Florida Man Builds the 'Orca' Boat from JAWS
- Scott Way
- Jul 8
- 4 min read
A JAWS superfan in Florida has rebuilt Captain Quint's iconic Orca shark hunting boat, just in time for the film's 50th anniversary.
For Florida marine carpenter Mike Sterling, what started as a childhood dream turned into a decade-long labor of love to rebuild the iconic boat. With perfect timing, Sterline debuted his Orca at the film’s 50th anniversary celebration on Martha’s Vineyard.
Sterling, now in his 50s, was only 7 years old when JAWS hit theaters in 1975.
“One day, I’m going to go on that boat,” he recalls telling himself in a video with WRAL News. Now he’s made good on that promise — and his creation is grin-inducing for movie fans.
The project began nine years ago when Sterling purchased an old boat in Maine with the intention of transforming it into the Orca. Moviegoers, boaters, and so-called "finatics" know all the details of the bedraggled vessel captained by Quint in Steven Spielberg’s legendary film. But what began as a modest restoration project quickly evolved into a passion project — and a family affair.
“It was the ultimate father-son project when we started. My son was right up to my knees when we started,” Sterling said. “Now he’s looking at me eye to eye.”
Alongside his now 12-year-old son Jack, and after a few years of slow progress, Sterling briefly relented and listed the unfinished boat on a fan site called “Jaws 50th,” hoping someone might pick up where he left off and bring the boat to completion. Within minutes, he was contacted by fellow enthusiast Michael Fulcher, who immediately connected him to Marty Milner — a craftsman who worked on the original Orca used in the film.
"I decided to see if anybody would be interested in taking the project on, and I put it on a site called Joe's 50th," said Sterling. "The guy Michael Fulcher, put it on the site in pictures. Is anybody interested in taking this on? It's going to be the Orca. Within 5 minutes he sends me a messenger. He just inspired me. He put me in touch with Marty Milner, who built the original one, worked on it."
With the project reinvigorated, the group raced to get it done in time for the movie's 50th anniversary and celebration on Martha's Vineyard.
Sterling even mentions the sad ending the befell the original Orca. Or, that is to say, the two Orcas. The actual functioning Orca used in the film was purchased by production designer Joe Alves in nearby Marblehead, Massachusetts. The boat was in use as a lobster boat and carried the name Warlock before being renamed Orca and refitted with a mast and pulpit by the film's designers. It was repainted in burgundy and black and had oversized windows installed to make it more identifiable as an intimidating shark hunting machine.
The second boat, known as Orca II, was a fibreglass replica of Orca I. It was made strictly as s a sinkable set piece that was put in place anytime "Bruce," the crew's name for the mechanical shark, attacked the boat. It had a complicated system of hydraulic barrels allowed the boat to be tilted and 'sunk' on command, and the stern was made from special lumber designed to break away during the famous attack on Quint. According to lore, Orca II sank outright on more than once during the film's production and had to be raised from the bottom. In one of the film industry's best mysteries, Orca I was sold after production wrapped up to a special effects technician in Los Angeles who wanted to use it for sword fishing. A year later, when the movie became a box office sensation topping $100 million, Universal raced to buy the boat back and capitalize on its mystique -- allegedly paying 10 times what they'd sold it for.
In a fitting end to Orca I, it became the backdrop to the 'Amity Island' ride at Universal Studios. But, in another strange twist, it was unceremoniously chopped up and destroyed without warning when it became too rundown fur use in the theme park.
With no Orca remaining to carry on the JAWS legacy, Sterling knew he had to recreate the iconic shark ship.
Even with help from his new friends, Sterling and Jack had to rush to hit their deadline and get the boat to the anniversary celebration held at the movie's original filming location -- a location 'finatics' know as the fictional city of 'Amity' on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. The 'new; Orca was as a floating tribute for the event, drawing cheers from fans and fellow boatbuilders alike.
“Hopefully this is going to touch a whole new generation again,” Sterling said.
Whether it’s a rainy day or Christmas morning, Sterling believes JAWS is timeless and a film families can turn to for any occasion -- including Christmas. Much like the quirky return of films like Die Hard as a Christmas family favourite, Sterling and fellow JAWS fans hold the film in the same regard.
And now he has the right boat for holiday get-togethers. You can see Sterling's Orca in action in the video below:
