Hinckley Yachts
Encyclopedia
Hinckley Yachts, founded in 1928, is a manufacturer of luxury sailing yachts and jet-powered picnic boats based in Southwest Harbor, Maine. Known for its innovation of the yachting world, Hinckley has developed such technologies as the JetStick and Dual Guard composite material along with being the pioneer of the fiberglass hull. Currently, Hinckley is operating in seven locations across the United States, making it one of the largest manufacturers of custom, luxury yachts in the United States. Hinckley’s present yacht line includes seven powerboats ranging in size from 29 to 55 feet and seven sailing vessels offered in lengths from 42 to 70 feet. Similar to yachts built by Sabre Yachts, Ellis Boat Company, and Lyman Morse Boatbuilding, all of Hinckley’s yachts are handcrafted and semi-custom built to suit users’ desires. Semi-custom yachts use a production hull with extensive customization of the interior, deck and rig as required by the purchaser.
Similar to competitors specializing in handcrafted, custom yachts, the average Hinckley price tag is $15,000 per linear foot ($1 million for 70 foot yacht). In an effort to keep its reputation of fully handcrafted boats, Hinckley relies on a manual assembly line
process to create its yachts, meaning widespread automation is nearly impossible. Due to the custom format of the yachts, Hinckley does not go through model years, rather it attempts to make “two major changes per year” to its line of vessels.
The Hinckley Company (the mother company of Hinckley Yachts) also provides such services as yacht service, yacht brokerage, charters, and boat insurance.
sloop. Hinckley would go on to produce 20 of these sloops, making them the company’s first mass production line. Straying away from boatbuilding, Hinckley opened Manset Marine Supply Company in 1940 for which he designed many fittings for fuel tanks, stanchions, deck plates, and the like that are still utilized today.
With the start World War II
, Hinckley turned to manufacturing war-designed boats. At the end of the war Hinckley’s contributions totaled nearly 40% of all war boats built in Maine. For this outstanding effort Hinckley was awarded two Army-Navy “E’s” for excellence in 1942 and 1943. Hinckley’s production of pleasure boats began soon after the war.
In 1945 the Sou’wester sailboat was created. Still Hinckley’s most popular sailing design today, 62 original Sou’Westers were built, making it the largest fleet of single design cruising boats of its time. During the 1950s, Hinckley began experimenting with the use of fiberglass to construct his yachts’ hulls. His first fiberglass boat, the Bermuda 40 sailing ship, was released in 1959. The last Hinckley-built wooden boat was the 1960 “Osprey.” Throughout the 60’s the company continued its innovation of yachting by using sophisticated navigation systems along with auto-pilot and electric-powered furling mainsails.
In 1979 Henry sold the company to Richard Tucker, but after Tucker’s death in 1980 Henry’s son Bob was quick to buy the company back with the help of his business partner Shepard McKenney. The two released Hinckley’s first fiberglass powerboat christened “Talaria” in 1989. The last of the Bermuda 40’s was produced in 1991, bringing the total number of B40’s produced to 203 over its 32 year lifespan.
Furthering its reputation as the leader in innovation, Hinckley became the first American boat company to use SCRIMP technology (a method of making composite material with nearly no volatile organic compound emissions) in its yachts. For this reason Hinckley was awarded the United States Environmental Protection Agency
’s Environmental Merit Award in 1994. Also in 1994, the company first used its now famous jet propulsion technology.
The company again fell under new ownership in 1997 when William Bain, Ralph Willard, and Alexander Spaulding took over operations. It didn’t take the trio long to develop one of Hinckley’s most outstanding features, the JetStick. Released in 1998, the JetStick gives the skipper unparalleled control over the vessel. Furthering its innovation, the company developed Dual Guard technology to create a superior strength hull.
