Many are spending their final summer days out on the water -- from the Long Island Sound to the Hudson River. That includes sailing on boats made right at Derecktor Shipyards in Mamaroneck.
"We've built America's Cup-winning boats in this yard," said Erik Derecktor, who oversees construction across the business' four shops. "We've built large maxi sailing yachts that continue to win races today...We really run the gambit across the maritime industry, servicing, repairing and building boats."
It all started in 1947, when Derecktor's grandfather began making wooden sailboats in a small Mamaroneck shop. Over the years, however, Derecktor Shipyards turned into much more than the family imagined.
"The business grew really on the strength of [the team's] skills, and our teamwork and collaboration," Derecktor explained. "The footprint here expanded in the '40s and '50s, still building wooden, larger sailing boats. Then, in the '50s and '60s, when many other boat builders started experimenting with aluminum, we did the same. Through the '60s to the early 2000s, [we] really excelled worldwide as a renowned aluminum sailboat builder."
Derecktor says he is proud to continue his grandfather's legacy by opening a shipyard in Maine and another two in Florida. He attributes the family business' success to the employees across all four yards, whether it's the 35 employees based in the Westchester County shop or the 150 across the country.
"The team feels a huge sense of accomplishment for every boat," Derecktor said. "On one hand, we've built a lot of them...but each one is special and unique...and seeing the boat leave with a happy customer? Everyone feels pretty good about it."
The team finds it even more fulfilling when those happy customers return for any other services.
"We get a lot of positive reactions from our customers when we build boats," he said. "They try their best to bring them back to us. We know them best and we can best service them. We also support the boats when they can't come to us and have to go to other yards. So we do a good job maintaining good relationships in the industry and collaborating with others to make sure that our customers are supported."
At the end of the day, however, Derecktor's favorite part of it all is seeing his family's boats in action, no matter how old they may be.
"I was sailing with my cousin in a wooden boat race in Maine," he said. "In the harbor was one of the earlier wooden race boats that my grandfather built. She's named Inverness...[and] she's been maintained and recently restored by her new owner. So, it was really cool to see that boat, to race against it and to talk to the current owner about what he likes about the boat [and] what he's decided to change over the years. I think they got second or third in that race, which is pretty amazing to see boats that old still be in operation and still be competitive."
Derecktor Shipyards is located at 311 E Boston Post Rd. in Mamaroneck.
