Egg Harbor 35 Sportfisherman

When opportunity knocked, this Connecticut couple bought an Egg Harbor 35 SF, allowing the entire family to enjoy the boating lifestyle.

By Gary Caputi

January 12, 2024

“I’d never owned a saltwater boat before, let alone a twin-screw,” said Alex Pyle-Struzinski of Chester, Connecticut. “I had lake boats growing up but was boatless for several years before moving closer to Long Island Sound. I wasn’t looking for a boat when I bought the Egg from my friend Lars, who had purchased it from an estate. It had been sitting unattended for several years and he did little more than get it running. When he decided to buy another boat, it just kind of fell into my lap.”

Struzinski bought the boat knowing it would require a lot of work, but he was up for the challenge. Today this good Egg is looking and running better than ever.

Misbehavin’ III is a vintage 1989 35-foot Egg Harbor powered by twin gas inboards. It still carries its original name on the transom, which Alex found appropriate. “‘Misbehavin’ was the perfect description of my wife, Nicole, and two daughters, Abigail [9] and Ellie [2], so I kept it.”

The 35 SF was one of the most popular models made in Egg Harbor’s 75-year history. Introduced in 1986 and built through 1999, hundreds were manufactured and sold according to Robert Hazard, who was with the company as early as 1985. The model was based on the 33 Convertible that debuted in 1982, only with an extra 2 feet added to the hull to accommodate a fighting chair in the cockpit and further improve the boat’s seaworthiness and accommodations.

Misbehavin’ III has a large cockpit with a tackle station. It is a “galley-up” version that puts the galley and salon in the deckhouse to provide room below for a forward master stateroom, twin bunk room and head. The helm is located on the all-weather flybridge.

Alex admitted he was apprehensive about running it at first. “It’s a lot of boat but it came naturally to me,” he said. “Twin screws work a lot like the controls on the skid-steerers and bulldozers I ran for work. I did take Lar’s advice to heart which was, ‘Just don’t go any faster than you want to hit something.’ I took it easy for the first year and now I’ve really got the hang of it.”

While Alex had boating experience, Nicole did not, but she realized the 35 would provide an opportunity for their family to explore new places.

“This summer we went to Watch Hill, Rhode Island, anchored out for a couple days and shuttled to shore on our Highfield RIB,” Alex said. “We then port-hopped south to Mystic Seaport, my favorite anchorage. After leaving Mystic we cruised back to the Connecticut River and our slip at Ferry Landing Marina in Old Saybrook. We spent that entire week leisurely sightseeing, sleeping and eating aboard, and everyone had a great time.”

Since taking ownership Alex has replaced the carburetors, manifolds, risers and other mechanical components, installed a windlass and all new electronics, including radar, VHF radios and antennas. The couple updated the interior and installed a Xantrex Freedom Inverter system linked to two large house batteries. “It’s so nice to be able to run the refrigerator and make coffee without the noise of a generator while at anchor,” Alex said. “We’ve spent two days on the hook without having to crank up the genset once. We just recharge the batteries while running.”

When asked what he’s learned since taking the helm of the Misbehavin’ III Alex laughed. “My next boat won’t have any teak on it. I love woodworking, but caring for teak is tedious and time-consuming.”

Yet even with the teak, the Egg has proved to be the ideal boat for family trips and fishing on Long Island Sound. Alex loves the fact that the hull is solid and seaworthy, and it’s capable of handling anything the Sound can throw at it.

The Egg has brought the family closer together. “Abigail has become my boat buddy,” Alex said. “Early in the season, she insists we sleep on the boat every weekend, even when we aren’t going anywhere. That continues until the Fourth of July and by then we’re planning cruising destinations.”

One thing Alex hopes might happen as a result of this article is for the original owners to see it and contact him because the boat still carries its original name and home port of Providence, Rhode Island. “Learning more about the boat would be very cool,” he said.

About Egg Harbor

Egg Harbor Yacht Company was founded in 1946. E. Lockwood (Ted) Haggas designed the first Egg, a wooden 29-foot Jersey Sea Skiff responsible for the company’s early popularity, and George Stadel Jr. designed what was considered to be one of the prettiest powerboats ever built, the 1959 Egg Harbor 37 Sportfisherman.

The company was founded by Russell Post and John Leek. Leek left the company not long after to work at his family’s boat yard and then founded Pacemaker Yachts with his son, John (Jack) Leek, Jr. Post left Egg Harbor to start the Post Yacht company when Egg Harbor was sold to Pacemaker in 1957.

In 1969, Jack Leek left Pacemaker to found the Ocean Yacht Company, which ceased production in 2009. In 1999, most of Egg Harbor’s assets were purchased by a plastic surgeon, Dr. Ira M. Trocki. Few Egg Harbors have been built in recent years. John Leek IV sold the remaining manufacturing facility to the Viking Yacht Company and today manages its Valhalla facility at that location.