Crafted with Tradition
Every boat we build carries a story, reflecting our passion for craftsmanship and the sea. Each design is a blend of history and innovation, honoring the timeless art of boat building.
A Colorful Past
My involvement with Speedcraft began in 1980, although the origins of the brand reportedly date back more than 60 years. The original owner, Raul, is said to have played a key role in its inception in the early 1960s.
According to Raul, he was part of a group of Cuban exiles who were sanctioned by the U.S. government to assist in efforts to overthrow the Castro regime in Cuba. This group required small, fast vessels capable of making the trip to Cuba and back while carrying heavy loads, including .50-caliber machine guns mounted on the bows. To meet these demands, they allegedly consulted with a local boat designer who was gaining recognition for developing fast, high-performance hulls. His designs later became the standard in offshore racing, earning him numerous race victories and leading to the creation of several successful boat companies. His influence on the original hull design remains evident to this day.
The original hull that later became known as the Speedcraft was a 24-foot, open-cockpit boat designed to be powered by large big-block automotive engines and to carry substantial weight. A hook was intentionally built into the hull to compensate for offset loads and enhance performance. According to Raul, these boats were constructed and tested during mock invasion exercises conducted off the coast of Florida prior to the actual invasion. While the invasion itself ultimately proved disastrous, the boats reportedly performed flawlessly.
Afterward, Raul retained the molds and eventually began building boats for local fishermen under the name Speedcraft, laying the foundation for what the brand represents today.
Boats Take An Unauthorized Trip
In 1980, we were scheduled to take some potential clients out on the long shaft 24’ to demonstrate our new line of fishing rods. Much to our dismay, when we arrived at the warehouse, both boats were gone. We were told Raul “borrowed” them to pick up relatives in Cuba. When the boats returned, we had a very heated discussion. Raul told us he had spent the money that was supposed to repay his previous debts, hoping to make a big payday, which didn’t happen. To compound the problem, he stated that he feared for his life now because of his outstanding debt.
My partner wanted nothing to do with Raul after that. He took two flats boats for his vested interest and sold the short shaft boat with the condition that Raul would modify it for the customer to accommodate longer shaft motors. I loaned Raul additional money so he could pay back his debt, with the understanding that I would be a full partner and hold the business, including the molds, equipment, and rights, as collateral. I was also to collect payments from every boat sale. We had boat sales lined up that should have repaid everything and be the seed for a thriving business. We sold a boat, had others waiting for their boats to be built, and things were looking up.
A couple of months later, Raul called me and said he was losing the lease on the warehouse and needed to move everything out right away. He said he was working on getting another warehouse but needed to move everything temporarily until the new site was available. He had a friend that worked at Hitchhiker Trailers next door that offered to store everything in his yard and house nearby. We moved the molds and equipment. Several months went by, Raul was difficult to reach, we argued when I was able to reach him, so I decided to acquire another warehouse to rekindle the business without him. When I went to move the molds, they were gone. I was told Raul moved them again but did not say where they were going. I did everything that I could think of to try to locate the molds but was not successful. I later found out Raul had not paid the rent on the warehouse, nor did he pay his previous debt, and thus was in hiding along with the molds and equipment. Years later, I was told the molds had been moved behind the trailer company next door and were shot up, presumably by the person that Raul owed money to. Many years later, those molds resurfaced with Raul’s original fiberglass guy who had since started his own company.
Near Death Experience
In November of 1980, I was on a fishing trip with my brother and a childhood friend, fishing Pulley Ridge approximately 130 miles off of Marco Island. We were in the Speedcraft with the 200 Mercury outboards. We reached the grounds late afternoon and proceeded to catch several hundred pounds of fish before dark.
We were sleeping in the bow section when I decided to go fish some more. As I stepped toward the center console, I found myself in calf-deep water. As I got to the back of the boat, it was almost completely submerged. I told the guys not to panic, but that we were taking on water. The engines would not start, and I was trying to bail with a 5-gallon bucket.
They both tried to come down the same side of the boat to help, and the boat rolled upside down, trapping me underneath. We spent three nights and three days taking turns sitting on the small section of bow that was above the waterline, while the other two of us hung on the bow ring with toes clinging to the rub rail or upper spray chine on the hull, partially underwater.
We were not due back for another 36 hours, so we knew nobody would be looking for us. We had two cans of soda and a package of lunch meat that I was able to dive out from under the boat to retrieve when daylight came. Sharks were having a field day with the fish that were stuck in the fish box. The sharks would sometimes get stuck in the fish box and shake the whole boat trying to get out.
My anniversary was November 27th, the day we were found by a Gasparilla fishing fleet grouper boat, one day after we were scheduled to return. The Coast Guard tried to sink the boat but were unable to do so. They ended up towing it into Ft. Meyers. After about 10 hours of interrogation, I was allowed to return home with the shattered boat.
