Calyber Boatworks

With more than 21 years of experience under his belt as a shop foreman and master carpenter for companies such as Davis Yachts, Calyber Boatworks' owner, Trevor Sherrick, knows what it takes to build a true Carolina-style hull. Sherrick started Calyber six years ago, teaming up with Jim Murphy to produce small fishing boats with the same fit-and-finish as much larger yachts.

Murphy, the company's vice president of sales and marketing, says the company's initial 23-foot center console proved so wildly successful that, "we now produce eight, handcrafted custom sport-fishermen per year, ranging in size from 23 to 35 feet. We build a true Carolina warped-plane boat with a deep-V entry and an 11-degree deadrise in the stern for stability. We provide the same quality of the big builders in Wanchese, but we're just doing it on smaller-sized boats that one person can run alone. We are a small shop, but one that's quality-oriented. Somebody told me the other day that we build floating Faberge eggs."

At a Glance: -Big-boat quality in small package -Great fuel economy -Expert construction

Calyber takes tremendous pride in its workmanship and goes to great pains to make sure that its employees share the same ethic. "The key people in our company are all seasoned veterans of the boatbuilding industry," says Murphy. "They've been hand picked because of trusted associations in the past. It starts with our head of lamination, who has over 40 years of experience, and runs right on through to our custom tower fabricator, whom we've worked with for almost 20 years."

But what these mighty mites lack in size, they make up for in performance, and Calyber is always looking to get more out of a smaller package. "We've really been intrigued by the Volvo IPS drives. On our 35, they burn half the amount of fuel than a conventional inboard does. We get a top-end of 39.9 knots and a 31-knot cruise with the IPS drives, burning only 26 gallons per hour at cruise. With regular inboards the same boat burns closer to 50 gallons per hour. Obviously we will put any power in the boat that the customer wants, but once they handle one with the IPS drives the engines usually sell themselves. A first-time boater can spin the boat 360 degrees in about eight seconds with the joystick."

For more information, contact Calyber Boatworks of Edenton, North Carolina, at 252-482-0775, or visit www.calyberboatworks.com.

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