Member Florida House of Representatives
Former Speaker of the Florida House
WHEREAS, William Henry “Willy” Roberts was born in Key West in 1914, and
WHEREAS, more than 50 years ago, Willy Roberts, a third-generation boat builder whose family moved to Key West from Man-O-War Cay, Bahamas, began building custom wooden flats skiffs, and he later led the development of the fiberglass flats skiffs, which would revolutionize the world of sport fishing, and
WHEREAS, Willy Roberts’ boats, built by hand in Islamorada and later Tavernier, became the boat of choice for top professional shallow-water guides throughout the Florida Keys due to their old-world craftmanship, quality, and originality, and
WHEREAS, Willy Roberts retired in 1990 and passed away on April 16, 1993, and his family continues his legacy of excellence in custom boat making, crafting each with painstaking attention to detail, resulting in an incomparable product of beauty and refinement, NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESPECTFULLY PROCLAIMED that Willy Roberts Flats Boats is honored for its years of uncompromising craftmanship in creating timeless vessels that provide for superior boating and fishing throughout Key West, the State of Florida, and beyond.
Steve Crisafulli
Representative, District 51