Company Profile

It's no coincidence Albemarle Boats are located in Edenton, North Carolina, a colonial seaport and home to a boat-building industry that spans generations. Their founder, J. Scott Harrell Sr., grew up here, and knew it was the right spot to launch his dream of building top-quality sportfishing boats. Located on the Albemarle Sound, their facility is a short run from the waters off Cape Hatteras, waters that demand superior hull design and construction, and impose rigid tests on watercraft. Engineered and built to manage these conditions, Albemarle are the finest, most dependable boats in the world. In 1978, their doors swung open and "Hull #1," a 24-foot cuddy still in active service today, rolled out. With the exception of a dozen 21-footers, the 24 Cuddy Express was their only model until 1984, the year they added a 27 express. An extremely popular model, the 27 grew to become their 280 Express. The 27 was a stern drive only until 1986, when they introduced their Jackshaft Power System™ (JPS™). The next model added to their fleet was their 320 Express with the 325 Convertible introduced a year later. In 1990, J. Scott "Scotty" Harrell, Jr., assumed the role of Albemarle president, taking the corporate reins from his father. Under Scotty's guidance, the company has grown significantly, with numerous model introductions and record sales. Among the models introduced under Scotty's direction include the 320 Express in 1990, the 260 Center Console in 1992, the 265 Cuddy Express in 1993, and the 305 Express in 1996. In October, 2000, they introduced their newest and largest fleet member, the 410 Express Fisherman, a pure fishing machine with world-class refinements for style and comfort. Fleet enhancements are ongoing, driven by their research and feedback from their customers and dealers.