Hi Wolfsong/Stefan:
I know just a little about the company and it's products from having been involved with them in the early days when Fred McCarthy ran that show.
I worked with Joe Johnson, the current owner, at a yacht brokerage when he decided to take them on as his own and subsequently sold the first of the 61 'Islander' series.
I later went to work with Joe at his Ships International which was the sole representative for the line and which he subsequently took over from Fred when he bought him out around 2004.
Yes, they are doing well, having recently showcased their latest build, a 77 Expedition, in the FLL Boat Show. They are starting another 77 for a new client. I had the opportunity to go along for a boatride/electronics shakedown/photo shoot a few weeks ago on a fairly snotty day. She is extraordinarily quiet in the wheelhouse, similar to her predecessor, the 68 Expedition. This is helped in no small part by her 1400 RPM "sweet spot" from the 1800 RPM continuous-duty engines.
Each Real Ships build gets better than the previous one. Propulsion 'pods'-- a neat design twist-- allow a low engine placement with a resultant almost zero-degree shaft angle for maximum efficiency.
The engineering and mechanicals are first-rate and they reflect the knowledge gleaned from having run pilot boats up and down the Delaware River, which Joe did in his earlier years.
The yard on Hemley Street appears nondescript which belies the CAD CAM employed in the carpentry as well as steel-cutting, in addition to a first-rate team of craftsmen & women. The fairing and paint on "Aventura" were done in-house by some of the best in the business:
http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/at...d=12313585 98 
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