Merritt Boat & Engine Works, sometimes abbreviated as Merritt's, is a yacht builder and boat yard headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida. Together with Rybovich, Merritt is respected as one of the most historically significant Florida custom sport fishing boat builders. Birth of the Sportfish In the 1930s and the 1940s, blue marlin and bluefin tuna were abundant in the waters of Cuba, Bimini and Cat Cay just a few miles off the Florida coast, targeted by fishermen such as Ernest Hemingway, and Habana Joe aboard his 1938 40-foot Wheeler named Pilar. Word spread quickly among fishermen around the world about the exciting new sport of big game fishing. Despite the growing popularity of the sport, however, the boats of the day were hardly ideal for the challenges of fighting the prized fish. Most boats utilized in those days were converted cabin cruisers and all were relatively slow and hard to maneuver. Merritt gained particular notoriety during the 1950s through the 1970s with its 37- and custom sport fishing boats, which, together with boats like those being built at the same time by Rybovich, gave birth to a new category of fishing yachts and helped fuel the growth of big game sportfishing in the United States and around the world. There is an active community of classic sport fishing boat enthusiasts who continue to restore, maintain and fish these boats around the globe. History After leaving their Long Island home in 1947, Franklin and Ennis Merritt purchased a tract of land on the Intracoastal Waterway in Pompano Beach, Florida. In 1948 Merritt Boat and Engine Works was born. The boatyard was set up primarily to maintain the Merritt's charter boats, in addition to other charter and drift boats in the area. The yard began building boats in 1955. The Merritt's sons, Buddy and Allen became involved, with buddy running the boat building division and Allen overseeing and administering the business. Soon after Buddy’s passing in 1971, a third generation Merritt took over the managing of the boatyard. Roy, the son of Allen and Millie Merritt had worked in the yard since his early teens. Today Roy Merritt runs the day-to-day operations at Merritt's. The 37 Footers An avid fisherman, Buddy Merritt built what he perceived to be the perfect fishing boat. The first of his 37-footers were totally lacking the luxuries taken for granted today. They were built for one purpose: