is the most traveled road in Kabardino-Balkaria, the road to Mt. Elbrus.  If you have questions about its safety because of travel warnings, please see our detailed blog here of the drive to erase any doubts or fears.  Needless to say, because of the draw of Mt. Elbrus, there are a huge variety of lodging options at the end of this valley, from 4-star to mid-range to budget to hostel.  Here are just a few we’ll recommend from our experience:

-Modern and comfortable 4-star-ish:  Azau Star , Kristall 139

-Budget with less frills 3-star-ish:   Laguna , Povorot

If you’re a mountain climber with your sites set on the summit of Elbrus, you’ll have to spend at least 3-4 nights at Elbrus’s famous base camp at 13,000 feet.  The “barrel huts” are not easy to book directly with, and we highly recommend you do your climb (and hence, have your bookings handled) through a trusted climbing company.  Here are two shelters at base camp we recommend:

-Modern and comfortable:  Leaprus

-Budget with less frills:  Heart of Elbrus Lodge

If you’re interested in climbing Mt. Elbrus and staying in these barrel huts, click  here  to see our climbing itineraries, pricing, and group dates.

C.  Chegem Valley – Chegem Valley is the adjacent valley to Elbrus’s Baksan Valley, and is famous for its beautiful waterfalls as well as being Russia’s top paragliding location.  The “ Paradrome ” has modest accommodations for those wanting to get to know this beautiful valley for a longer period of time.

D.  Upper Balkaria, or Cherek Valley – This is another beautiful mountain gorge not too far from Nalchik.  There is an authentic lodging complex in Upper Balkaria called Tau-El, with amazing local food for meals as well.

E.  Border Zone lodging – Several of Kabardino-Balkaria’s mountain gorges run into the border zone with neighboring country Georgia, i.e. an area that foreigners cannot enter without a special permit from the local government (often taking 2 months to receive).  There is a famous mountaineering lodge in Bezengi Valley, where several generations of Russian mountain climbers have honed their craft in the Caucasus Mountains.  Perpendicular to Baksan Valley (about 25 minutes from the base of Mt. Elbrus) is Adyr-Suu Valley, where there is a lodge for back-country skiers to stay, while trying their hands (and feet!) on the untouched snow of that valley.  Both these valleys require border permits for foreigners, but are possible to access for the more adventurous!

3.  Top cities to visit?

Most locals would agree that Nalchik is the main city of significance to visit in Kabardino-Balkaria, but let’s be honest, even more would say, “Just go to the mountains!”  Tirnauz is the capital of the Elbrus district, and is an interesting town to spend some time in, with its unique location in the mountains and place in Soviet history as a once-booming mining town.  The main thing to consider in visiting Nalchik and other cities in the lowlands, is the chance to experience Kabardian culture and food.  Whereas the deeper you go into the valleys, the more you’ll encounter Balkar culture and food.

4.  Best local foods to try?

There are 3 types of food that come to mind, when spending time in Kabardino-Balkaria:

A. Khychiny – This is one of the staple national dishes of the Balkar people, and what you’ll inevitably be served if guests of local Balkars.  It’s a thin buttery flat bread, sometimes cooked with fillings of cottage cheese, fresh greens, or potatoes.  It is often slathered in butter, but wow is that some tasty greasy goodness! 🙂

B.  Shashlik – Shashlik is a MUST for any visit anywhere in the North Caucasus!  Most people would agree that it’s the national food of the entire region.  Shashlik is meat shish kabobs; while pork and turkey can be found in some parts of the Caucasus, lamb or chicken are the preferred shashlik meats of choice in Kabardino-Balkaria. 

C.  Soup – No matter where you are in Russia, you’re sure to find a local soup that people love.  Kabardino-Balkaria is no different.  Especially in the winter months in the mountain valleys, there’s nothing better than to come inside from the cold weather and warm your body up to a bowl of hearty Caucasus soup.  Whether Georgian kharcho or local Balkar lakhman, make sure to try your hand at one of these soups with a side of fresh baked bread/lavash!

5.  Top Hole-In-The-Wall restaurants:

Of course, for a republic of this size, we’re bound to leave at least a few great local joints off our list, but here are a few to get you started. ***Note:  Restaurants in the North Caucasus are much better known for their food than their service, so prepare for tasty food, but manage your expectations about service:

-Elbrus – Kogutai Restaurant at Mt. Cheget – While this isn’t a hole-in-the-wall restaurant per se, it’s one of many to choose from in the Cheget tourist village, and we have found them to provide consistently good food and service.  Kogutai has a nice interior, and maybe most important, an English-language menu with good pictures. 🙂  There also is a nice outdoor patio with fantastic views of the surrounding mountains.

