The sorted history of the Islander Yacht Company

1969 to 1986

 

History (or lack Thereof) of the Islander Yacht Corp. by Skipper Wall

 

It was my original intent to learn about the Islander Yacht Corporation. I was looking for information such as all the sizes of boats manufactured, numbers of boats built in each size, dates of production, naval architect and anything else of interest to an Islander yacht owner.

 

I have talked to many people who were connected with the corporation through the years and learned smidgens of information. But in reality, not very much is available for the simple reason that it has been twelve years since the Islander Corporation closed its doors and everyone involved .has gone on to other endeavors and interests and has long forgotten their involvement.

 

From Justin Thompson of Sail Info, BelIview, WA. The McGlasson was the original corporation, then Wayfarer and finally Islander.

 

A Ralph Brown, in southern California must have bought McGlasson corporation, changed the name to Wayfarer Yachts(?) in the middle 1960's and sold it in 1969 or so with Islander Yachts becoming the parent company. The Islander 37 was built during the Wayfarer period.

 

Joan Richards, founder of Odyssey Sail in Costa Mesa, talked to Bill Lapworth and brought forth no information. She spent considerable time and effort thinking of names of people for me to call and spent much time on the phone herself trying to learn about people of the Islander Yacht Corporation. She is responsible for several of the names listed below.

 

A letter to Frank Butler of Catalina Yachts had the same "no information" result. We had been led to believe he had purchased many of the files of the bankrupt corporation.

 

We have been told that the files after the auction were probably tossed in a dumpster and now lay buried under twelve years of landfill. But according to Don Wilson, Fuqua Industries, Inc. bought all the files and put them in storage somewhere. Fuqua Industries, changed its name to Activa Group, Inc. and was subsequently combined to form Metromedia International Group, Inc of East Rutherford, NJ. At one time they made the "Snapper" lawn mower. They also made boat trailers , Ked shoes and athletic clothing.

 

The best source of information about the Islander 36 files may have been with Mr. Luke Chang, San Gabriel, Ca. He was the treasurer of Newport Offshore Yachts, the company which purchased the molds for the I 36 in approximately 1986. The company's phone and Mr. Chang's home phone were disconnected when we trid to call in January 1997 with no new number given.

 

We do know that construction of the Islander Yachts was in Costa Mesa, Ca. and if memory serves me, there was also a production facility in the Chesapeake bay area.

 

The original name was the McGlasson Boat Co., then Wayfarer Marine, prior to becoming the Islander Yacht Corp. This would have been in the 1960's. In 1984 the production of boats was moved to Costa Rica and the corporation went into bankruptcy in 1986, never to build another Islander Yacht. I don't know how true this may be but I have been given information that the last bankruptcy was not the first one.

 

Justin Thompson, Sail Info, has helped clarify much of the information below. Justin has over 2500 plans of boats. If you are curious about a boat you can reach him on the Internet: justin@sailinfo.com

 

I searched through my files and took the liberty of scanning the following article from the October 1997 newsletter of the Islander 36 Association.

 

Thanks Skipper for all your research. Since the article is so long, I will post it in sections, this first one gives the history of the Islander Corp. as we know it. The second section will give the yachts built and what is known about them. The third section will give the people and addresses known about the company. Perhaps with our network, we can add to the information here.

 

 

The following is from the Islander 36 Newsletter, October 1997, researched by Skipper Wall:

 

List of boats as we know at this time: 1 Sept, 1997:Kit versions of Islanders were known as Yachtcraft according to Justin Thompson.

 

Islander 55: Bruce King, NA; Joe Artese had a thousand hours of design work on this boat before it was shelved. Only some hulls were built. No deck molds were laid up. In a 1969 issue of "sailing directory" there was one of these boats shown under sail. Leif Beiley says molds were sold to Tradewinds Yachts as virtually a new boat using the existing hull. At least three were built. Hull#l was for the Beach Boys Band. Unique in that it had a 16 track recording system, an electric piano and a bathtub with jacuzzi. It is still sailing. #2 hull was for a Mr. Eric Tarr. It was yellow hulled. Sailed in the LAX/ Catalina area until the 1980's. Has since disappeared. A third boat was built. Owner unknown. The Islander/Tradewinds 55 was one of the last boats designed by King to the old CCA rule. Lots of speed potential but somewhat compromised because of the center cockpit and deluxe accommodations. Wayfarer Yachts; 1969 at $75,000

 

Islander 53: A cutter, saw advertised in "CaliforniaYachts". Afloat in southern California.

 

Islander 48: Listed in one of the boat directories. >From Justin Thompson: This boat was originally the Mariner 47 and built on the East coast. He has sailed on this model. In the late 1980's this boat became the Islander 48C.

 

Islander 44 C: William Lapworth, NA; Principally a kit boat. Maybe ten were sold. Idea was to get people into a boat for under $10,000. This was probably in 1972. Maybe a couple were fully outfitted. Wayfarer Yachts; 1969 at $40,000. Molds were purchased by Yachtcraft.

 

Islander 41: Alan Gurney, NA. An IOR design. Only six were produced. Molds purchased by Yachtcraft. One built by Yachtcraft.

 

Islander 40: Doug Peterson, NA.

 

Islander P40: Listed in one of the boat directories. #1 hull launched in early 1979. One of these first boats was sold to a North executive. Don't know who by, but a lawsuit was filed against the boat because of poor workmanship.

