SW Boatworks Launches New Boat for “Wicked Tuna” Star

by Laurie Schreiber

From left to right, Captain David Carraro gets ready to christen Tuna.com as first mate Sandro Maniaci and builder Stewart Workman look on.

LAMOINE, ME – When one of the stars of the hit reality television show “Wicked Tuna” was looking for a new boat, he landed at Stewart Workman’s yard, SW Boatworks.

Captain David Carraro of Gloucester, Mass., has been a mainstay on “Wicked Tuna” since its start.

“It started with phone call,” Carraro said of his participation on the show. “They called around and asked about tuna boats. And our name came up.”

In 2014, he commissioned Workman to build a new Tuna.com, using a Calvin Beal 44 hull.

“I wanted to build another Downeast boat,” Carraro said. “And most importantly, people pointed me here.”

Carraro sold his old Tuna.com, a Duffy 38, last December, at the end of the fishing year.

The boat’s launch took place in Ellsworth on a sunny day. A crowd of onlookers greeted the boat’s arrival with great anticipation. Sea trials took place a week later, after final electronics installations. Carraro was expecting to take the boat back to Gloucester later in the week.

Carraro studied a number of hulls before landing on the Beal 44 for its stability, 17.6-foot beam, comparable fuel efficiency, and overall roominess. He said that, during commercial fishing operations, he and his crew are on the boat for back-to-back trips that last five or six days at a time to hunt the valuable giant bluefin. For the 10 weeks it takes to shoot “Wicked Tuna,” they also have a cameraman onboard. During the summer, Carraro runs charter fishing operations.

Tuna.com has plenty of deck space, a large wheelhouse, commercial-grade finish, a full set of electronics, a 1,000-horsepower Caterpillar engine, overnight accommodations, 800 gallons of fuel capacity, live-bait well, large fish hold, tackle station, and more—all designed for durability, reliability, and easy clean-up.