-Nalchik #1 – Tameris Restaurant – This is a cafe with a relaxed atmosphere in the capital Nalchik.  Local tour company Elbrus Elevation has taken foreign groups there on multiple occasions and always had good experiences.  Address is ul. Kuliyeva 3. 

-Nalchik #2 – Cafe-Bar Oasis – You have to know where this restaurant is to find it, but once inside, you won’t regret it!  There is a unique cafeteria-style ordering process, that includes several dishes being cooked on the spot once ordered.  You can sample local Kabardian dishes here.  The seating area is very modern and a pleasant atmosphere to have a meal in.  Address is ul. Kuliyeva 2. 

-Upper Balkaria – Tau-El Restaurant – This is the restaurant part of the Tau-El Tourist Complex in Upper Balkaria.  Whether spending the night or just passing through, make sure to stop here for a meal!

6.  Must-See Sites

This republic is so chock full of “must-see” destinations, it’s impossible to narrow the list down.  Here are just a few suggestions to get you started: (***Mt. Elbrus is a no-brainer and we’re assuming that’s on your list)

A. El-Tyubu and Paradrome – This is an amazing area towards the end of Chegem Valley.  Many tourists visit the famous Chegem Waterfalls and don’t drive any further down this gorge, which really is a shame.  El-Tyubu is a picturesque Balkar village with several historical sites to see, including some ancient mausoleums.  The real gem of the area, though, is the Paradrome , which is Russia’s premier paragliding destination.  The combination of the scenic surrounding mountains and constant winds produces almost daily conditions to sail through the beautiful Caucasus sky.  Highly recommend!

B.  Upper Balkaria – Also known as Cherek Valley, the entire drive to the actual village of Upper Balkaria is one big destination.  First, you can spend time at the 3 consecutive “ Blue Lakes ”, one of which is one of Russia’s deepest lakes with an underground spring.  Then, the drive itself becomes an adventure, as you pass by steep rock walls with a huge drop-off on the other side.  If you’re able to walk this part of the road, that is a bonus!  Once you’ve made your way through the valley walls, the region opens up into a beautiful panoramic view.  Many years ago, there were multiple villages in this region, but they’ve since been condensed into one main village.  You can see some of the ancient Balkar towers that their ancestors used to live in as well.

C.  Djili-Suu – Although hard to pronounce and not easy to get to, Djili-Suu is one of those places in the North Caucasus that people rave about that you “have to” visit.  It’s actually on the North side of Mt. Elbrus, and more accessible from the Mineral Waters region (2 hrs. from Kislovodsk).  The base camp for Elbrus climbers summiting the mountain from the North side is at Djili-Suu.  This area is famous in Russia for its numerous natural healing springs, as well as unique climate conditions that make for beneficial, long holidays for seeking a respite from their daily grind.  There are wide swaths of land available for camping, with probably the most unrivaled views of Mt. Elbrus in the North Caucasus.  Make sure to check this out!

7.  Off-the-beaten path destinations

A. King’s Waterfalls (Tsarskie), or Gedmisht – Probably the valley in Kabardino-Balkaria with the least amount of hype is the Malka Valley, which is the northernmost valley and mainly runs through the Kabardian lowlands.  At the point where the villages end, though (Khabas), the asphalt turns into dirt and the hills start to rise, culminating with the incredible King’s Waterfalls, or as one friend put it, Avatar Waterfalls.  These stunning waterfalls are best visited in the early summer, when everything is lush green and the water flow is strong, with many streams of water flowing down the earth’s surface.  The different colors are incredible and it’s hard to look away.  Once you’ve enjoyed the waterfalls, enjoy a meal of shashlik at one of the nearby lunch huts.  Having an off-road vehicle is ideal to visit these falls, but worth the time and effort!

B.  One-seater chair lift at Elbrus – As the infrastructure at Mt. Elbrus has modernized, some of the more “authentic” experiences have gone to the way-side.  This is one experience still available, though!  From the 2nd (11,000 ft.) to 3rd level (12,500 ft.) of Mt. Elbrus (whether skiing, going to base camp, or just touring), there is a single-seater chair lift for 100 rubles each way (less than $2).  This is an amazing experience if you have the time.  It’s 8-10 minutes each way, and a surreal experience of the majestic Caucasus mountain range surrounding you, skiers silently passing you by underneath, and in general enjoying the silent expanse of nature all around.  The chair lifts are from the Soviet times and so it feels like something from a different era.  For mountain climbers, the newer group cable car gives better access to most of base camp, but several huts are pretty close to this chair lift, so it still may be a good option for you.

C.  Abandoned Mines above Tirnauz – Tirnauz is about 1 hr. from Mt. Elbrus, and a town everyone drives through to and from the mountain.  Although today it looks old and half-abandoned, it was a booming mining town in the 20th century.  About a 45-minute drive above the city with an off-road vehicle, you can see the remains of the mining operations.  Learning about this history combined with the breath-taking views of the Baksan Valley and even into Georgia, you’ll wonder why more people aren’t visiting this place.  This is a great spot to see eagles soaring in the sky, as well as admire the Soviet city plan of Tirnauz from above.

