Cape Cod Shipbuilding

Cape Cod Shipbuilding is a long-established American boat builder based in Wareham, Massachusetts. Founded in 1899 by brothers Myron and Charles Gurney, the business developed from a local wagon-making operation into a manufacturer of wooden skiffs, sailboats, lifeboats, launches, and commercial craft. Its location on the Wareham River gave the company access to Buzzards Bay and supported the transition from land vehicles to boat construction. The company originally operated as the Cape Cod Power Dory Company. Among its early products was the Cape Cod Knockabout, designed by Charles Gurney in 1925. The business also built larger vessels, including the 80-foot launch Saltaire, which was the largest vessel the company had launched at the time. In 1919, construction of a bridge over the Wareham River restricted marine access from the original site. The company moved below the bridge to property known as Idlewild and adopted the name Cape Cod Shipbuilding Corporation. The expanded facility included separate areas for timber storage, milling, assembly, painting, display, and administration, allowing the company to build both recreational and commercial boats. After the death of Charles Gurney, the business changed ownership and experienced a period of declining quality and employment. Les Goodwin acquired the operation in 1939 and, with his wife Audrey, worked to rebuild it. Under Goodwin's leadership, Cape Cod Shipbuilding commissioned or adopted designs by prominent naval architects, including Philip Rhodes and the firm Sparkman & Stephens. The Rhodes 18 and Cape Cod Mercury 15 became important production designs. During the Second World War, the facility was leased to National Fireworks and operated as Wareham Shipyards. Because of the limited depth of the river, the yard concentrated on shallow-draft vessels such as small tugboats, launches, and smoke boats. It reportedly employed more than 100 people and produced 40-foot tugboats at a rate of approximately six per month. Goodwin also developed a hollow wooden mast construction method using four pieces of wood and water pressure. After the war, Cape Cod Shipbuilding became an early commercial adopter of fiberglass boat construction. Beginning in 1947, it developed fiberglass versions of designs such as the Rhodes 18 and Mercury 15 and experimented with one-piece hulls, bonded decks, controlled resin-curing environments, and lead keels for fiberglass boats. The company also acquired exclusive rights to Nathanael Greene Herreshoff's boat designs in 1947. Some designs entered production, while others were transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for cataloguing and preservation. The yard continued producing wooden Herreshoff Bull's Eyes to support existing racing fleets. Cape Cod Shipbuilding later acquired Zephyr Spars from Alcoa. The spars and rigging business remains associated with the company and supplies masts and booms for other boat manufacturers. In 1979, Gordon L. Goodwin became president as the company faced the early-1980s recession and a broader decline in the sailboat market. To diversify revenue, he expanded repair and storage services. Hurricane Bob in 1991 generated substantial repair demand and was followed by renewed orders for new boats. Gordon's daughter Wendy Goodwin joined the business in 1993. In 1995, the company became the official builder appointed by the Day Sailer class association for the Uffa Fox-designed Day Sailer. By 2022, its stated production range included ten designs: the Cape Cod Mercury 15, Herreshoff Bull's Eye, Herreshoff 12½, Day Sailer, Rhodes 18, Herreshoff Goldeneye, Marlin Heritage 23, Raven 25, Atlantic, and Shields. The brand's current identity is centered on specialized production of fiberglass sailboats, classic and one-design racing boats, repairs, storage, and related marine manufacturing capabilities.

