Bob began his racing career at the age of eleven in upstate New York where he won the JV Northeastern Title three years in a row.   During summers and after graduation from high school in Paterson, N.J., he worked at his brother-in-law's marina in PennYann, N.Y.   In 1959 the family moved to Sarasota, and Bob went to work for Carl Kiekhaefer.   Among other things, he did fresh water testing at "Lake X", ran the Boathouse Bulletin Department on Siesta Key, and, most importantly, worked with Marcel Raveau. Marcel had a two year contract to build boats for Mercury's racing division. Bob not only built the boats, he raced them, for Mercury and for himself. In 1962 Bob joined Marcel again and they built boats on Siesta key together until Marcel returned home the following year. Bob continued to build Raveau boats until 1965 when he moved his family to Hartsville, S.C. There he helped establish Marquis Boat Company. In 1974 he returned to Florida and worked at Manatee Boat Company. In 1984 he started his own prototype business, building plugs and molds for boat companies in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Indiana.   

In 1993, Bob and Gene Fleming were at the Mt. Dora show and Gene said, "Don't you wish you had a Raveau here"? Two years later a new Raveau was displayed at Mt. Dora. Then Tim Newman showed Bob a picture of a 1961 Raveau "Bomb" and asked if Bob could build him one.   The second generation of Raveau Boats was born. Today Bob is heavily involved in antique outboard motors and boats. There is nothing he likes more than to see one of the old boats restored and running or several of the new ones running together on a lake.