Albemarle Boats and Spencer Sportfish Announce Start of Construction for 53 Project

Prior to the opening of the 2020 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, Albemarle Boats and Spencer Sportfish announced a newly formed partnership between the two companies and their plan to build a semi-custom 53 foot Carolina boat.  In the time since, design work has been completed, the Edenton facility has been made ready, the hull mold has been received and prepared, and the additional tooling is in process.  Today the company is proud to announce that construction of the first Albemarle 53 Spencer Edition will begin in August at Albemarle’s Edenton, NC facility.

Keith Privott, Albemarle Director of Sales and Product Development, commented on the project. “Our team is truly excited as many months of planning are now coming to life.  The 53 hull will be vacuum infused with vinylester resin and foam core, making it our strongest, yet lightest design to date.  The entire boat is loaded with innovative details and features that will set new standards in the world of sportfishing and allow our customers to go further and do more.”

The first 53 will be a flybridge design that will combine the classic Spencer styling with Albemarle quality and innovations.  The hull design will provide high cruise speeds with the seakeeping ability that both Albemarle and Spencer have long been known for.  Her interior will boast an open salon layout, three staterooms, and two heads.  An island helm arrangement, forward facing lounge, and bench seating will offer abundant seating and excellent visibility from the bridge.  The massive 160 square foot cockpit will feature a transom fishbox, transom door, and a mezzanine design with engine room access and molded boxes that can be customized to accommodate a variety of storage and refrigeration.

Spencer Sportfish President, Paul Spencer, stated, “While our custom boats have gotten increasingly larger in recent years, I have always appreciated boats in the 50 foot class and recognized their true competitive tournament ability.  This project is a return to our boatbuilding roots, and we are really looking forward to having this 53 footer to offer.”

A 3D rendering of the Albemarle 53 Spencer Edition, overhead interior and bridge layouts, and preliminary specifications are now available.

Located in Edenton, NC, Albemarle Boats, The Carolina Classic, is a highly-regarded builder of offshore sportfishing boats from 25 to 41 feet.  The company has hand-crafted more than 3800 hulls since 1978. Albemarle Boats has dealer locations throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia. 

Spencer Sportfish is located in Wanchese, NC.  The company is owned by Paul Spencer and family and was organized to build molded semi-custom boats.  The Spencer family’s well-known Spencer Yachts was founded in 1996 and has delivered more than 120 highly customized sportfishing boats to fishing destinations around the globe.