Few movies have the instant recognizability of Steven Spielberg’s 1975 hit, “Jaws.” The movie stunned some, petrified others, and wowed the rest. Now, the movie is 50 years old. One Florida man figured the best way to celebrate would be to finish his father-son project Orca like the boat used in the film. 

A Florida man and lifelong fan of ‘Jaws’ built a replica of the Orca to celebrate a very special milestone

Michael Sterling, a marine carpenter, bought his boat almost ten years ago. He didn’t buy it for the express purpose of fishing or diving, mind you. No, his reason was much, much more theatrical. 

“‘Jaws’ to me is the go-to,” Sterling told WRAL News. “That said, look, today it’s rainy. It’s hot and you want to go inside. You can go and put ‘Jaws’ on. [On] Christmas Day, you can put ‘Jaws’ on.”

We won’t debate the merit of the shark movie as a holiday flick, but it’s certainly a classic. His lifelong affinity for the flick motivated him to turn his donor boat into a replica of the Orca, the film’s ill-fated vessel and inspiration for the iconic line “We’re gonna need a bigger boat.”  

“It was the ultimate father-son project,” Sterling told interviewers. “My son was right up to my knees when we started.” But life had other plans, and Sterling didn’t finish the boat until his son was 12. 

Life got in the way, but ‘Jaws’ fans came through

As with any worthwhile project, it wasn’t smooth sailing for Sterling and his son. He says “difficult family circumstances came up,” altogether stalling his beloved build.

So much so that, at one point, he offered to hand the project off to someone else. “I put it on a site called ‘Jaws 50th.’” But the internet had other plans for him. A fan reached out quickly with the contact information for the original builder of the boat used in the film. “He just inspired me,” Sterling said. 

Finished in time for the big birthday

Newly reinvigorated, Sterling and his 12-year-old son finished the Orca in time for a very special milestone. It’s been 50 years since “Jaws” first hit the big screen and launched director Steven Spielberg’s iconic film career.

The Orca replica made an appearance at the movie’s 50th anniversary celebration in Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. But unlike Quint’s folly with needing “a bigger boat,” Sterling’s recreation is more than up to the task of celebrating the movie’s golden anniversary.

Like Quint’s boat in the movie, the original Orca didn’t make it

The screen-used Orca didn’t fare much better than the boat it portrayed. No, it wasn’t attacked by a legendary shark. According to Marlin Magazine, Orca 1 (the non-fiberglass, seaworthy boat) disappeared, leaving a string of tall tales in its wake.

Orca 2, the vessel seen sinking in the movie, was a frequent target for theft. As a result, the owner chose to dismantle the boat and sell off the parts.