Sculley Boatbuilders

While a lot of boat companies start with a captain looking to buy a boat to charter fish, Sculley is unique in that its owner wanted to start the company as a hobby. "Boatbuilding is really a passionate hobby for my father," says Jim Sculley, vice president of sales and marketing for Sculley Boatbuilders. "He'd owned several Carolina boats and felt that there was a niche that wasn't being met for a high-end, great-riding Carolina boat with the polished fit-and-finish of a Florida boat. He teamed up with Jim Polatty, a longtime associate of Buddy Davis, and they began building one to fit those specifications." Since that first launch in 1999, Sculley Boatbuilders has delivered 18 top-tier fishing yachts, ranging in size from 53 to 77 feet.

Sculley continues to build its hulls with the traditional cold-molded method but isn't afraid of using composites. "The cold-molded construction method has been proven over many years and we use that for everything below the waterline. However, we utilize a lot of cored material and composites to build parts for the superstructure. This keeps most of the boats' weight below the waterline, ensuring a much more stable ride," says Sculley. 
 
"We make no compromises in hull design, yet we offer our clients complete freedom in customizing and designing the interior décor, layouts, even topside styling if they wish. Our level of customization cannot be matched by any other boats in our class and size range," says Sculley.
 

At a Glance: • High-end fit-and-finish • Carolina construction • Great sea boat

"I believe the customer base is finally starting to get a little more educated on the whole speed issue. There's a fine line between speed, seaworthiness and fuel efficiency. We aren't going to build the fastest boat, but we will build the fastest boat in the prevailing sea conditions," says Sculley.
 
For the future, Sculley plans to introduce a new 54 Tournament model to provide an entry-level custom boat for around the same price as a production boat. "We are hoping that this boat, the only one we will build less than 60 feet, will create another niche for us by challenging the production boats. It will be a turn-key boat, completely priced out and available in just one year's time," says Sculley.
 
For more information, contact Sculley Boatbuilders of Wanchese, North Carolina, at 252-473-6855, or visit www.sculleyboatbuilders.com.

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