Sportfishtrader offers the best selection of Jim Smith Boats For Sale. Jim Smith Custom Sportfishing Boats are some of the most efficient boats built using Cold-molded wood construction, allowing for lightweight and long-range fishing.
Jim Smith Boats History
James Smith is the Founder of Jim Smith Boats and was born in 1906 in Georgia. In only the sixth grade James decided to quit school and support the family by getting a job cutting wood. Jim's first experiences on the water were racing boats when 20mph was considered fast (These days a sportfish is expected to top out at almost double that!). After a while of building and racing hydroplanes, James Smith turned his experience and skills into some very successful businesses including one of the biggest Johnson Outboard and Chris Craft Dealerships in the entire South! After retiring in 1949, Smith did a ton of deep-sea/offshore fishing, where he became more familiar with the sportfishing boat builders of that time (Merritt and Rybovich). Although Smith liked everything he saw in those builds he wanted something a bit faster, and that's when the Sportfishing Boat changed into what we know today!
The biggest Jim Smith Boat built to date is the 105 foot "Marlena". The Marlena was launched in 2014 with a beam of 23ft and powered by Twin 2400hp MTU 16V2000 M93 Motors. She boats a top speed of 46 knots, which is unbelievable for a boat of her size. Fueling this 105ft speedster is a tank that holds 3300 Gallons.