Nick Hake graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1974, then pulled up stakes and left the cold Great Lakes winters for sunny Miami, where he became head chef at Horatio's restaurant in the tower of the Coconut Grove Hotel. While working nights in that occupation, he began building boats for profit, starting with molds and dinghies. Of those times, he says "It's what I wanted to do. I love boats and always wanted to be self-employed."

Within the year, he was ready to take the plunge into full-time boatbuilding, so he hung out his shingle and set up shop. In the ensuing eight years he built 2,000 dinghies before…