| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Boat building |
| Founded | 1963 |
| Founder | Howard and Peter Hughes |
| Defunct | 1991 |
| Headquarters | , Canada |
| Products | Sailboats |
| Subsidiaries | Columbia Yachts |
Hughes Boat Works was a Canadianboat builder based inCentralia, Ontario. The company specialized in the design and manufacture offibreglasssailboats.[1][2]
The company was founded by brothers Howard and Peter Hughes in 1963 and closed in 1991. Howard Hughes was not theAmerican pilot and engineer of the same name.[1][2][3][4]
The company grew to become the largest sailboat manufacturer in Canada.[1][2]
The company was also known asNorth Star Yachts Limited and later,Hughes Boatworks Inc.[1][2]
The Hughes brothers formed the company initially inWillowdale, Ontario, as a builder ofdinghies. Two years later, in 1965, the company was relocated toScarborough, Ontario where they built theHughes 24keelboat between 1965 and 1967. The Hughes 24 used tooling and moulds purchased fromTanzer Industries. Also built during this period were theHughes 27 andHughes 38-1. The former was a Howard Hughes design while the latter was designed bySparkman & Stephens in conjunction with Hughes.[1][2]
In 1968 the company moved away from theToronto area to southwestern Ontario and the town ofCentralia, Ontario. After moving, the company started building the Howard Hughes-designedHughes 22,Hughes 25 andHughes 29, as well as the Sparkman & Stephens' designed Hughes 38-1 andHughes 48 keelboats.[1][2]
Between 1968 and 1970, the company also produced 28 Hughes 38-1 hulls that were sold toHinckley Yachts inSouthwest Harbor, Maine, where the decks were added, the boats completed and sold as theHinckley 38.[5][6][7][8]
In 1969 the company was sold to theUnited States Steel Corporation which changed the name to North Star Yachts Limited. Both Hughes brothers stayed on with the company for a two-year transition period.[1][2]
The renamed company produced boats under the North Star name. Between 1971 and 1974 the Hughes 22 continued in production as theNorth Star 22. Also produced were a line of Sparkman & Stephens' designs, including theNorth Star 500,North Star 1000,North Star 1500,North Star 38 and theNorth Star 80/20. The company also built theBruce Farr-designedNorth Star 727 andNorth Star 900 starting in 1973.[1][2]
In 1977 US Steel entered receivership and the appointed receiver offered the assets of the bankrupt company's North Star Yachts division to the former owners. Howard Hughes bought the company back in 1977 and renamed it Hughes Boatworks Inc, changing the boat design names back to Hughes. TheHughes 26 was derived from theNorth Star 600. The North Star 1000 received an extendedtransom, as well as increasedbeam and was renamed theHughes 31. The North Star 1500 became theHughes 35 and theNorth Star 38 had its interior redesigned and was renamed theHughes 38-2. The North Star 80/20 became theHughes 40. A new model, theHughes 27 was also introduced. TheNorth Star 35 design was modified byCoronado Yachts and sold by that company as theCoronado 36.[1][2][9]
Hughes purchased the US companyColumbia Yachts in 1979 and moved production to his facility inHuron Park, Ontario. The Columbia lines of sailboats were renamed as Hughes-Columbia and were produced in addition to the Hughes sailboat line. Boats were produced finished and ready-to-sail, or as kits forbuilder completion. New models introduced under the Hughes-Columbiabrand included theHughes-Columbia 36,8.3,8.7,10.7,11.8,42 and48.[1][2]
During this period the company was the largest builder of sailboats in Canada.[1][2]
In 1980 the company enteredreceivership and production ended when the factory was shut down.[1][2]
The Columbia Yachts division was sold toAura Yachts, another boat builder in the same location. Aura went on to build versions of many of the Hughes' designs under their own brand name.[1][2]
Some of the designs were also built in the United Kingdom bySouth Hants Engineering.[1][2]
Hughes bought the company back once again in 1986, this time locating it inOrangeville, Ontario, north of Toronto. The company advertised a new model, theHughes 41 for sale in this period.[1][2]
In 1991 the factory was destroyed by fire and that marked the end of the company and along with it production of the Hughes and the Columbia lines of sailboats.[1][2]
Summary of boats built by Hughes Boat Works:[1]
Media related toHughes Boat Works at Wikimedia Commons