TREASURE COAST BOATING
SPORT BOATS
57
GREG GARDNER
A completely different division is Dragonfly Coatings where customers can
dip just about anything to paint it with the pattern of their choice. Owner
Mark Castlow shows off a camouflaged rifle stock.
anchor drops straight down. Built to order, the boards average
$2,800 while the boats can cost from $13,000 to $60,000.
“Our design is unique,” said Castlow. “Most paddleboards
come from surfboards. We have increased stability and effectiveness
in the fishing environment. Entry into shallow water
is quiet so you don’t spook the fish as they are susceptible to
noise. It slices through the water instead of slapping it. The
water flows along the side of the board.”
The Dragonfly motto is “Building one of a kind, one at a time.”
Co-owner Jimbo Meador was a kayak designer before coming
to Dragonfly. “Native Americans such as the Seminoles
paddled and fished in dugouts. Our boards have a concave
deck that lowers your center of gravity. The fish don’t know
you are there. Standing up you can see so much better. You can
cover so much more ground and focus on fly-fishing. It beats
wading. Until now, people were missing a whole other world.
Birders can get into tight places without spooking the birds.”
Dragonfly has also built a folding boat for people who
want a larger boat but want to keep it in the garage. The bow
folds back toward the stern.
After 13 years of producing fishing expos, Castlow has a
pretty good idea of what people want from a flats boat. He
describes his shows as “top shelf,” with national and regional
presenters of programs on education, instruction and conservation.
“It gave me exposure to a lot of people,” he said. “I gained
a lot of knowledge of what people need from a fishing boat.”
He knows that outdoorsmen from the Texas Gulf Coast,
mid-Atlantic states, Northeast and Florida all have different
needs in a boat. In Texas, duck hunters go through shallow
waters, often poling the boat, to get to a special spot where
they can wade up to their necks. In South Carolina, fishermen >>
Est. 2013 — 1st Craft Brewery on the Treasure Coast
• enjoy local
handcrafted beer
• Live music
• Beer Garden
featuring games
Hours: Tuesday THru Friday 4-11pm, saTurday 12-11pm, sunday 12-7pm
• Fire pit
HisToric downTown ForT pierce | 407 norTH second sTreeT | 772.242.8697 | sailfishbrewingco.com
/www.sailfishbrewingco.com
/sailfishbrewingco.com