About Us

Fishing Vessel Relentless was purchased on December 2nd, 2002. The 76-foot vessel is an East Coast scalloper/dragger. The boat was an eastern marine-built vessel in Panama city Florida in 1978. From there the vessel was first used as a fishing trawler out of Rockland Maine and was formerly known as the Matthew Melissa before earning the name Relentless in 2002. The vessel works anywhere from Virginia, up to the Canadian line. The vessel begins its fishing trips from about 25-70 miles o the coast of NJ. The Relentless goes as far out as 350 miles off the coast of Barnegat Light and goes as far North as the Georges Banks, which is right on the Canadian line. Captain Owen Smith is a first-generation commercial fisherman. He started scalloping in 1986, and then in 1989 started working full time on the boats. Hard work paid off for Captain Owen, as he worked his way up in the fishing ranks from being a deckhand to a first mate, to the captain, and then eventually his position now, captain/ owner and operator. The Relentless is family-owned and operated and intends to stay that way for years to come.

Jake Smith, Captain Owen’s Son, is one of the newer sets of hands on the Relentless crew. He joined the crew part-time over the Summer of 2020, while he was on a college break. Jake attends Stockton University, where he is pursuing a degree in business management. Between taking classes, and working on the boat with his father, Jake is in charge of running the social media accounts and has the vessel's best interest in mind. Over the past year, Jake has been learning the ropes and trade of the fishing industry and looks forward to working more on the boat in the upcoming years.