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BUILDING BETTER BOATS
I love boats. I really love classic Carolina boats. To me, there is nothing prettier on the ocean. I am in awe of what a group of craftsman can do with a pile of lumber and a drive and passion for creating something. I grew up fishing and boating, and in my life have drawn way more boats and fish than I'll ever get to drive or catch. I am consumed by them. Not just the lines, as both boats and fish share a bond of being capable of beauty, which is almost unimaginable.
Both boats and fish are powerful, sleek, functional, and practical. Both have curves that seem to have a flow and shape that would be impossible to recreate. I believe if you want to succeed in designing and building boats, it doesn't hurt to look at our quarry for guidance. The very nature of the design of the fish we chase around the world could be instilled in our builds.
Marlin and Tuna don't have useless appendages. Every part of their being is purpose built. From head to tail, it's all business. From stem to stern, so are we.
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Jon Duffie
President and Owner of Duffie Boatworks
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HOW IT STARTED
Having been born into a family of boaters Jon has been on the water since he was two years old. By the time he was 16, he was completely comfortable navigating and running any vessel from a skiff to a large sportfish. He was fortunate to grow up in Ocean City during the peak of the sportfish charter industry. Always willing to work and learn from anyone that would offer their time, Jon quickly gained a reputation as a captain. As his fishing experience grew, so did his knowledge of boats. He learned how the design and layout of a boat is critical to being able to perform proper maintenance and how this goes hand in hand with better fishing performance and ease of use.
Throughout his career of charter fishing and fishing the tournament circuit, Jon has overseen numerous custom builds and re-fit projects with some of the best boat builders in the industry. Every project completed has led Jon further down the path to becoming a boat builder. Years of traveling from the Northeast down the East Coast, throughout the Caribbean, Mexico, Dominican Republic, through the Panama Canal, and venturing into the Pacific putting thousands of miles behind the wheel of a vessel have given Jon a broad knowledge base. All of these experiences on the different boats that Jon has had a hand in the design from the keel up have helped shape his desire to take the next logical step in his career and transition from a boat captain to a boat builder.
VIDEO BY: HUK
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