Capt. Bob Massey and His Duffy 31: A Downeast Classic in Stuart, Florida

On mornings when sailfish are striking offshore, the fuel docks at Manatee Pocket near the St. Lucie Inlet in Stuart, Florida, become a whirlwind of activity. Private and charter boats jostle for gas, ice and bait before heading out to deep water. Center consoles with triple and quad outboards roar as skippers finish last-minute preparations.

Amid that chaos, Capt. Bob Massey—who has worked around boats for roughly 80 years—guides the bow of his Maine-built Duffy 31, The Ralf, toward the fuel dock with practiced calm. His wake makes a narrow white line as he eases the single Yanmar diesel out of gear. Near the piling he reverses the propeller and the port side of The Ralf slips alongside the dock in a soft, controlled landing.

The Duffy’s Downeast styling stands apart from the modern center-console fleet. Its profile, rooted in commercial lobster-boat tradition, draws admiring glances for its classic lines rather than flashy, contemporary hardware. “I’m a traditional guy,” Bob says. That preference for classic design and practical engineering defines why the Duffy 31 suits him.

Bob’s earliest memories are of boatyards on the New Jersey shore. His father bought a wooden boat in the fall of 1941, and Bob learned varnishing, bottom painting and the rhythm of maintenance work at Morton Johnson boatyard in Bay Head. He rose from bottom painting and topsides work to varnishing, then moved into sales at Comstock Boat Works, a prominent dealer of Pacemaker and Alglas boats. Later stints at Navesink Yacht Sales and Nauvoo Marina gave him wider exposure to design and market trends.

Working with naval architect Dave Martin, Bob helped develop what became the Ocean Yachts 40+2 trawler. Based on an out-of-production Pacemaker mold, the design featured an overhanging stern to reduce squat and extended bottom lines that integrated with the swim platform—hence the “+2.” With twin 160-hp Perkins diesels the trawler could reach about 15.4 knots and offered a comfortable, seaworthy ride for extended cruising.

That experience with both power and sail led Bob to another project: the Atlantic City 24 catboat. After discovering a nearly wrecked Marshall Sanderling, he and Martin created a 24-foot catboat introduced in 1980. The first hull combined a fiberglass centerboard keel and a gaff rig with 452 square feet of sail, plus sleeping space for several people. Bob sailed often with his wife, Ralf, and seeing them on the water helped build interest; eventually 53 hulls were built by Mark-O Custom Boats.

In 1985 Bob left Navesink Yacht Sales and launched Massey Yacht Sales & Service at Winter Yacht Basin on Barnegat Bay, with a branch at the Channel Club Marina in Monmouth Beach. He carried Post and Egg Harbor models, as well as Jefferson and Pace yachts. Unusually for a dealer, he would accept sailboats in trade for powerboats and made a point of teaching customers safe-boating practices. Many clients returned to buy and sell boats with him through the years.

After retiring in 1995 and relocating to Stuart, Florida, Bob owned a 28-foot Cape Dory but eventually tired of the constant varnish upkeep. He sold it and chose the Duffy 31 for its low maintenance, seaworthiness and single-engine simplicity. The Duffy 31 was designed by Spencer Lincoln in 1983 for builder Richard Duffy; more than fifty of these Downeast-style boats have been launched. The Ralf is a 2013 hull built by Atlantic Boat Company in Brooklin, Maine.

The Duffy 31’s raked entry, continuous sheerline and modest tumblehome create an elegant, conservative look. The semi-displacement hull features a graceful reverse curve below the waterline, and the Yanmar sits low in the bilge so an engine box is unnecessary. With a 315-hp Yanmar, The Ralf cruises comfortable at 15–16 knots at 3,000 rpm and can approach 25 knots at higher rpm.

For Bob, a single reliable diesel made sense: simplicity, easier maintenance and dependable performance offshore. The Duffy’s roomy deck layout and protected prop and rudder suit both offshore trips—where the Gulf Stream lies roughly 12 miles east of the St. Lucie Inlet—and shallow inshore waters where grounding is possible. An enclosed helm and a small cuddy cabin provide comfort for cruising as well as fishing and lobstering.

Finding a used Duffy can take time since each boat is unique, but Bob learned of this hull through another boater and hauled The Ralf south from Connecticut. He now uses the boat for recreation and community support—working with the Florida Oceanographic Society and participating with Operation 300, a nonprofit that organizes fishing trips for children who lost a father in military service.

After decades of sanding and varnishing, Bob appreciates the simpler upkeep: “No more varnish,” he says, and enjoys the mix of fishing, cruising and community service that makes for a rewarding boating life.

Specifications

LOA: 31’0”
LWL: 29’3”
Beam: 11’0”
Draft: 3’0”
Fuel: 130 gals.
Water: 50 gals.
Power: (1) 315-hp Yanmar diesel

This article was originally published in the August 2024 issue.