 

Islander 38C: Listed as an Islander but in reality is a Freeport 38C

 

Islander 37: Bruce King, NA. 10 to 12 sailing on SFO Bay. There was a one design class on the bay. Wayfarer Yachts: 1969 at $25,000

 

Islander 37: Bruce King, NA. Listed in one of the boat directories. Same motorsailer hull as the I37

 

Islander 36: Alan Gurney, NA. Presently living on the Isle of Islay off Scotland's west coast. Still designs an occasional cruiser. Now an author, currently finished writing a book "Below the Convergence". Sailing magazine says it’s a "cracker to read". Alan Gurney designed the hull and rig. Joe Artese designed from the sheerline up and the interior. There are approximately 120 on the SFO bay and delta area. There were approximately 720 built. One of the most successful runs of a production boat. Hull #13 is still on the SFO bay owned by a member of the Golden Gate Yacht Club. Molds were sold to Newport Offshore yachts. Mold location unknown. The San Francisco I36 association is now 23 years old. Races one-design and cruises to many locations in and around the bay area including the near coastal waters. Cost: 1975 at $29,932, 1978 at $47,400. Years of production were 1971 thru 1986 with a gap of three years from 1980 to 1983.

 

Islander 34: Robert Perry, NA. 14 built. Molds sold to Nordic yachts. The boat resurfaced as the Nordic 34. According to Leif Beiley, Yachtcraft purchased some I34 molds and produced a couple as kit boats.

 

Islander 34: Saw a brochure of a lapstrake/bowsprit design. Wonder if this is the one who J. McGlasson is the NA? Also known as the Yachtcraft 34, kit boat. Bill Gorman did not think any of these were ever built. Brochure had interiors which could have been very good renderings.

 

Islander 33: Listed in Cruising World's boat list. At least one on SFO bay, built by Wayfarer Yachts in approximately 1965. 1969 at $14,950. Wayfarer listed as naval architect.

 

Islander 32: Robert Perry, NA.

 

Islander 32 MarkII: Listed in one of the boat directories.

 

Islander 30: Wayfarer Yachts, NA. 1969 at $9,450

 

Islander 30 Mark II: Bob Finch, NA.

 

Islander 30A: Alan Andrews, NA. Pure Racer. First Produced in 1983.

 

Islander 29: J.H.McGlasson, NA. Wayfarer Yachts. 1969@$11,950. Listed in Cruising World's boat list and saw one racing in the 1997 double handed Farallons race.

 

Islander 28: Robert Perry, NA. He considers this boat one of his best designs.

 

Islander 27: A.S. Pendell, NA. Wayfarer Yachts. 1969 at $6,950.

 

Excalibur 27: Listed in a boat directory. 1972.

 

Islander 26: Listed in a boat directory. Drawings by Leif Beiley

 

Islander 23: W.I.B. Crealock, NA. Wayfarer Yachts. 1969 @$2,750. Also built in theU. K. by Russell Marine.

 

Islander 21: J. McGlasson, NA. Listed in a boat directory.

 

Islander 16: Listed in a boat directory.

 

Bahama Group: Not much known about these boats:

 

Bahama 21: One owned by a Vallejo YC member.

 

Bahama 24: J.H.McGlasson, NA. 1969 at $4,295.

 

Bahama 26: Listed in a boat directory.

 

Bahama 28: Robert Perry, NA.

 

Bahama 30: Bob Finch, NA.

 

Freeport group: Islander dropped the Freeport name in the late 1980's At this time, the F38 was reconfigured to the I(F)38C.

Freeport 41: A redo by Robert Perry, NA. same hull as the I40. A takeoff of an 140 motorsailor.

 

Freeport 36: Robert Perry, NA. Drawings by Lief Beiley. Three medium sized windows at raised salon.

 

Freeport 36 Center Cockpit: Robert Perry, NA. Originally conceived as a charter boat for a charter company. 30 boats ordered. Don't know how many delivered. Same hull as the F36. From Justin Thompson: Basically an F36 with the "B" interior and the quarter berth from the "A" interior. Extra length is added in the bowsprit. A different rig, longer boom, mast a foot forward, two large windows in the salon. Main solon and settee slightly larger. Only produced for two years.

 

Freeport 40: Charlie Davies, NA. No further info.

 

Freeport 44: Islander Yachts, NA. Sail plan only. Preliminaries only. None ever past this stage of development.

 

The following were designed but never built to Justin Thompson's knowledge.

 

Islander 37

 

Freeport 44

 

 

Islander 24 history: By Curt Cylke

 

I did a little digging last night through my notes of a converstaion I had with Joseph McGlasson's widow last year. The Islander 24 was originally a wooden boat designed by Joseph McGlasson (died April 1993). His Company McGlasson Marine produced the first fiberglass models from a mold made from his original wooden boat.

 

There were several wooden Islander 24s, most sold to east coast professionals. Production moved to Islander Yachts in Costa Messa CA and then to Wayfarer Yachts. At some point in the early 1960s. Joe was unable to meet production demands and contracted with columbia to build some of his Islanders. Apparently, Dick Valdez at Columbia used the mold to produce the hull for the Columbia 24 series. Joe was not terribly amused by this. The original Islander 24 had the trunk cabin and the later versions had the flush deck/cabin.

 

Joe's widow claims to have met several (at least three) sailors who sailed the Islander 24 around the world. As for the big ports on the trunk cabin model, aparently Joe lived in a house with large windows overlooking the ocean and was prone to feeling claustraphobic I'll let you know if I come up with anyting else.