THE CHARTER BOAT


The 6th version of Top Notch was launched on 6-19-23. The boat is a cold molded custom built sportfish boat designed by Russ Kostinas, Bruce Galbraith and Steve Mathews. This Stat of the art sportfishing boat was built by Blue Devil Boatworks and RG Boatworks and is powered by twin 8.3 Cummins 600hp each. No smoke and very quiet. The hull design is a bell-bottom deep V which is very stable while fishing and a smooth ride while running to the fishing grounds and back to the dock after a great day of fishing.

The interior has a large salon with two big couches which enables the guests to ride to the fishing ground in comfort. The boat is cold molded but is glassed inside and out. The house, bridge, and decks are Carbon-Core or Corcell Structural Foam sandwich construction with two or more layers of 1708 fiberglass. The boat is light and strong. This allows for a great cruise speed of 28 knots. You must ride on this boat to experience the great ride. The boat has state of the art electronics and 3 air conditioners. There are many amenities including tv, microwave, and a full-size bathroom.


Russ and Gene have built six boats working with some of the best boat builders in the Outer Banks. These experiences lead them to design this boat from the bottom up to be a fishing machine. This boat was built with several different techniques from these great builders. They both fish and build boats, so the boat is built to fish with an eye future maintenance of equipment. The engine companies we have used in the past have always said, “you have the best engine room layout and everything has easy access.” The boat is built to last with low maintenance since they do not want to miss a great bite due to a down boat.

The boat is built with West System epoxy resin and lightweight strong interior products like Tricel Honercomb bulkheads. You need to see this boat to believe the construction at a lower cost than production boats for the same length. The fuel consumption is outstanding at 25 knots at 38 GPH total. This is only 70% load on the engines.


The Cockpit is one of the largest ever built for this size sportfish boat. The layout of this boat allows the anglers to sit in the shade on raised mezzanine seats. Everyone is welcome on the


bridge, with seating for six people. Tackle ranges from ultra-light spinning tackle to Penn 80Ws based on the fish we are targeting. The electronics are the latest available.


The best part about fishing on the Top Notch will be the friendly fishing experience. The crew always goes the extra mile for their charter. They have tournament experience and have placed in Marlin, Tuna and Rockfish tournaments. Come join us for a wonderful fishing experience.


Feel free to call us if you have any questions or just want to know what’s biting.

Call Captain Russ Kostinas at 757-681-8068 to book your trip today!