Ghosts from the past stand frozen in time on the cedar-planked walls of Michael Rybovich’s office. Part place of business, part maritime museum, Michael stands to my left and looks on at a wall adorned with black and white photos. There are images of his father and uncles, son Dusty and even author Ernest Hemingway. Inset in a gold frame is a photo of the man that started it all, his grandfather John, standing beside his wife Anna.
John Rybovich Sr.’s story is the tale of an immigrant who, at just 16 left Austro-Hungary on a ship for New York, destination: Ellis Island. Despite his young age, Sr. was already a skilled carpenter; his practiced hands helped him earn work first in New York and then in a burgeoning paradise he heard about on a job site—a destination called Florida.
“He found out he couldn’t work during the winter because the blue bloods that were down here enjoying paradise didn’t want to hear any construction noise, of course,” says Michael in a meeting area that overlooks his marina. “So, during the summer season, he had to find another way to make a living. So, he got himself a small boat and started commercial fishing.”
Word spread of how well he maintained his boat, and that combined with his carpentry skills segued into a side business working on other vessels. This would lead him to open a small yard on 40th street in West Palm Beach. As the yard’s reputation and prominence grew, so did his family. He and Anna would
