OnBoard Magazine - Summer 2015

function as well as style and comfort. With plans to redo the rest of the cockpit, it was a good time to increase the fuel capacity, and after cutting open the floor an auxiliary fuel tank was installed. The addition of a custom teak sole and covering boards with the yard’s signature rounded coaming set her looks apart while enhancing the cockpit’s primary purpose—to fish. With the latest round of upgrades complete, Maverick raced to the Ocean City fishing grounds with plans to return by fall. NOT FEELING THE KEEL The fall plan would be just as dramatic a transformation—only with much of the drama hidden from view. In addition to removing and repainting the black mask for an updated look, Captain Joel had plans to remove a bigger piece of the original boat. After much discussion and debate with other captains, he decided on a gamble that he believed would pay off for Maverick . Although there were skeptics, Bluewater removed the substantial keel from the hull and completely changed the way Maverick worked in the water. “I had really studied the idea and spoke with a lot of the guys, the potential benefits were a strong argument and we went for it.” According to the results, the gamble paid off. Maverick not only picked up two knots in speed, but also increased her fuel efficiency and improved both the ride and handling. “She is a completely different boat now and we couldn’t be happier.” Earle Hall notes, “from basic maintenance up to major project upgrades, a solid working relationship with a reputable yard can make the difference between good days and bad days when you get back on the water.” For boats that work hard and fish hard, it’s necessary. Having the right coach and support team can truly be priceless. With an open checkbook to take care of the boat, it is a high compliment that Joel runs Maverick past many other yards to keep coming back to Bluewater. ON THE HUNT Bluewater’s John D Riggs was able to spend a few weekends of his winter fishing on his friend and customer’s boat, the beautiful 78’ Garlington, Jaruco . Owner, crew and guests fished two of the three legs of the Los Sueños Triple Crown in Costa Rica, catching sailifish, blue marlin and dolphin. Thoroughly enjoying that event and Los Sueños as a whole, the owner now plans to buy another boat to keep there full-time. Jaruco was previously country legend George Strait’s boat, Day Money, and will return stateside before fishing the Custom Shootout in the Bahamas and then traveling north to Cape Cod for the rest of the summer. She’ll then be prepped for the 2015 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show as the owner prepares for the next chapter in his boating legacy! FROM BOXY TO COMFY: A MEZZANINE RETROFIT IN PICTURES 37 SUMMER 2015