A Family Tradition
Born in 1947 in the small fishing village of Wanchese, North Carolina, Ricky Scarborough did what seemed natural: commercial fishing, hunting, and building boats. Boats and boating were not just a hobby but a way of life. Determining what made a boat sit the way it does in the water, ride the way it should, and look the way it should all but consumed him.
In 1977 Scarborough, in need of a worthy vessel to commercial fish in but without the funds to purchase one, did what came natural and built his own in the downstairs portion of his home. When he began, a fellow fisherman approached Scarborough and asked to purchase the boat, but Ricky needed it for the summer season himself. He agreed to sell it come fall and then began another. (In 2007 Ricky purchased it back after a 30 year wait). That was the start of what has been over 32 years and 80+ custom projects from 25' to 85', with the majority between 50' and 75'. No one in North Carolina and few anywhere have built more custom projects over the same time period.
In 1978 Ricky built his first shop on the water in Wanchese at the same location that he now continues operations. It has since been added onto numerous times to accommodate ever larger vessels. Scarborough Boat Works now consists of three separate shops containing four production bays and a metal working facility.
In 1993 Ricky Jr. came to work for his father after receiving a business degree from East Carolina University and has been an apprentice ever since. In 2006 Ricky's youngest son Heath came on board after finishing trade school as a machinist and welder. Heath instantly became a valuable asset by adding his metal working skills to enable Scarborough Boat Works to build everything from fuel tanks and engine mounts to custom racks, corner hawsers, and much more.
