Broker Insight
Larger Gamefisherman Express boats are rarely for sale, but we found a few smaller models available. We spoke to the listing brokers to learn why they’re so attractive.
Capt. Frank Davis, Marcali Yacht Sales; www.marcaliyacht.com
“My listing, a 1993 Gamefisherman 34 Express, was actually built for the Hav-A-Tampa Cigar Company. I was the company captain back then and oversaw the entire build and delivery process. I believe this is Hull No. 3. I once took her to the Bahamas, and when I came back I called Mike Matlack, whom I know very well, to tell him what a great sea boat it is. I’ve run a lot of boats, but never one better than this in a following sea; I had 6- to 8-footers coming home, and she was just unbelievable. JustPerfect is powered by a couple of 250-horsepower Cummins 6BTA5.9s; she’s a 22- to 23-knot cruise, 26-knot boat. She has a half-tower, but what’s really neat is that when you go below, directly to starboard there’s a bench seat that converts to two wonderful bunks. The head is all the way forward, and there’s a small galley with a nice chill box. She’s now owned by an individual here on Boca Grande, who had her painted from the waterline up in 2010, and she’s always been docked under cover, which is why she shows like brand new. The owner has gone through her until she was absolutely perfect, including installing a new generator. He also owns a 60-foot Rybovich so he has a real appreciation of fine boats.”
Jimmy Fields, Tournament Yacht Sales; www.tournamentyachtsales.com
“My listing is one of the few 34 Expresses on the market, and the current owner put quite a lot of money into her when he bought her. He rebuilt her 3116 CATs in 2004, plus he’s given her a new paint job, cockpit freezer, enclosure, generator, tower, underwater lights— pretty much a complete makeover. So while GameOn is a 1993, she really is in Palm Beach condition. When Gamefisherman started building these boats a lot of them went on adventures to places like Hawaii and Bermuda where they caught a number of world-record fish. GameOn’s current owner, who lives in Tampa, is not what you would call a hardcore fisherman; he just likes to own a pretty boat. In any case, this is a real day boat, complete with a nice cuddy cabin and personally I think it really needs to live in the Pacific—somewhere like Guatemala or Costa Rica. It’s been set up really well for that kind of fishing, where you’re fairly close to deep water. It would probably do well in South Florida, too. It’s a fine sea boat, but maybe not the kind of boat that would be your first choice for the Northeast where it’s such a long run to the canyons. Whoever buys her will be someone who likes beautiful boats. She turns heads.”
Brad Buettner, Stan Miller Yachts; www.stanmilleryachts.com
“I actually bought this boat for myself on a whim. I originally saw the Gamefisherman 30-foot Express at one of the East Coast boat shows where I got to speak with Mike Matlack. I told him that because of its unique look and the fact that it’s a single diesel, I thought it would be an ideal Southern California boat to commute to and from Catalina, and for local fishing. When I was back in Florida three years ago I heard there was a 1998 for sale up in Maryland, so I went to see it. I just fell in love with the look, so I brought it out here to expose Gamefisherman to the west coast. The ride is really great—for a 30-foot boat on the Pacific coast, it’s ideal. Out here Gamefisherman is something of an oddity. When I’m on Catalina Island it’s nonstop people asking me about it, admiring the look, wondering about the economy and performance of its single diesel, and asking if Gamefisherman still makes it (unfortunately they don’t) and how much it costs. People really love this boat, just like I did when I first saw it. The 30 is not cold-molded; it’s vacuum-bagged Corecell, so it’s still very light. This is a real day boat. It has no head or galley, just a couple of berths forward. But it’s great for fishing or quick trips.”