Trojan Yachts

Trojan Yachts was (1949–present) a US manufacturer of motorboats, with offices and production facilities in Lancaster Pennsylvania, Elkton Maryland and Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario Canada.

History

In 1949 James R. "Jim" McQueen and Harper Hull purchased the Cottrell-Spoore Boatworks of Troy, New York. The company was named "The Trojan Boat Company" and moved the business to York, Pennsylvania. Soon they moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Growth in sales after the Korean War necessitated additional facilities at Elkton, Maryland, and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Trojan by 1968 had become the one of the largest producer of inboard motor boats in the world, employing over 700 people, most on their 26 acre site in a 142,000 square foot factory and adjacent truck depot at 167 Greenfield Road, Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 1966 Trojan acquired the Shepherd Boat Company, Canada, manufacturer of up to 50-foot wooden motor yachts.

Originally all of the boats were built of wood. Transition to fiberglass hulls forced the company to become affiliated with Whittaker Marine Group, listed on the NYSE, which ultimately included Bertram Yacht, Trojan Yachts, Riva, Desco Marine, Kettenburg, Balboa Marine, and Coronado Yachts. Total sales of the Whittaker Marine Group reached between $250 and $350 Million in the early 70's.

Trojan Yachts Today

The Trojan Yacht Company of Lancaster, Pennsylvania ended production in 1992. Miramar Marine Columbia Yachts, later Genmar, purchased the Trojan Boat brand name and assets. Genmar Holdings, Inc., Pulaski, Wisconsin, produces motor yachts with the Trojan name at Carver Yachts.

The factory site at Lancaster, Pennsylvania was remediated for chemicals and certified by EPA in 2008. The current owner of the property in 2010 leased after renovation to multiple companies including Kalas Manufacturing, Brown Transmission and Bearing and Penske Truck Rental.

Classic Trojan Models

Notable Trojan vessels

• Trojan Sea Breeze 28 foot (1954+)
• Trojan Express 33 foot model (1960s). The Trojan Express cabin cruiser in the 1960s television show Sea Hunt was custom built in 1960 with mahogany planking and teak decks and trim, and measured 33 feet long and 12 feet wide. It was named, after the mythological Greek heroes who sailed with Jason in quest of the Golden Fleece, the Argonaut.^[1]
• Trojan Sea Voyager (originally 31 feet and later a 42 footer with the same name)
• Trojan 32 foot model (1972-1992)
• Trojan 10 Meter (1980) - designed by Ron Pickle, President Don Seith, and designer Harry Schoell).

See also

References

• Pennsylvania History, Vol. 65, No. 2, Spring 1998, Penn State University Press, "Pennsylvania Boatbuilding: Charting a State Tradition", Seth Bruggeman (College of William and Mary)^[2]
• Lloyd's Register of American Yachts 1973^[3]
• Yachting Apr 1983^[4]
• Lloyd's Register of Yachts 1978^[5]
• Yachting, Volume 136, 1974^[6]
• Moody's OTC Industrial Manual 1993^[7]
• MotorBoating Oct 1972^[8]
• Boating Jul-Dec 1970^[9]
• 2008 PowerBoat Guide ISBN 978-0977353941 p. 440-448^[10]
• 1996 Sportfishing Boats, 28'-82', 1975-Current: McKnew/Parker Consumer's Guide ISBN 978-0070454965 p. 230,280^[11]
• Maritime Cecil County ISBN 978-0738544465 p. 59^[12]
• Trojan International Company History^[13]
• Trojan Yachts History Yachts.com^[14]
• Trojan Boat History^[15]
• EPA Trojan Boat Factory remediation^[16]
• Ron Pickle^[17]
• The Trojan Wars^[18]
• BoatingABC Trojan Building Sale^[19]

External links

• Columbia Yachts Website
• Carver Yachts Website