A Good Day at Michael Rybovich & Sons

It has been shaping up to be just another busy morning at Michael Rybovich & Sons boatyard on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

But then, what appears to be a stray tiger cat comes racing down the dock, makes a flying leap aboard the spanking new 62' PERLAMAR, and dashes across the cockpit for the open engineroom companionway.

“Grab that cat!” shouts 37-year-old Dusty Rybovich.

His brother, Alex Gill, age 36, bolts aboard the sportfishing boat in pursuit.

Dusty and Alex are the fourth generation of the Rybovich family’s boatbuilding dynasty. The storied designer and builder Michael Rybovich (of generation three) is nearly 70, and he has handed over the day-to-day operations of the family business to his two sons. These days he roams the yard consulting with more than 40 employees working on dozens of projects. Currently, there are no fewer than five custom cold-molded sportfishing yachts under construction, ranging from 42' to 84' LOA, and an equal number of repair jobs.

As Rybovich customers, visitors, and that crazy cat could tell you, there’s something old-school about Michael Rybovich & Sons. This ain’t no factory. It’s a family business, pure and complicated. Dusty, a trained naval architect, works on the endless tweaks to design and engineering choices and manages the flow of materials and sub-contractors. Alex oversees the proper installation and operation of the mechanical and electrical systems on the customers’ boats.

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