Bob Dougherty, Everglades Boats

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jimh
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Bob Dougherty, Everglades Boats

Postby jimh » Sun Sep 23, 2018 1:09 pm

A long-running television show, "Nuts and Bolts of Fishing," has an archive of old programs available for streaming. Among them I found a show from several years ago in which the show visited the EVERGLADES boat plant, and the episode contained an interview on camera with Bob Dougherty. The segment with Bob was short, but it was wonderful to hear Bob's Boston accent again. I had the pleasure of meeting Bob and having lunch with him at the Miami International Boat Show quite a few years ago.

The program includes a tour of the Everglades production facility in Florida, and shows some elements of how Everglades boats are taken from Bob's design concepts to actual boats. To stream the program, visit

https://vimeopro.com/user62620619/nuts- ... /205815585

To skip the introductory material and go to the Everglades Boats segment, scrub ahead to 6:22 in the time line.

This program was produced several years ago, obviously prior to Bob's passing in 2016. Here is an obituary for Bob published on the website of the funeral home that handled the services:

    Robert Joseph Dougherty age 85, formerly of Hingham MA., passed away peacefully on March 23, 2016.

    Beloved husband for over 50 years to Barbara Concetta Dougherty, Brother of William R. Dougherty Jr., Loving Father of Robert J. Dougherty Jr. and fiancé Priscilla Carter, Stephen E. Dougherty and wife Sarah N. Dougherty, Laura L. Dougherty, Gail Martin and husband Clarence Martin.

    Cherished Grandfather of Jon D. Schaab Jr., Zachary R. Schaab, Nicholas A. Schaab, Erin E. Dougherty, Ryan N. Dougherty, Graycen L. Dougherty, Jacob R. Dougherty, Ricky D. Martin, Danielle E. Meyer, Melissa R. Chevez and Joseph W. Martin.

    Boating Industry Icon, Bob Dougherty, was an Industrial Arts teacher in Boston until 1959. Bob met Dick Fisher of Boston Whaler who hired him as Chief Designer in 1960. He designed every Boston Whaler from 1960 to 1990, was involved in the development of an unsinkable hull and created the first “V” shaped Whaler hull during his 30 year tenure. He relocated Boston Whaler’s production facility from Rockland, Massachusetts to Edgewater, Florida in 1987.

    After leaving Boston Whaler, Bob and his son Stephen, founded Edgewater Powerboats in 1990 developing a whole new line of unsinkable boats. Selling his majority interest in Edgewater in 1995, Bob and Stephen founded R.J. Dougherty Associates Inc., in 1996. They started building fiberglass parts for other boat companies and invented the RAMCAP process. This new process for building hardtops led to their reputation as the best manufacturers of hardtops in the industry. The RAMCAP process won the 1999 NMMA Innovation Award for a new process in the marine industry.

    In 2001 Bob and Stephen started Everglades Boats and began building boats again using their patented RAMCAP process. In 2002 they won their second NMMA Innovation Award for the 230CC Flats Boat. Bob designed and introduced the revolutionary 243CC Bay Boat in 2004 which today continues to be their biggest seller. The 290 Pilot introduced in 2005 won Bob’s third NMMA Innovation Award within a six year period. His final hull design, Everglades’s new Flagship 435CC was revealed in 2014. This was a fitting end to a monumental career and has proven to be wildly successful. Bob’s son Rob and daughter Laura continue to work proudly under his name at Everglades Boats.

    Bob is considered to be one of the world’s foremost experts on unsinkable boats. One national magazine nicknamed him “Mr. Unsinkable”. A tremendous impact on the Volusia County economy, Bob helped create over 1,000 boating industry jobs in Edgewater. One of his favorite sayings was “Best Regards”, a fishing term for good luck or good fortune”. A highly intelligent, influential, loving man, Bob will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by all who knew him. His legacy will live on.

dtmackey
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Re: Bob Dougherty, Everglades Boats

Postby dtmackey » Sun Sep 23, 2018 10:09 pm

My hat is off to Bob Dougherty and he's a legend in the boat community. I remember when Whaler moved from Rockland to Florida, and he was discussed as a legend back then.

D-

ConB
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Location: Suttons Bay, MI

Re: Bob Dougherty, Everglades Boats

Postby ConB » Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:01 pm

I see John Ward is now CEO of Everglades.

His history at Boston Whaler makes that interesting. Ward was at a Whaler owners gathering along with a few more Whaler employees at Irish Boat Shop in Charlevoix, Michigan. They actually wanted to know what owners were thinking.

Con
!987 Outrage 18 / 2011 Yamaha F150
1969 13 / 30hp Johnson tiller

msirof2001
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Re: Bob Dougherty, Everglades Boats

Postby msirof2001 » Tue Sep 25, 2018 12:06 am

John Ward was VP-Sales at Whaler in 1995 when I got my new 1995 OUTRAGE 21. Met him at Los Angeles boat show around February 1995. Enthusiastic and nice guy.

I personally thought the Everglades boats were a continuation of the trajectory that the Whaler OUTRAGE line was on during the later Dougherty years at Whaler. So in 2017, I certainly looked at Whaler, Grady, Pursuit, Edgewater, etc., but it was the Everglades, confirming my hunches that made it easy for me to make a decision. Now a little over a year with my Everglades 295cc and I am amazed how sturdy thus thing is in the ocean. I was heading into a 2-4ft short period swell with 15-20kt wind. Looked down at the GPS and saw I was doing 26-28kts. Didn't realize I was going that fast. Boat took it in stride. Thanks Bob!
Current: 2017 Everglades 295cc, Previous1: 1995 Boston Whaler Outrage 21, Previous2: 1974 Sevylor Caravelle 3-man liferaft.