Mention the term ‘jungle boatbuilder’ visions of loin-clothed natives hacking away at hardwoods with hatchets and machetes may come to mind. But ask a knowledgeable fisherman about Costa Rica’s Maverick Yachts, and an entirely different vision appears. These boats, led by the imminently fishable and world-famous Spanish Fly, are designed with the sole purpose of chasing down and catching marlin and sailfish, while also being tough as nails and easy to maintain (requirements for a charter fleet fishing over 200 days a season, year in and year out).
Maverick Yachts are hand-crafted from laurel blanco, a Costa Rican hardwood that is perfect for this application, with teak and mahogany trim. Only the finest materials are used, from West System epoxies to Garmin electronics and more. Capt. Daniel Espinoza, the famed longtime skipper of Spanish Fly, has turned over the wheel to a younger apprentice and is now in charge of the factory’s production. Having someone as knowledgeable as Espinoza running the operation guarantees that a fishing captain will have input on each build. His fingerprints are literally all over each boat, and the bluewater pedigree of each model is without dispute.
Conspicuously absent from any Maverick is the use of veneer or wallpaper; all surfaces — even those that remain unseen — are faired, finished and painted for durability and easy cleanup at the end of the day. Systems are designed to be easily accessible and easy to maintain in a rigorous charter schedule.
Maverick’s Larry Drivon and Will Drost hosted Marlin publisher Natasha Lloyd and editor Sam White during a recent visit to their facility, where they reviewed several models currently under construction.
