When people talk about boats in sportfishing circles, a handful of builders tend to dominate the discussion. Boats from East Coast manufacturers (specifically from the Outer Banks, the Jersey Shore, or Southeast Florida), make up the vast majority of brands you’ll encounter offshore on any given day.
The outskirts of the Mojave Desert may seem like the least likely place for a boat builder to set up operations. Yet that’s exactly where, in 1990, Mike Howarth produced highly regarded game boats, starting with the Cabo Yachts brand, through 2006. In 2015, Howarth began a venture with his son Barrett in Hesperia, California, building the visually stunning Mag Bay Yachts brand. Offering four models from 33 to 43 feet, this brand has been turning heads on the East Coast and it is firmly establishing a foothold in the extremely competitive and brand-loyal large center console market.
For Jim Donovan—an avid sportsman who splits his fishing time between Jupiter, Florida and Cape Cod, Massachusetts—a large center console has proven to be the perfect fit for his fishing style. One snag for Donovan, however, was finding a model offering suitable range for extended trips to the East Coast canyons (a series of bathymetric features at the ocean floor that run along the Atlantic coast from the mid-Atlantic through Cape Cod) and the Bahamas. After some time spent on another luxury brand’s 40-footer that offered comfort and fishability but suffered in the fuel economy and range department, Donovan had a chance to sea trial a Mag Bay 38—a model that made the cut in every department. Most importantly, the 38-footer provided him with more than 500 miles of range.
What might impress the casual observer more than the vessel’s range is Mag Bay Yachts’ impeccable finish work and painstaking attention to detail. This custom boat’s aesthetics reflect many hours of craftsmanship. Details like graceful lines in polished stainless pipe work and faux teak toe rails immediately catch the eye, while small items like hardware’s perfectly aligned polished screwheads illustrate the care that goes into each build and speaks to a more seasoned owner.
Mag Bay Yachts’ construction is state-of-the-art and reflects the work ethic of a family of craftsmen with years of experience working together—not to mention their commitment to creating custom vessels built to last a lifetime. Their boats offer the ride of a larger sportfishing yacht; at 20,000 pounds loaded, they feel sturdy and solidly put together without any of the rattles and flex often felt at high speed on many center consoles. This was an important detail for Donovan, who is often faced with a 100-mile return to land from offshore when the weather turns nautical.
With just a few Mag Bay Yachts in our local waters, you’ll do a double take when you see one—for now. With a newly opened dealer office at Jupiter Yacht Club, expect more of these beautiful vessels on our local waterways in the near future.
Power File
- Length: 38 feet, 6 inches
- Beam: 11 feet
- Draft: 2 feet, 6 inches
- Deadrise: 24 degrees
- Fuel: 595 gallons
- Max HP: 1,275
George LaBonte is a professional captain and a world-class angler who has run a local charter fishing operation for 40 years. He has hosted acclaimed boating-related TV shows that aired nationally, as well as a popular radio show on ESPN. (edgesportfishing.com; youtube.com/@georgelabonteoutdoors)
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