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Jim
Sculley
Founder and President
Jim Sculley remembers working on his father's fishing boat as a young boy in Newport Beach , California , when the design of many saltwater and commercial fishing boats focused on reliability and durability rather than luxury and performance.
Sportfisherman did not yet venture dozens of miles offshore in pursuit of fish to catch and stories to tell, but the allure of chasing The Big One grew and the boat building industry satiated the public's craving for the deep sea.
Jim recalls seeing a new breed of sportfishing yachts at the local harbor, where he worked as a deckhand cleaning commercial boats. These luxurious vessels seemed closer in composition to a pleasure craft than the blocky, durable fishing boats more commonly used for fishing in the open ocean.
The sportfisherman who arrived on these yachts told Hemingway-esque tales of enormous fish, some that got away, some that they caught, and the epic explorations that unfolded over hundreds of nautical miles during each chase. With these new, speedy sportfishing yachts able to withstand rough conditions and comfortably house the captain and his crew for consecutive days at sea, a new sport unfolded right before Jim's eyes, and hooked deeply into his passion for fishing.
It looked like the good life to Jim, and as a boy he set a goal to one day own a sportfishing yacht. Gradually, Jim earned a nice living as a restaurateur, but his heart eventually led him back to the waterfront, where for 10 years he own and operated the Fisherman's Wharf Marina in Rudee Inlet near Virginia Beach , Virginia . Jim spent his time away from the marina trolling the waters along North Carolina 's Outer Banks, soaking up the knowledge of the local sportfisherman he met, and the craftsman who designed the sportfishing yachts that people would come from around the world to purchase.
"When I was part of the Rudee Inlet scene, I had a chance to ride and fish on a lot of sportfishers, both production and Carolina customs," Jim said. "I also had the chance to ride in some nice Florida boats. I was able to experience a wide range of designs that worked and others that didn't work when it came to usability. When I was finally able to realize my dream of building my own boat, putting together all of my experiences, and the knowledge I gained along the way, I designed what I believe is the ultimate custom-built Carolina sportfishing yacht."
Today, every new Sculley Sportfisherman begins with Jim's original vision and ends with the personal preferences of the individual owner, no matter what the request may be.
“When you're building your dream boat you should never compromise – not one single inch, from fit to finish,” Jim said. “I feel extremely proud when we deliver a finished Sculley Sportfisherman to its new owner because I know it is a boat that I would love to own myself.”
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