As a principal specialist in engineering and finance at Pratt and Whitney in Connecticut, David Szewczul, 29, oversees financials for a team of jet propulsion engineers in commercial and military aviation. It’s an exacting, executive-level position with a lot of responsibility. You could say Szewczul (pronounced chef-shul) is a hands-on numbers guy. But he also has saltwater in his veins and tunas swimming through his dreams.
Szewczul has pursued bluefin tuna near shore and yellowfin and bigeye tuna in the offshore canyons from the center console boats he’s owned over the years, the most recent a 41-foot Sea Hunter. At the same time, he’s long had a reverence for traditional commercial tuna boats like those featured on the reality show Wicked Tuna. That interest drove him to strike out in a different direction: He made the decision to sell his production boat and build his own Downeaster. Little did he realize the project would require a couple of years of research, development, planning and financial discipline. But when the boat splashed last summer, Szewczul’s 46-foot Mussel Ridge Disruptor became the envy of tuna fishermen far and wide.
Born to Boats
“I grew up on boats,” David says. “From our family house in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, I spent a lot of time on the water as a kid, much of it fishing with my dad. We started small, a dinghy to be honest, and that was good enough for a while, but I always wanted to go further and catch bigger fish. My father, Dave, is a successful tournament golfer, but he loves the water and we’ve fished together a lot over the years. In fact, we still do, but for me boats and fishing are my passion, just as golf is his.”
From the dinghy they moved to a 19-foot Aquasport that carried them farther out into Long Island Sound, sometimes all the way to Plum Gut east of Orient Point. As they traveled longer distances, their boats got bigger; they upgraded to a 23-foot Triton and then a 27-foot Grady White. The big jump came when David purchased a triple-engine 40-foot Sea Hunter so they could make the run to the canyons off Montauk, New York, for yellowfin and bigeye.
“Sea Hunters were pretty rare up this way, but I saw one while walking the docks in Montauk and was impressed,” Szewczul says. “I went to the factory in Florida and had a 40 built, followed by a 41 a couple years later. I still love center consoles, but I often found myself fishing in weather that was not exactly center console friendly. That led me to Downeast-style boats. I also wanted my father to continue to come out with me; four or five hours on a beanbag in an open boat was tough on him.”
The Search Begins
Moving up to a boat with a cabin and more comforts left Szewczul with a choice. “I had been fishing with friends who were commercial hook-and-line bluefin guys on their Maine-built boats—BHM, Northern Bay, Wesmac—and fell in love with both the fishing and the lifestyle,” he says. “Being able to run 30-plus knots on a sportfisher lost its appeal after I discovered the joy of spending more time with friends while cruising at 14 knots. I liked the comfort and protection afforded by these boats, and the idea that we could spend two or three days offshore at a time.
Then there was the cost factor. A twin-diesel sportfish burns considerably more fuel than a Downeaster with one piece of iron, and twins require more maintenance. “The Maine-built boats are known for their ease of maintenance and longevity,” says Szewczul.
His quest to find the right Downeast boat for his needs started with several visits to builders in Maine to learn more about each one. He found that some shops sell complete boats, others build only the hull and deck—you take it elsewhere to have it finished. He also discovered that it can be tricky to get a slot on a Maine builder’s production schedule. Many boats were two or three years out.
Then Szewczul heard about Mussel Ridge, a bare hull built by Hutchinson Composites in Clinton, Maine.
“I would be buying a shell and I had to find a company to complete the boat. That company had to be approved by Albert Hutchinson, because at the end of the day it would have the Mussel Ridge name on it,” he says.
That led Szewczul to Newport Yacht Builders (NYB), in Newport, Rhode Island, which is not far from Szewczul’s home in Old Saybrook. “They had recently completed a Mussel Ridge 54 as a family cruiser and were game to take on another project. My boat would be for hardcore fishing, something new to the group.” David put a deposit on the build slot for a 46-foot Mussel Ridge, and then started to map out a production schedule with Jim Thompson, Ezra Smith and Ashley Reville Hill at NYB.
Birth of a Boat
The build out was unique from the start. Before Szewczul’s hull was even started, Thompson drove to Maine to measure a recently completed 46 hull using a Leica RTC360 industrial laser scanner capable of collecting three million data points per second, providing pinpoint measurements of the entire structure. Back at NYB in Newport, Smith—the in-house marine architect and designer—downloaded the data to a Rhino 3D modeling software program. Over the following months Smith worked closely with Szewczul, Ransom Moorse—a system and networking engineer—and Jon Aruda, the electrical and electronics designer and installer. Untold hours of in-person and Zoom call meetings were scheduled to digitally flesh out the entire boat.