Leading the way at Hinckley are: William W. Bain, Jr.- currently serving as the company’s director, the Vanderbilt graduate also serves as chairman of the board for Bain, Willard Companies, L.D. and on the board of trust at Vanderbilt. Bain was also named “One of Greater Boston’s 100 most influential business people of the 20th century” by the Boston Business Journal; James McManus- President and CEO since 2007 is a graduate of Yale University with a masters in Business Administration from Harvard University. McManus is also the director of Casella Waste Systems, Inc.; Ralph Willard- Hinckley’s Chairman of the Board, along with Bain and Alexander Spaulding, helped transform the company from a $25 million outfit with 175 employees to a $100 million operation with 700-plus employees in just three years; Alexander H. Spaulding- no longer with the company, but played an instrumental role in Hinckley’s recent development as President, a graduate of Georgetown University. He is now the President and Managing General partner of Sea Glass Capital; and Chairman of the Barton & Gray Mariners Club Ed Roberts- Vice President of Sales and Product Development, a graduate of the University of Connecticut; Michael Arieta- Hinckley’s General Manager, works with the Great Lakes Boat Building School as a technical advisor to boatbuilding students who will soon join the ranks of Hinckley craftsmen.
The Hinckley sailing fleet includes six Sou’wester vessels and the DS 42. Since 1945 the Sou’wester line has been Hinckley’s top sailing ship. As with the Talaria line, Hinckley’s six Sou’westers each have their own unique design to accommodate the many desires of luxury sailors. The DS 42 is one of Hinckley’s newest and possibly most innovative sailing design. The DS 42 was nominated one of the best boats of 2005 by Sail Magazine for its “innovative use of roller furling in a carbon-fiber mast”. Currently Hinckley’s sailing line consists of the SW 42, SW 51, SW 52, SW 59, SW 61, SW 70, and DS 42.
Pertaining to powerboats, Hinckley is best known for its picnic boats. Though much younger than the Sou’Wester line, the picnic boat is the essence of Hinckley design. A style created by Hinckley, the picnic boat incorporates the performance, ease of use, and low maintenance that have become synonymous with the company name. Originally designed with jet propulsion, the picnic boat paved the way for the development of the JetStick.
One of the biggest design components of Hinckley yachts is the JetStick. Designed by Control Engineering, Inc., the JetStick was first used in 1998. The computer-integrated design allows the skipper to control and dock the boat through the use of a joystick. To use the JetStick the driver pushes a button to engage docking mode, this in turn disengages the wheel while a computer determines the amount of bow thruster and jet needed to move the boat sideways.
Hinckley Today
Recently, along with all makers of luxury yachts, Hinckley has fallen victim to the country’s economic struggles. Since mid-2008 over 300 of the company’s employees have been laid off. As of now Hinckley has enough orders to continue its operations until February 2010 without being forced to relocate. Compared to other luxury yacht makers, Hinckley is facing a much greater financial struggle due to numerous changes in ownership over the last twelve years. The company experienced more and more debt with each sale to a new private equity firm, leaving it in a state that only a strong brand name such as Hinckley can hope to recover from.Similar to competitors specializing in handcrafted, custom yachts, the average Hinckley price tag is $15,000 per linear foot ($1 million for 70 foot yacht). In an effort to keep its reputation of fully handcrafted boats, Hinckley relies on a manual assembly line
Assembly line
An assembly line is a manufacturing process in which parts are added to a product in a sequential manner using optimally planned logistics to create a finished product much faster than with handcrafting-type methods...
process to create its yachts, meaning widespread automation is nearly impossible. Due to the custom format of the yachts, Hinckley does not go through model years, rather it attempts to make “two major changes per year” to its line of vessels.
The Hinckley Company (the mother company of Hinckley Yachts) also provides such services as yacht service, yacht brokerage, charters, and boat insurance.
