In Season 5, Episode 9 of the Wards Way podcast, host Kristina Hebert engages in an inspiring discussion with Jim Turner, the visionary founder of Release Boatworks. The conversation opens at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and quickly dives into how a love of fishing in Guatemala snowballed into a full-scale custom boat brand. Jim Turner didn’t plan to sell boats; he only wanted to fish without losing money. That practical goal led from chartering one wooden classic to restoring many, then to building fresh hulls because maintaining tired wood was stealing time from the water. Along the way, he identified a gap: the Florida custom look and feel—Meritt, Rybovich, Whiticar—reimagined at modern sizes, built to fish first and still welcome the whole crew. What started as a booth sign turned into a buyer for the first design, and a new identity formed around thoughtful walkarounds with real seating.

The idea anchoring the brand is simple and stubborn: a game boat ethos. It’s not a model; it’s a mindset. A true game boat is a purpose-built tool that’s easy to maintain, tough enough to be used hard, and clean in layout so crews focus on fishing, not on babying systems. That thinking grows from charter decks where billfish totals are counted by the scars on the transom, not the shine on the gelcoat. When systems are complicated, they get ignored, and ignored systems fail at the worst time. The goal is to keep the boat clean in weight and wiring, make maintenance straightforward, and design decks that fit a family or a full tournament crew. Comfort is part of fishability: safe seating on the ride home, logical storage, and layouts that reduce fatigue, because tired crews make mistakes and skip maintenance.

Simplicity does not reject technology; it filters it. The blend Turner champions honors old-world craftsmanship and styling while embracing modern systems where they add real value. Steering-by-cable nostalgia gives way to digital reliability, but the joinery and lines keep a heritage feel. The rule is balance: adopt tech that improves safety, control, and fish-finding without layering fragile complexity. Air conditioning, stabilization, and sonar often demand AC power, while a growing list of DC equipment trims loads and expands redundancy. Power planning becomes strategy: right-size generators, sensible shore power, and distribution without “extension cord thinking.” Overbuild the wrong thing and you add heat, weight, and failure points. Underbuild, and you disappoint the crew when chillers won’t fire after a long day. Future-proofing means choosing standards that won’t strand you in remote marinas, yet won’t be obsolete by the time your next service cycle hits.

The human side of boating holds the culture together. A monthly shop podcast lets the team swap stories, admit mistakes, and share what they’ll do better. It’s the after-action ritual many anglers love: the dockside debrief, a drink in hand, rerunning spreads and missed bites. That candid tone shapes design choices too—saying no to risky installations, right-sizing systems, and reminding owners they can have anything but not everything. Safety isn’t negotiable; a poor electrical decision can ruin a trip or worse, and the fastest way to push a family out of boating is a string of bad experiences. The crew also talks market shifts: fewer outriggers on docks, different tech, and younger anglers raised on instant feedback. Passion still wins. Time on the water, patience, and reps matter more than any single gadget.

Momentum continues with new hulls. The shop is pushing 55s to launch soon and developing a 66, while acknowledging realistic capacity: roughly a dozen boats a year at most. Speed is a point of pride—the first Miami sea trial hit four months after a hull layup—but quality and option creep set today’s pace closer to eight to twelve months. Meanwhile, the acquisition of Game Fisherman brings global charter DNA into the fold. From Costa Rica to Kona, the name carries a track record of billfish days that made legends. That heritage fuels today’s releases, including a 49 walkaround with outboards and a new charter build headed for tuna-rich Venice, Louisiana. Boat shows remain the crossroads: a place to meet partners, touch new tech, and reconnect with old friends. On equal water, a 40 and an 80 lie beam-to-beam while anglers argue over 12-pound versus 16-pound test. That easy camaraderie is why people brave rain and traffic. The boats matter, but the stories keep them coming back.

We invite you to immerse yourself in the full episode on your favorite streaming platform. Remember to like, subscribe, and share your angler stories with us in the comments!

For a deeper understanding of Release Boatworks and their specialized offerings, please follow this link: https://www.releaseboatworks.com/

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