Bluewater Sportfishing Boats, Inc. has recruited a well known industry veteran to spearhead its sales and marketing efforts, and is broadening its focus to include inshore fishing boats, the Fort Pierce, Florida-based manufacturer of custom offshore center console fishing boats announced today.

Mike Carrigan, Sr. has been named as Bluewater’s new director of sales and marketing, and has been tasked with spearheading the company’s push to expand its network of marine marketing partners.


Carrigan arrives at Bluewater with nearly 50 years of marine industry experience. He is perhaps best known for his 21-year stint with Pro-Line Boats. As Pro-Line’s Southeast, Pacific Coast, and Great Lakes regional sales manager, Carrigan was responsible for the majority of the company’s sales volume. He was heavily involved in dealer and retail sales, customer service, and product development efforts, and was an integral component of the company’s overall success. Under Carrigan’s guidance, Pro-Line grew to claim the title of the largest-volume saltwater fishing boat brand in the industry.



“Mike’s lifetime of experience in the industry, at both the manufacturing and retail levels, will significantly enhance our efforts as we expand our focus and grow our business,” said Bluewater’s president and CEO Paul Skilowitz. “He is well known and well liked among dealers and retail customers, he intuitively understands our market, and we’re thrilled to have him on our team.”



“Bluewater is a special kind of company with a customer-friendly mentality that is pretty unique in the boat business,” explained Carrigan. “As a lifelong boat salesman, I hate having to tell customers ‘no’ almost as much as they hate hearing it. At Bluewater, Paul Skilowitz doesn’t tell his customers no, and they love him for it. Paul has built a business that thrives on custom work, and offers choices most others don’t. I am eager to acquaint my friends in the industry with Bluewater. I think they will be pleasantly surprised at the ease of doing business with Paul, and that they will find the company’s consumer focus to be very refreshing.”



Bluewater also announced its intent to target the inshore saltwater fishing boat market, with an entire new line of “Flats n’ Bay” models currently being developed. Like Bluewater’s existing offshore offerings, the company has designed its new inshore Flats n’ Bay series models to be available in multiple configurations, with a surprisingly broad range of factory-offered options.

The Bluewater 16’ Flats n’ Bay will debut at the 2012 Miami International Boat Show in two versions: One features a totally unobstructed foredeck that is free of hatches, hardware, or other snag points that could potentially interfere with casting. To achieve this without sacrificing valuable storage space, Bluewater situated an access hatch in the vertical wall at the aft edge of the foredeck. The second 16’ displayed at Miami will feature a forward anchor locker and a roomy dry storage compartment easily accessed beneath a foredeck hatch. Both versions feature a large livewell and below-deck storage aft.



Likewise, two different 18’ Flats n’ Bay versions will be shown in Miami, each with a different deck arrangement: One will feature recessed rod racks tucked away beneath the gunnels, and two large dry storage bins forward. The other will feature locking rod storage concealed beneath deck hatches, one large dry storage bin forward, and a secondary forward livewell in lieu of the second storage bin. Both configurations receive the same treatment aft, including a roomy livewell engineered with proper inlets and drains to preserve bait life, a release well, and a large, dry storage bin.



In addition to the four new Flats n’ Bay models being introduced at the Miami show, Bluewater plans to introduce two 21-foot and two 23-foot models in 2012. There will be console options with or without integrated forward cooler/seat, as well as a tower option for the 23’, making it ideal for tarpon fishing.



Since 1997, Bluewater Boats has steadily gained customers and grown its business by adhering to three core principles: build the best riding, most durable center consoles afloat; offer customers the flexibility to customize their boats to match their priorities; and work to create an unparalleled buying and ownership experience. At its Fort Pierce, Florida factory, Bluewater manufactures six deep-vee offshore center console fishing boat models ranging in size from 21’ to 35’, and is currently adding eight new Flats n’ Bay inshore models ranging from 16’ to 23’