Huckins Yachts Sold, New Owner Plots Course

There’s a new owner at the legendary boatyard on the Ortega River, where Huckins Yachts and the Huckins Yacht Corporation has operated since 1946. The company first operated downtown at East 6th Street, in its yard on Jacksonville’s waterfront before moving to its current yard, where a recent transfer of company ownership was recognized.

For the first time in almost a century, the business is no longer family owned and operated. Cindy Purcell, daughter of Frank Pembroke Huckins and the third-generation owner of the company alongside her husband Buddy, celebrated the passing of the helm, April 4, at the boatyard with friends, family and longtime associates.

For new owner, Andy Tyska, founder of Bristol Marine, it wasn’t just time to celebrate, it was also time to recognize the legacy, the team and the future plans for the brand. The ceremony kicked off with the current general manager Sarah Gielow welcoming those in attendance, followed by a toast in honor of the Purcell’s.

“We’re here to celebrate two people who are Huckins,…Cindy and Buddy, whose 50 years of dedicated stewardship has shaped Huckins into the one-of-a-kind place that it is today. I’ve had the pleasure of working with them for the past 10 years, and in that time, they’ve taught me more than I could ever have imagined, not just about boats; about leadership, community, that cult Huckins community some of you know about, and the importance of doing things the right way.”

“We being third generation…they say the third generation sinks the ship,” said Cindy Purcell with a laugh and a big smile, as she shared remarks about the legacy and her tenure in the family business. “It’s been a wonderful 50-plus years. It’s not two people, owners/operators that make a company successful, it’s always the people behind them…the team behind them. And Buddy and I have had some wonderful people working for us over the years and I want to thank every one of them.”

I’m very happy and very pleased that Andy is taking the stewardship of the boatyard. He has great experience, he owns three historical yards up North…he understands the brand and I’m very pleased that he will continue to make this successful,” she continued.

Purcell then passed the microphone to Tyska, who thanked those present and shared his feelings about the recent acquisition.

“[I’m just] Overwhelmed by the presence of all of you here tonight. I think Cindy was being awfully modest in the words that she spoke about weight of the impact that not just herself, but Buddy have had at Huckins here over the last 50 years,” said Tyska.

“It would be an understatement for me to, in any way, for me to describe the weight of the obligation that I feel in carrying those [boatbuilding excellence, brand] efforts forward, and can’t say enough about how welcoming Cindy and Buddy have been to me here, getting me up to speed on not just the operations, but sharing their ideas about what is next.”

Tyska was sure to recognize and thank Sarah Gielow, the current general manager and the staffers who have been holding down the yard for Huckins Yachts, many can claim over 30-plus years of loyalty. For more about the legacy of Huckins Yachts and Jacksonville’s role in boat building history, visit www.huckinsyachts.com/company/history.