WAGONS HO!

Back in the 1930s, a sportfishing boat more than likely was a cabin cruiser with a hole cut in the roof and a garage-built extension for the wheel, throttle and shifter. The captain stood on a box or a 55-gallon drum and poked his head through the roof to get a better view of fish. Sometimes the wheel extensions couldn’t take the torque and captains steered the wheel below with their feet.
In 1939 Ernal Foster, a fishing captain out of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina caught the first sailfish ever taken off Hatteras and the race began to build the best sportfishing boat. In the Carolinas, boat builders concentrated on flare and a fine entry to punch through rough inlets. In Florida, the boats were built for speed, tracking, turning, and backing down. The modern era of luxurious sportfishing boats began post-World War II when Wheeler Yacht Company in New York began adapting its skills to purpose-built boats for industrialists and celebrities, Rybovich began producing sweet carvel-planked hulls and Willis Slane hired Jack Hargrave to draw the first fiberglass Hatteras Convertible.
Today, while maneuverability and speed still govern design, range and accommodations, especially for those hunting tuna or big game, are key.
On the following pages we present a sampling of new production and custom sportfishing yachts 45 feet in length and up. These battlewagons showcase the latest technology for the age-old contest of man against fish. ...

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