Hinckley History
Hinckley was founded in 1928 by Benjamin B. Hinckley after he purchased a small boatyard in Southwest Harbor, ME. In 1932 Benjamin’s son, Henry R. Hinckley, an engineering graduate from Cornell, took control of the company. A 36 foot “fisherman motorboat” dubbed “Ruthyeolyn” built in 1933 was Hinckley’s first boat. Five years later, in 1938, Hinckley came out with its first sailing vessel, a 28 foot Sparkman & StephensSparkman & Stephens
Sparkman & Stephens is a naval architecture and yacht brokerage firm with main offices on 5th Avenue in New York City, USA and offices in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, USA. The firm performs design and engineering of new vessels for pleasure, commercial, and military use....
sloop. Hinckley would go on to produce 20 of these sloops, making them the company’s first mass production line. Straying away from boatbuilding, Hinckley opened Manset Marine Supply Company in 1940 for which he designed many fittings for fuel tanks, stanchions, deck plates, and the like that are still utilized today.
With the start World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Hinckley turned to manufacturing war-designed boats. At the end of the war Hinckley’s contributions totaled nearly 40% of all war boats built in Maine. For this outstanding effort Hinckley was awarded two Army-Navy “E’s” for excellence in 1942 and 1943. Hinckley’s production of pleasure boats began soon after the war.
In 1945 the Sou’wester sailboat was created. Still Hinckley’s most popular sailing design today, 62 original Sou’Westers were built, making it the largest fleet of single design cruising boats of its time. During the 1950s, Hinckley began experimenting with the use of fiberglass to construct his yachts’ hulls. His first fiberglass boat, the Bermuda 40 sailing ship, was released in 1959. The last Hinckley-built wooden boat was the 1960 “Osprey.” Throughout the 60’s the company continued its innovation of yachting by using sophisticated navigation systems along with auto-pilot and electric-powered furling mainsails.
In 1979 Henry sold the company to Richard Tucker, but after Tucker’s death in 1980 Henry’s son Bob was quick to buy the company back with the help of his business partner Shepard McKenney. The two released Hinckley’s first fiberglass powerboat christened “Talaria” in 1989. The last of the Bermuda 40’s was produced in 1991, bringing the total number of B40’s produced to 203 over its 32 year lifespan.
Furthering its reputation as the leader in innovation, Hinckley became the first American boat company to use SCRIMP technology (a method of making composite material with nearly no volatile organic compound emissions) in its yachts. For this reason Hinckley was awarded the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
’s Environmental Merit Award in 1994. Also in 1994, the company first used its now famous jet propulsion technology.
The company again fell under new ownership in 1997 when William Bain, Ralph Willard, and Alexander Spaulding took over operations. It didn’t take the trio long to develop one of Hinckley’s most outstanding features, the JetStick. Released in 1998, the JetStick gives the skipper unparalleled control over the vessel. Furthering its innovation, the company developed Dual Guard technology to create a superior strength hull.
Company Overview
Hinckley currently conducts operations in seven locations across the North East and South East regions of the United States. Due to current economic struggles the company reduced its workforce from 625 employees in mid-2008 to just 305 at the end of August 2009.Leading the way at Hinckley are: William W. Bain, Jr.- currently serving as the company’s director, the Vanderbilt graduate also serves as chairman of the board for Bain, Willard Companies, L.D. and on the board of trust at Vanderbilt. Bain was also named “One of Greater Boston’s 100 most influential business people of the 20th century” by the Boston Business Journal; James McManus- President and CEO since 2007 is a graduate of Yale University with a masters in Business Administration from Harvard University. McManus is also the director of Casella Waste Systems, Inc.; Ralph Willard- Hinckley’s Chairman of the Board, along with Bain and Alexander Spaulding, helped transform the company from a $25 million outfit with 175 employees to a $100 million operation with 700-plus employees in just three years; Alexander H. Spaulding- no longer with the company, but played an instrumental role in Hinckley’s recent development as President, a graduate of Georgetown University. He is now the President and Managing General partner of Sea Glass Capital; and Chairman of the Barton & Gray Mariners Club Ed Roberts- Vice President of Sales and Product Development, a graduate of the University of Connecticut; Michael Arieta- Hinckley’s General Manager, works with the Great Lakes Boat Building School as a technical advisor to boatbuilding students who will soon join the ranks of Hinckley craftsmen.
