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Captain Rick Gaffney
Rick Gaffney, the company's President and Managing Broker, was born and raised in Hawaii and grew up boating, surfing, fishing, sailing and diving in island waters. Wanderlust and a Navy ROTC
scholarship then took him to Oregon State University. After graduating, and duty in the Navy, he moved to Kona and obtained his USCG Captain's license in the mid-70's.
A job opportunity as one of the first Sea Grant Marine Advisory Specialists in the Pacific drew Rick to Maui where he later operated a series of sport fishing charter boats, including two brand new
35' Bertrams which he specified, outfitted, delivered and fished competitively throughout the islands. He eventually graduated to a 37' Merritt, before retiring from the charter game. In
1985 Rick returned to Kona, to be closer to the Pacific's most productive offshore sportfishery.
Rick has delivered sportfishing, diving, boating and travel stories from all over the world for over 25 years. His writing career has won him international recognition as a
chronicler of game fishing and boating, not to mention two national awards and a marine environmental journalism fellowship.
He also serves as IGFA Representative-at-Large for the Central Pacific Islands, represents the Recreational Fishing Alliance in Hawaii, is a Co-Chair of the West Hawaii
Fisheries Council, and has long been actively involved in the politics of fishery management.
Although he enjoys casting surface plugs at Midway and dragging lures through the deep, calm waters off Kona, his personal passion is saltwater fly fishing. He set the first IGFA World
Record for giant trevally on fly, and has landed and released three species of billfish on fly, in a passion that will last a lifetime.
Rick has been happily married to journalist/travel-writer Jeanette Foster for over 25 years. They share their Kona home with a Golden Retriever and an orange tabby cat.
His broad knowledge of the boating industry locally, nationally and internationally has allowed Rick to specify, outfit and deliver a variety of new and used
production and purpose-built boats, to clients across the Pacific, since he got his start in the boat brokerage business 15 years ago, working with company founder, Captain Pat Nelson.
At Pacific Boats & Yachts, Rick has endeavored to assemble a team of top-notch professionals, all the tools of first class boat dealer and yacht brokerage and some of the
finest listings and product-lines in the Pacific, to allow the company to best serve the Pacific boating public's needs.
Contact Capt. Rick Gaffney:
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