By Skip Lyshon
I recently took delivery of a 20-foot Crockett Boatworks center-console boat built by David Law in Jacksonville, Florida. My previous boats have been larger bay boats, including 22- and 25-foot models, which I primarily fished nearshore and offshore here near my home in Ft. Pierce, Florida. We also used both those models for family time, trailering all around Florida for family vacations. My kids grew up on bay boats.
With both kids now grown and gone I realized we no longer needed a 25-foot boat, and I could downsize a bit, so I sold the 25 and started the search for my next boat. I specifically searched for a “deeper” boat, one I can stand down in and not on like a bay boat. I also wanted a full transom with a pressurized livewell system as most of my fishing still takes place off the beach here, bump trolling live bait. I also wanted a fairly shallow-draft boat as I do fish the Indian River on occasion. The final requirement was a simple no frills, low maintenance boat.
I looked at quite a few different manufacturers and to be honest, never really found what I was searching for. These days it seems the trend in the marine manufacturing business is to add what used to be optional as standard. I was not looking for many of those used-to-be options, I really wanted plain and simple. I came across Crockett Boatworks on Facebook after they had posted a few pictures from the Jacksonville Boat Show. Those pictures really caught my eye, so I contacted David and liked what he had to say. We then spec’d out a boat, and I went to Jacksonville to see the operation and do a demo on the 20. The boat had most everything I was looking for, and I placed my order the same day.
David and his team at Crockett built the boat as ordered. I had AmeraTrail trailers build a trailer for it and I took delivery of the boat and trailer and delivered the boat to Lindsay Marine in Stuart, Florida. They would hang and rig the Yamaha engine and install the Garmin Kracken Trolling motor, along with a Garmin electronics package. I am very pleased with the boat as it rides well, is economical and fishes two-to-three people very well. It also catches fish!
About Crockett Boatworks
Captain David Law was born in the Keys and grew up in a commercial fisherman family. His father’s first commercial boat was named The Davy Crockett, a nickname that stuck with both him and his father, David Sr. His family then moved to Marco Island and owned a local Marina, where he learned how to build and refurbish boats.
After moving to Jacksonville over 20 years ago, Capt. David took his knowledge and love of boats and fishing to continue his adventures with friends and his children. He soon noticed a need for smaller offshore and near-shore boats that could cut through the choppy waters and be highly functional for all fishing capabilities yet still look beautiful. He took his knowledge from reading house plans, as a contractor, to reading naval architectural plans, and created his ideal center console. Vision became reality in his first piece of art, the 20-foot Crockett.
