Collection Gift Guide: Deep-Sea Delight
12/01/2005
Merritt 80
There is no shortage of well-built sportfishing motor yachts
for serious deepwater fishing, but the best are made by a few select builders.
Merritt is among them.
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(Click on image to enlarge.)Franklin and Ennis Merritt started their eponymous Boat and Engine Works in 1948 with a 37-foot motorboat and a single-minded purpose: catching fish. Their grandson Roy has continued their tradition of building custom fishing craft in Pompano Beach, Fla. Merritt’s latest launch—an 80-foot sportfishing machine—is a purposeful boat with a clean foredeck uncluttered even by rails; the design clearly emphasizes cockpit fishing over suntanning.
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(Click on image to enlarge.)Since reaching the fish quickly is what leads to landing the big ones, the Merritt 80 uses twin 2,000 hp turbocharged diesels to attain 36 knots—40 mph—at full speed. Should you want to go faster, Merritt can install bigger engines. The boatbuilder uses a composite laminate of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and other materials for the immensely rigid hull. As fishermen say of a well-constructed boat, if things get rough, you’ll give up before she does.
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(Click on image to enlarge.)The 80’s purpose-built exterior belies a luxurious cabin. Merritt’s particular aptitude lies in its ability to incorporate sybaritic creature comforts into a no-holds-barred fishing yacht. A 20-foot beam provides space for four staterooms with en suite baths, a fully equipped kitchen, and a living space that occupies the entire deckhouse. Clients may specify a bespoke interior including materials such as varnished teak, marble countertops, and marquetry.
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(Click on image to enlarge.)Merritt builds, on average, two and a half boats per year, each one painstakingly designed and engineered on a custom basis. The company currently has a four-year waiting list, and your place on that list will cost around $6 million, depending on individual requirements. With marinas that are gunwale-to-gunwale with mass-produced sportfishing boats, it’s worth the wait to know yours will be matchless.
Merritt Boat and Engine Works, 954.943.6250, www.merrittboat.com