By John Brownlee
Heath Daughtry spent many years working at Yellowfin Yachts in Sarasota, Florida. He initially oversaw the small boat division at Yellowfin, supervising the construction of all models between 17 and 26 feet, and he later became the VP of Sales for the entire company. When he left Yellowfin in 2024, he put that extensive expertise to use by opening a repair and renovation operation in Palmetto, Florida, named simply “The Shop.” Daughtry obviously had deep relationships with owners who had purchased Yellowfins over the years, and it became a natural fit for those owners to bring their boats to him for an update.
“In the beginning, people brought us boats to do simpler tasks like repowering,” Daughtry said. “But once we started looking into these older boats, it would usually turn into something more, the old ‘Let’s fix this and that while we’re here’ thing.” Simple repower projects often turned into complete makeovers on older boats, everything from replacing the fuel tanks, to new electronics, upholstery, paint, the works.
Daughtry partnered with a fellow Yellowfin veteran, Adam Miller, another craftsman known for his thorough and meticulous approach to such projects, and The Shop quickly gained a reputation as the go-to place to get your Yellowfin rehabbed. And while they don’t only work on Yellowfins as a rule, in reality, that has become the bulk of their business.
Daughtry and Miller take a holistic approach to a project, using tactics like cutting out whole sections of deck, including several inches up into the sides of the liner, to gain better access to remove fuel tanks and replace them with new ones. When they glass those sections back down, they redo the non-skid on the entire deck for a seamless finish, as if nothing ever happened.
They have custom glass companies to replace windshields and custom metal shops to create innovative pipework. If you can envision it, they can probably make it happen. Give them a call if your boat could use a little rehab too!
Heath Daughtry
The Shop Marine Services
(941) 779-4241
Heath@shopmarineservice.com
