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Any one ever had any experience with Ridgeway Marine. They made a 26 express sportfish in the 70's. Anyone ever been on one...?


Chris

I know the boat well--I remember boarding the New York Showboat, very expensive at the time---I think about 26K-teak decks.

I know one that has been running in Freeport, NY---I never spoke to the owner but I think it is docked near Charlie Johnson's Bertram.

Very big beamed.

Ridgeway made mostly wood boats and I have a pic of the prototype--I think it was 29 feet. The 26 was a glass boat and not sure but think Dusky Marine might have bought the mold and built a few as well. They were not finished as well.

The model was called 26 Bluefin

yes, now i know what your talking about bluefin, owner loves the boat, its stricky a day boat. i know that boat has been run down to fl many years ago by another previos owners shop steward, i rememer him saying it was a haul but he made it to and from.

Thanks for the info Guys..... I cant find anything about them on the internet.... Just one for sale on Yachtworld.....

Pretty little boat!

I bet it would rock with a 240 Yanmar or a 250 4 banger Cummins...

Dug

The one on yacht world has a single--i have seen 3-4 over the years-all with twins.

Also the one on yacht world has been customized with that raised coaming in the front---i have seen all with flush decks--some with windshields.

With some diesels in her she would be pretty sweet..

Obviosuly i would perfer a B31... but beggers cant be choosers.....

Still on my quest for the right boat..........

I owned a 26 Blue Fin in the mid eighties. Next to my 31, it's my favorite boat design. Super wide for a 26 footer. Big cockpit, and we had a tower with controls. Our boat was named "Sweet Pea", powder blue, with teak decks and covering boards and huge Rockaway Chair in the pit. We put new gas 318s in and it would cruise about 20 and top out around 26.
Big, heavy, and wet. But I loved it. Have not seen one since the 80's. We sold ours to a guy that was taking it to south carolina. Chris

Their is one in the marina my boat is at in Point Pleasant, NJ. The yard bill hadn't been paid in years and the marina took ownership and is trying to sell it for just about nothing. Cosmeticly it's rough but I know it has a good set of 454's in it. If you are interested let me know and I'll get info on it. If I remember right I think they had it on ebay for about $1,000.00

Please find the only picture reference I could find on this boat.

Great pictures...

Does anyone know why they stopped making them. To me it seems like a great boat.. Small but big enough to fish offshore. small V-berth , plenty of cockpit space , incredible for a 26 footer....

Chris

Probably for the same reason they stopped making Bertram31's. Short sighted managements not recognizing that they had long term products. Walter

The Ridgeway looks a lot like a Strike 29. Earlier Strike 29s were dual console.

i have been told that a the ridgeway Mold was bought and the new owner produced the strike's

But i havent confirmed any of this... its weird how little info there is on these....


Chris

walterk wrote:Probably for the same reason they stopped making Bertram31's. Short sighted managements not recognizing that they had long term products. Walter

Probably quit making that one because it was wood. But it sure does resemble the 29 Strike. Good boat for short fishing. Nice ride and efficient, but wet as a 31 and low gunnels.

The one at my marina is all fiberglass except the decks.

the 26 was a fiberglass production boat----i believe the 29 wood boat was the prototype.

the 26 was a well finished boat and this was reflected in the price, they were more expensive than a 31 betram.

i don't think the strike is nearly as pretty, as the 26 has some nice rounded features. like a 31--the strike is your typical slab-sided production boat popped from a mold.

Walter was grumpy when he woke up this morning, can you tell?

i own a 39 foot ridgeway that has been changed into an express and totally restored. i would enclose pictures but i do not know how. the boat was built in 1969 in merritt shipyards by the ridgeway brothers. it is definitly one of a kind.

Is that the same "Weasel" that's been at Cedar Beach Marina this year.
That is one sweet boat.

THAT IT IS

A friend of mine had a 26 Bluefin that looks just like the pictures described. It had a pair of big blocks, was fast, stable at rest and very wet under way. Even with a tower and enclosures it was still wet. However, the amount of room for a 26 footer was absurd. 5 of us in the cockpit and you never felt like anyone was near you. A great little boat. The 26 Dusky had the same exact layout.