Where It All Began: The Grit Behind Randy Ramsey’s Rise

Forty years after founding Jarrett Bay Boatworks, Randy Ramsey’s story is still unfolding. Cruise along as we share Randy’s unassuming startup days to how he helped shape the modern sportfishing industry. This series traces the evolution of his business, his perspective on leadership, and the enduring partnership with ZF that has supported him all along the way.

It’s fair to say that Randy Ramsey is a living legend. The sportfishing pioneer and founder of Jarrett Bay Boatworks has built a decades-long legacy rooted in coastal North Carolina—one that extends far beyond the Outer Banks community that first shaped his path. While many versions of his story have been told, this series offers a look with glimpses of the ZF technology supporting him along the way.

What stands out just as much as Randy’s influence today is his beginning. His story is grounded in something simple but powerful—hard work, honesty, and a genuine investment in the people around him. He has always understood the value of relationships, and that down-to-earth approach has remained a constant throughout his career.

“I thought that the opportunity to go fishing every day and take different customers to go see the wonders of the world, potentially catch a few fish along the way—and maybe even get paid—was pretty exciting.”

Randy Ramsey

Growing up in Harkers Island, North Carolina, home to a tight-knit and highly skilled boat-building community, Randy found himself in the right place to explore that ambition. With guidance from his neighbor, the well-known boat builder Burgess Lewis, he built his first skiff using just two sheets of plywood and a few pieces of juniper.

On his 18th birthday, Randy took the test for his captain’s license—and ran a charter the very next day, becoming the only person at the time to do so. But as he quickly learned, passion didn’t always guarantee stability.

“Nobody told me you couldn’t make a living running a charter boat.”

Undeterred, Randy picked up a range of jobs during the off season—from working in his father’s convenience store to helping run a pinball machine business—anything that would allow him to keep pursuing charters. Time spent at Harris Boatworks with Myron “Ace” Harris not only provided income, but also invaluable lessons for the years ahead.

“We set out to build just one boat and convinced ourselves we could do it and wow, wow did we learn how hard it was.”

They began construction on their first boat, Sensation, in December 1986 and completed it in February 1987. Despite its humble origins, the boat is still charter fishing today—after a few upgrades over the years.

“We didn’t think we would be in the boat-building business. We set out to build one boat to be more competitive [with charters]. I thought maybe it was a way to not have to work in a convenience store. That boat then cost less than $100K—the boats we build today cost $6M–$10M.”

Randy Ramsey

It wasn’t until their fourth build that Randy began to see a larger future take shape. Commissioned by a local businessman and named Builder’s Choice, the boat marked an important step forward—not only in craftsmanship, but in performance, with the inclusion of ZF gears.

That same customer also recognized that the team’s makeshift workspace didn’t match their talent. After rain once washed fresh paint off his project inside the tin shed, the customer stepped in, purchasing land for multiple other facilities for Randy’s crew and continuing to invest in the business. His support came with a simple condition: repay the loans when possible. It was a gesture of trust that Randy never took lightly.

The relationship grew into a lasting partnership, with the customer commissioning five more boats of the same caliber, also with ZF gears, and becoming one of Randy’s earliest legacy clients.

The Future Takes Shape

By 1993, Randy made a defining decision—he sold his charter boat and committed to building boats full-time, still using ZF propulsion equipment. Five years later, in 1998, he relocated to Beaufort, North Carolina, establishing what continues to be the headquarters of Jarrett Bay Boatworks today.

Looking back, Randy is quick to credit the people who helped him along the way. His success, he insists, was never achieved alone.

“Like everything in life, if someone doesn't believe in you, that you can actually achieve your goals, then sometimes you don’t.

This community of fishermen and those who got their start in commercial or charter fishing is a really close-knit group of people. We all helped each other grow our businesses.”

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