Long Time Boater - Newbie TF Member

I've been boating quite a while, starting at age 9 with canoe camp. Next was coastal cruising with my parents on their 50' Chris Craft Constellation in the 50s. On to sailing and cruising my own boats, then in 1980, forming my first boating venture, Florida Bay Boat Company, and introduced the "Marsh Hen," a 17' "camp-cruiser" sharpie sailing boat fashioned after William Gardner's "June Bug."

Building the Hens for several years led me to large steel trawlers, the Florida Bay Coasters, designed by Jay Benford and myself. After building 10 Coasters, I joined forces with James Krogen and was the founding president of Krogen Express. With his death, I moved on to work with Ken Fickett in Gainseville developing the Great Harbour trawlers.

In 2004, I formed Island Pilot and partnering with Hershine Marine, introduced the Island Pilot IP395 which evolved into the IP435. We also made the Island Pilot DSe 12m Hybrid, a 12 meter (39'6") power cat that can run on electric or diesel propulsion, capturing energy from the grid, her two generators and the 6 kW solar array on the roof.

I found the forum yesterday when I got a Google Alerts email saying that there was a posting here regarding the Island Pilots. What a great find it is! I hope I can be a helpful, contributing, although "Newbie," member.

Reuben, welcome to you and your extensive experience. I think that you will indeed prove a valuable addition to this forum.

The picture in your avatar looks like possibly the boat we were tied up behind at the Coral Reef Yacht Club in 11-08. I think they were doing some magazine stories on it running out into Biscayne Bay. I was fascinated with it.

Thanks for your welcome!

You have a good memory - we were there after the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show doing a photo shoot for Power and Motoryacht.

Timing wasn't the best - introducing a radical (and expensive) yacht soon after the economy collapsed. Luckily, we love our Sunshine, keeping her at Ocean Reef during the season.

Glad to have you join us. Just having a new person on here is good, and having a new person who brings with him the experience that you have is double good.

John