“Our systems at NYB are light years ahead of the CAD/CAM systems used by many production boat builders,” Thompson says. “It allows us to build all the interior components outside the boat with amazing precision and perfect fit. On David’s boat, we had the stringers, bulkheads, interior and decks built and ready for installation before Hutchinson even started the hull.”
What David wanted was a serious commercial rod-and-reel tuna boat with a soft side for comfort while running, yacht-quality components, and top-notch fit and finish. It would blend weekender accommodations with the tough edge of a commercial fish boat.
“Not easy to accomplish,” Thompson says. “At NYB we’re yachties, so the intricacies of a tuna boat would have been lost on us if not for the incredible knowledge provided by David and his father. The Szewczuls were great to work with and very involved throughout the project. With all the front-loading in the planning and design stage and our ability to have the major component parts ready and waiting, we were able to complete the boat in just over a year from the time the hull and deckhouse arrived in Newport.”
David’s Downeaster
The original Downeasters were built for Maine lobster fishermen, but they gained popularity among commercial fishermen and recreational boaters because they had classic lines, exceptional seakeeping abilities and simple layouts. They provide a stable ride while underway because of their narrow entry, which transitions to a soft chine and a wide, flatter aft section. These boats don’t pound in a head sea and they track well in a following sea, thanks to the long keel and large rudder. They drift beam-to-sea with almost no roll, are economical to run and easy to maintain.
Szewczul’s 46-foot Mussel Ridge is a modern interpretation of a classic design. It has the best attributes of its predecessors only it’s upgraded with modern boat-building technologies, methods, systems and components.
Power is a 1,000-hp Scania DI16-007M diesel running through a Twin Disc transmission geared at 2:1 that turns a Veem Star 36-inch, 5-bladed prop. That propulsion package pushes the boat to a top speed of 21.2 knots. It cruises at 14.5 knots, burning 23 gallons per hour.
The boat can be controlled from any of three helm stations. The main station is in the cabin and features a Stidd captain’s chair and Furuno electronics. There are two MFDs plus an MU19HD monitor linked to a computer hidden in the ceiling; it runs fishing software called TimeZero. Another driving station is located on the aft cabin bulkhead and a third is in a drop-down compartment in the center of the transom—it will come in handy if Szewczul needs to control the boat while darting a giant bluefin at the end of a long fight.
The Mussel Ridge has a massive cockpit that stretches a third of the boat’s length. An oversized livewell is located above deck for easy access, and the gunwales are festooned with swiveling rod holders. Other fishing gear includes outriggers, a green stick and a hydraulic bandit reel (to run the bird and lines while trolling), and a special ramp in the transom tuna door that makes it easier to slide big fish onto the deck.
The cabin has an L-shaped settee with table located aft of the helm. To port are a pair of Stidd helm chairs for crew and a galley with sink, twin-burner stove top, convection/microwave oven, refrigerator/freezer stowage drawers and cabinets for dry goods and utensils. A companionway leads forward, where there are dual bunks beds and an enclosed head with shower. For the owner, there’s a small cabin in the forepeak that’s accessed through another door. It includes a raised berth, plus closets and storage for rods and reels.
The mast atop the cabin is the mounting point for spreader lights, horns, hailer, open-array and radome radar units, KVH TracVision satellite TV system, FLIR, and antennas for GPS units, sat phone and AIS. There’s also space for the green stick and gin pole.
“The engine room is something special,” Szewczul says. “The Scania and all the systems are readily available with clear access for servicing and eventual replacement, since I plan to keep this boat for a long time. I can replace all the filters, clean the strainers and monitor the pacer pump through a day hatch in the main helm. Around the engine, all the electrical components, battery banks, Northern Lights 12-kW genset, A/C and other systems are set up for easy identification and servicing. The engine room also is brightly lit so everything can be seen at a glance. A pair of cameras lets me monitor the room while I am running the boat.”
Szewczul spent a good deal of time researching engines before deciding on the Scania. He chose it because it is a common-rail design, has all hard piping, requires less maintenance than some other brands and is fuel-efficient and quiet. Parts are readily available in the U.S. and customer service is top notch, he says.
The boat has been out fishing since the summer of 2023 and has performed admirably. Szewczul says it handles unbelievably well even when it’s loaded down with gear, ice, fuel and people. It trolls the canyons in almost any weather and drifts superbly when he’s fishing live bait for bluefin.
Szewczul named the boat Disruptor because it was designed and built in a way that few other lobster/Downeast boats are typically constructed. “The boat disrupts many of the traditional methods, as much as I hope it will be a disruption on the fishing grounds,” he says.
This article was originally published in the March 2024 issue.
