Without big, fast and powerful boats, the sport of big-game fishing as we know it would cease to exist. Over the course of a short history, game boats evolved from rock-solid commercial workboats into sleek, opulent sport-fishers with the ability to venture far offshore, or even cross oceans, and return home safely. Before the advent of the global positioning system, EPIRBs and Coast Guard rescue choppers, the ocean commanded much greater respect from those who chose to venture out on her waters; consequently, virtually all of today's builders and designers still strive to build solid, safe hulls.
But tied as they are to seaworthiness, those same builders made their reputations by pushing the envelope in both design and speed. And so the art of boatbuilding evolved - with builders continually searching for new techniques and materials that could blur the lines between weight, strength, speed and ride.
However, you can't define any of the sport-fishers found on the following pages by mere specs alone - each comes with a heritage, personality and look particular to its builder. So in Marlin's debut Boatbuilders' Expo, instead of smothering you with endless specifications and telling you about how many heads you'll find on a certain model, we thought we'd introduce you to the companies and people who actually make the boats you love. After all, entering into a boat contract is a lot like a marriage, and getting to know and liking the in-laws puts you way ahead from the outset. She might be your girl now, but it's always nice to see where she came from.
- Dave Ferrell
First up: Albemarle Boats