Current Yachts
Hinckley’s current line of yachts includes seven powerboats ranging in length from 29 to 55 feet and seven sailing vessels from 42 to 70 feet (each boat’s length is represented by the number preceded by its name). Each of Hinckley’s yachts live up to the company’s high standards of quality craftsmanship as their “cabins rival the classiest of living rooms, equipped with tastefully designed, handsomely crafted furnishing”. The powerboats are made up of six Talarias and one Picnic Boat. First built in 1989, the Talaria fleet has been the staple of Hinckley power boats for over twenty years. Hinckley attempts to appeal to all styles of luxury power boaters with its many Talaria designs as well as with its traditional picnic boat. The present line includes: Talaria 29 C (T 29 C), T 29 R, T 38 R, T 40, T 44, T 44 FB/MY, T 55, and Picnic Boat Mk III. The T 38 R includes a “hydraulically operated convertible top” and is “all about curves, shadows, highlights, and reflections”. Combining speed and comfort, the T 40 features the speed and handling of Hinckley’s smaller boats along with an interior that “feels like it comes from a 50-footer”.The Hinckley sailing fleet includes six Sou’wester vessels and the DS 42. Since 1945 the Sou’wester line has been Hinckley’s top sailing ship. As with the Talaria line, Hinckley’s six Sou’westers each have their own unique design to accommodate the many desires of luxury sailors. The DS 42 is one of Hinckley’s newest and possibly most innovative sailing design. The DS 42 was nominated one of the best boats of 2005 by Sail Magazine for its “innovative use of roller furling in a carbon-fiber mast”. Currently Hinckley’s sailing line consists of the SW 42, SW 51, SW 52, SW 59, SW 61, SW 70, and DS 42.
The Bermuda 40 and Other Well Known Models
Hinckley’s most well-known line of yachts is the Bermuda 40. The B40 was born in 1959 and was Hinckley’s first fiberglass boat. As stated by Jack Humor of spinsheet.com “the B-40 was to become the bellwether for future production and established Hinckley as the premier North American Yacht builder of exceptional quality sailing yachts”. The last B40 was built in 1991, ending its 40th year of production with the 203rd rendition of the trendsetting yacht. Another original Hinckley design is the Sou’Wester line. First built in 1945 the Sou’Wester has been the cog of Hinckley sailboat design for 54 years.Pertaining to powerboats, Hinckley is best known for its picnic boats. Though much younger than the Sou’Wester line, the picnic boat is the essence of Hinckley design. A style created by Hinckley, the picnic boat incorporates the performance, ease of use, and low maintenance that have become synonymous with the company name. Originally designed with jet propulsion, the picnic boat paved the way for the development of the JetStick.
Innovation
Since its founding in 1928, Hinckley has been known for its innovation of yachting culture. Three of Hinckley’s greatest introductions are the JetStick, Dual Guard composite material, and the use of fiberglass. Hinckley is the pioneer of fiberglass use. The first experiments with it began during the 1950s and concluded with the creation of the B40 in 1959. Despite much criticism such as the comparison of fiberglass to “frozen snot,” Hinckley transformed the world of boatbuilding with the use of the strong material. To further develop the strength of its yachts, Hinckley created Dual Guard technology in 1999. Dual Guard material is a composite composed of a Kevlar center encompassed by carbon fiber to create the strongest, most efficient hull.One of the biggest design components of Hinckley yachts is the JetStick. Designed by Control Engineering, Inc., the JetStick was first used in 1998. The computer-integrated design allows the skipper to control and dock the boat through the use of a joystick. To use the JetStick the driver pushes a button to engage docking mode, this in turn disengages the wheel while a computer determines the amount of bow thruster and jet needed to move the boat sideways.