HISTORY OF BOB HEWES BOATS

In the 1920s Bob Hewes’ father was a Packard dealer in Waukegan Illinois, but his passion was boat design and boat racing. After the 29 stock market crash the senior Hewes lost his automobile business then became a Johnson parts distributor and moved his family to Miami for year around boating. He opened a small boat and outboard shop at Biscayne Boulevard, and a few years later moved to the Miami River. After the war the Hewes family became a Chris Craft and Mercury outboard dealer. When Bob Hewes got out of the Navy in 1945 he went back to work for his father running the shop and the parts department. In 1955 Mercury wanted more Dade County representation so the family opened the current location in North Miami and Bob ran the 7th Avenue store. It was here in North Miami Bob Hewes met a world champion fly fisherman named Lefty Kreh. Lefty invited Bob to go Bone fishing and in those days there were no flats boats. Lefty fished with a 13′ Boston Whaler. It was after this experience Bob thought that there needs to be a better way to get bone fish.

At that time Bob manufactured two fiberglass boat models, one was called the Tarpon and the other was a Wildcat. Most boats were made of wood and the trend toward fiberglass was just beginning. It was from the Wildcat and the Tarpon that Bob invented the first true flats boat. There is a Hewes Tarpon and a Hewes Wildcat in the boat yard to this day as a part of Bob’s collection. The original Hewes boats were designed for skiing since Bob’s daughter was a national champion skier and skied at Cypress Gardens. The first Bonefisher had a 14″ draft but after some modifications Bob got the draft down to nine inches. That was back in the 60s and of course many changes have taken place since that time.

One of the guides that fished the Hewes Bonefisher was captain Bill Curtis who is still around today giving fishing seminars at Outdoor World in Broward County, Florida. It was Bill Curtis that went to Bob Hewes and suggested that he build something to get up and see the fish and to be able to pole from and it was then the poling tower was invented by Bob with input from captain Curtis. A few years ago Bob Hewes sold his Hialeah manufacturing plant to the Maverick Boat Company which continues to modify and improve upon what Bob Hewes invented and built thanks to a fishing trip with Lefty Kreh. Other boat companies have come and gone since the sport has become so popular, but the Hewes is still the boat all others are measured by.

In fact it was Bob Hewes, his dad, and some of his fellow dealers that got together and invented this thing called the Miami Boat Show.