Island Boat Works

06/16/2026

Seakeeper just significantly reduced prices on their remanufactured 6, 9, and 16 gyro stabilizers so if you were thinking about installing one now is the time. Full warranty is available. We are a Seakeeper dealer, installer and maintenance provider. Call or text me at (252) 216-6291 for your estimate.

We are the world leader in boat gyro stabilization technology. Check out our Seakeeper gyro stabilizers & see how we've transformed the boating experience.

06/07/2026

Shane and Hunter Brafford on the 65 ft Island Boat Works "Marsh Madness" won the Dolphin category of the Ladies Big Rock yesterday with a 53+ pound bull worth $123,420!!! Congrats guys on your continuing success.

05/07/2026

We finished a major refit on the 55 ft Ricky Scarborough “Lisa Jo” last month and she went down to Abacos Bahamas immediately for family time billfishing before heading back home to Orange Beach AL yesterday.

We had about 50 items on the work list including:

remove cockpit deck and install new fuel tanks with fuel bladder quick disconnects and repair and refinishing hull structure underneath

remove shafts and struts, check shafts at WB and rebed and reinstall everything

new exhaust hoses and engine room ladder

repair, paint and letter transom

remove 2 small Quick gyros and install Seakeeper 10 gyro

reinstall cockpit deck, teak and repaint

blast bottom clean, remove worm shoe, glass keel, fair bottom smooth, apply barrier coat and Petit Black Widow teflon bottom paint on the running surface and Petit Trinidad XSR on the transom and sides in the Carolina Coat configuration (picked up about 2 knots at cruise speed)

refinish all teak brightwork and salon door

remove rubrail and repair followed with new Monel screws to help eliminate rust drips

electrical and mechanical repairs and improvements

install new forward deck hatch

We have openings for your boat projects starting next month. Call or text me at (252) 216-6291 to discuss.

03/26/2026

We just finished a full paint job top to bottom, new teak decking on the mezzanine, and about 20 other work items on the 60 ft Guthrie boat “Annie O” out of Atlantic Beach, NC. She’s splashing today and getting ready for the blue marlin to show up hopefully next month.

We have openings inside our 18,000 sq ft main building starting 2 weeks from now as well as outdoor yard space for projects that can be done outside or short and long term storage for boats up to 120 ft long. We have boat ramps to haul and launch boats up to 38 ft wide including the huge multihull sail and power boats.

We are certified dealers and factory trained installers and maintenance providers for Seakeeper stabilization systems and Dometic Optimus electronic steering systems, and can handle all your refit, repower, repaint, refinish and repair needs at our Wanchese, NC location or travel to your boat location.

Contact Charley Pereira at (252) 216-6291 to discuss your boat work needs.

03/06/2026

We are now a Dometic Optimus Electronic Steering factory trained dealer, installer and maintenance provider. We have installed two Optimus systems in the past year and just finished one on the 60 ft Guthrie charter boat “Spray” for Capt. Harold “Smitty” Smith. Come see us in Wanchese NC for all your Dometic needs or we can come to your slip or other locations with our service truck. Call or text us at (252) 216-6291.

02/26/2026

We are now a Seakeeper dealer with Full Service factory training and equipment for installation and maintenance. We have installed a Seakeeper 9 and two 10’s, with another 10 on order.

We just finished a couple months of Seakeeper 10 and other work on the Smoker charter boat originally built by Irving Forbes:

CAT engine and gear removal, rebuild, reinstall

Genset removal and new CAT genset installation in side location to make room for Seakeeper on centerline

Frame, stringer, and bulkhead structural reinforcement to handle Seakeeper installation and loads

Additional frame and stringer repairs throughout engine room

Engine room and lazarette paint work

Major rewire helm station to engine room including removal of all old unused wires and components

Installation of new Seakeeper 10

Installation of new USCG fire-rated fuel hoses front to back with stainless steel hose ends and fittings

Installation and painting of new integrated house handrails on sides of house for crew safety walking fore and aft

Steering system repairs

New headliner installation in salon

Cockpit box repairs and paint work

Thank you Brynner and Frank!!! Time for bloody deck and dock.

Give us a call or text at 252-216-6291 to book your boat work big or small, Seakeeper, repower, mezzanine or paint job.

10/02/2025

Sushi boat getting it done…

38 knots at 1850 rpm and 55% load

09/19/2025

The 2025 summer tournament season saw 3 of the 20 Island Boat Works boats do well.

Jason's 57 ft Pay Dirt (originally Biddy) opened up the OC Marlin Club's Canyon Kickoff with a 1st Place Stringer category and 2nd Place Heaviest Tuna category.

Our 57 ft Sushi took 2nd Place Stringer in the OC Tuna Tournament and 1st Place Dolphin in the MidAtlantic Tournament.

The 65 ft Marsh Madness (originally Jester) has been hot on the billfish the past couple years and peaked at the right time with a 878 lb Heaviest Blue Marlin in the Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament! Shane and crew are currently at 41 blue marlin, 33 white marlin, and 61 sailfish for 2025.

Congrats to everyone on these boats for their efforts this year and for keeping us on the boards another year here in the mid Atlantic tournament circuit!

08/18/2025

We have yard space available with electric and water hookups for anyone looking to haul out for this hurricane. Call or text me at (252) 216-6291.

06/05/2025

So who’s ready to build the 21st new IBW? I just pulled out the old drawings including this set for the 57. We have built eight 57 footers so far. Plans available for all IBWs built to date up to 65 ft. We are finishing up two big projects this month and are ready to start a new boat.

The MAN V12 1550 hp up to 2200 hp common rails will fit in the 57 IBW no problem as they are considerably smaller and lighter than the C32 1652 hp HEUI motors in my 57 IBW Sushi boat. Mine cruises at 32 kts at 1600 rpm and 45-50% load at 76-80 gph depending on seas. At 1950 rpm she does 40-41 kts. She has seen a max of 48.9 kts wot at 2330 rpm and 100% load with ZF 2070A 1.5:1 gear and VEEM SFI 5 blade props.

Of course smaller engines like C18s will push the 57 just fine at 30+ kts cruise as well and save you hundreds of thousands of dollars on build cost. Ken’s Outlaw boat is a proven example of that.

$150k deposit to cut jigs and order the hull materials. Under construction this summer to your completion specs.

Call or text me at (252) 216-6291.

Charley Pereira