8.  What do I need border zone passes to visit?

In Russia, any area within 5-10 km of a neighboring country, without a clearly delineated border (i.e. in the mountains) is considered a special border zone, and patrolled by Russian border guards.  This area IS accessible to all Russian citizens with their passports, but is NOT legally accessible to foreign citizens UNLESS you have a special permit from the FSB (Federal Security Bureau).  These permits are accessible, either through a tour operator or local friend, but require you to submit your application 45-60 days in advance.

Areas in Kabardino-Balkaria that are worth a visit if you have a border zone pass:

A.  Bezengi Wall – This is at the end of the Bezengi Valley, and holds a place of lore among Russian mountain climbers.  Many mountain guides go through training in this valley.  Five of the Caucasus Mountain’ range’s highest seven peaks are a part of the Bezengi Wall, so you can imagine the draw it has for climbers. There are great areas for trekking and camping in this area. 

B.  Adyr-Suu Gorge – This remote valley runs perpendicular to Baksan Valley and is about 25 minutes from the base of Mt. Elbrus.  It’s marked at the entrance by a relic of the past, a car lift from Soviet days that auto-cranks your car (and you) about 50 meters up the mountain.  After 45-60 minutes of driving on gravel road, the gorge opens up into a flat valley with a beautiful view of the surrounding mountains.  The Adyr-Suu Alpine Lodge is at the end of this valley and where back-country skiers base out of during the acclimatization phase of their Mt. Elbrus ski tours.  This is truly a place where you can experience untouched powder!

C.  Mt. Cheget (Elbrus) – Cheget is a neighboring mountain to Mt. Elbrus and where many climbers will acclimatize, both at its base and while doing some hikes.  It also is famous in Russia for its free-ride terrain for more experienced skiers.  Standard access to the chair lifts and mountain are available to all (i.e. mountain climbers don’t need to worry about accidentally crossing into the zone), but anyone wanting to summit the peak of Cheget OR visit the beautiful Cheget Lake needs a border permit. 

Foreigners violating the border zone areas is considered a serious offense in Russia; make sure to do your due diligence if wanting to visit one of these areas!  We highly recommend using a local tour operator and always traveling with a local person if visiting one of these areas.

9.  Any cultural “do’s” or “don’t’s” to be aware of

Kabardino-Balkaria is a fascinating republic with a combination of traditional and modern society.  The more you interact with local people, the more you’ll see a mixture of Muslim faith, post-Soviet mentality, and ancient local traditions all wrapped together.   

Kabardians mainly live in the lowlands (Nalchik, Baksan, and lowland villages), while Balkars primarily live in the mountain valleys (Elbrus, Chegem, Upper Balkaria, etc.).  There is a large population of Russians in the region as well.  Foreigners visit every area of the region regularly, and so local people are used to and will welcome your presence.

Come with an open mind to learn about these peoples, their traditions, and their land.  You won’t regret your trip to Kabardino-Balkaria!

***Want to learn more?  Here are several self-published resources from the podcast “ CaucasTalk ” related to Kabardino-Balkaria:

– Travel Tips to Kabardino-Balkaria (audio version of this blog)

– History of Mt. Elbrus (Part 1)

– History of Mt. Elbrus (Part 2)

– Interview with Local Elbrus guide

– Climbing Elbrus: Interview with American guide

– Who are the Kabardians? (Part 1)

– Who are the Kabardians? (Part 2)

– Skiing in the North Caucasus (Elbrus and more)

READY TO EXPERIENCE KABARDINO-BALKARIA FOR YOURSELF?

Where to find us.

• +1 704-810-4296
• [email protected]
• 1578 Pine Creek Rd., Gastonia, NC 28056

Travel Information

• We no longer offer travel services to Russia. See Caucasus Quest Tours for new destinations
• Is it Safe to Travel to the Caucasus in 2024?
• Climbing Kazbek & Kilimanjaro: Comparing two 5,000+ meter peaks
• How to Train to climb Mt. Kazbek in Georgia

Our Elbrus Climbing Tours

• Climb Elbrus South Route
• Climb Elbrus North Route
• Climb Elbrus & The Capitals
• Climb Elbrus & The Caucasus

Russia Cultural Tours

• Capitals of Russia
• Lake Baikal on Ice
• Delightful Dagestan
• Heart of the Caucasus

ALL Travel Services to Russia and Mt. Elbrus have been indefinitely suspended as of Feb. 2022.

Explore our new tour branch Caucasus Quest to climb Mt. Kazbek (5,054 meters) in Georgia or for immersive cultural touring experiences in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.