Cape Cod Shipbuilding began in central Wareham as a wagon-making business operated by brothers Myron and Charles Gurney. The company's access to the Wareham River enabled the brothers to build skiffs, initially for their own use. When a customer wanted to purchase one, they constructed another boat instead, leading to the establishment of a dedicated boatbuilding enterprise in 1899 under the name Cape Cod Power Dory Company. The early company produced wooden sailboats and skiffs, later expanding into lifeboats and larger launches. Charles Gurney designed the Cape Cod Knockabout in 1925, one of the company's best-known early boats. The 1919 construction of the Narrows Bridge limited the original plant's access to Buzzards Bay, prompting a move to the Idlewild property below the bridge. At that time the company became Cape Cod Shipbuilding Corporation and developed a more extensive manufacturing campus with dedicated woodworking, assembly, painting, storage, showroom, and office facilities. Following Charles Gurney's death, the company passed to G.S. Williams and declined substantially. Les Goodwin purchased the operation in 1939 and undertook a turnaround with his wife Audrey. Goodwin brought in recognized designers such as Philip Rhodes and Sparkman & Stephens and developed production versions of boats including the Rhodes 18 and Cape Cod Mercury 15. During World War II, National Fireworks leased the plant, which operated as Wareham Shipyards. The yard produced shallow-draft tugboats, launches, and smoke boats. Its river location limited vessel draft, but the facility nonetheless reached employment of more than 100 workers and reportedly produced six 40-foot tugboats each month. Goodwin also worked on innovations in wooden mast construction. The company began working with fiberglass immediately after the war and made models in 1947. It was among the early boatbuilders to commercialize fiberglass sailboats, adapting the Rhodes 18 and Mercury 15 and developing construction processes involving one-piece hulls and bonded decks. It also became an early builder to fit a lead keel to a fiberglass boat. In the same year, Goodwin acquired exclusive rights to Nathanael Greene Herreshoff's designs. Selected designs were produced commercially, while others were preserved through transfer to MIT. Cape Cod Shipbuilding also constructed wooden Herreshoff Bull's Eyes for established racing fleets. The company later acquired Zephyr Spars from Alcoa, moving its production to Wareham and creating an additional business supplying aluminum masts and booms to other builders. Gordon L. Goodwin became president in 1979 during a difficult period for the sailboat industry. He expanded into repair and storage, helping the company withstand the early-1980s recession. Hurricane Bob in 1991 produced a significant increase in repair work and also contributed to new-boat demand. Wendy Goodwin joined the business in 1993. In 1995, Cape Cod Shipbuilding was selected by the Day Sailer class association as its official builder. The company continued to maintain a portfolio of classic and one-design boats. The production range reported in 2022 included ten designs spanning the Cape Cod Mercury 15, Herreshoff Bull's Eye, Herreshoff 12½, Day Sailer, Rhodes 18, Herreshoff Goldeneye, Marlin Heritage 23, Raven 25, Atlantic, and Shields. Its history therefore combines regional wooden boatbuilding, wartime commercial construction, early fiberglass innovation, racing-fleet support, and long-term production of heritage designs.

• 2022

  Ten-design production range reported

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  The company was reported to be producing ten designs, including the Mercury 15, Herreshoff Bull's Eye, Herreshoff 12½, Day Sailer, Rhodes 18, Goldeneye, Marlin Heritage 23, Raven 25, Atlantic, and Shields.

• 1995

  Named official Day Sailer builder

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  The company was appointed by the Day Sailer class association as the official builder for the Uffa Fox-designed class.

• 1991

  Hurricane Bob increased repair demand

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  The storm generated additional boat-repair work and was followed by renewed orders for new boats.

• 1979

  Gordon L. Goodwin became president

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Gordon L. Goodwin assumed the presidency during a recession and a downturn in the sailboat market.

• 1947

  Fiberglass production began

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  The company began developing fiberglass boats and converted the Rhodes 18 and Mercury 15 to the material.

• 1947

  Herreshoff design rights acquired

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Les Goodwin acquired exclusive rights to Nathanael Greene Herreshoff's designs, with some entering production and others being preserved at MIT.

• 1942

  Wartime operation as Wareham Shipyards

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  National Fireworks leased the facility, which produced shallow-draft tugboats, launches, and smoke boats for wartime requirements.

• 1940

  Cape Cod Mercury 15 introduced

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  The Cape Cod Mercury 15 became part of the company's production history and was later adapted to fiberglass construction.

• 1939

  Les Goodwin acquired the company

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Les Goodwin purchased the operation during a period of declining quality and employment and began rebuilding the business.

• 1925

  Cape Cod Knockabout designed

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Charles Gurney designed the Cape Cod Knockabout, an important early design associated with the company.

• 1919

  Plant moved below the Narrows Bridge

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Construction of the Narrows Bridge restricted river access, leading the company to relocate to the Idlewild property and adopt the Cape Cod Shipbuilding Corporation name.

• 1899

  Dedicated boatbuilding company established

  [1]Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org

  Myron and Charles Gurney established the Cape Cod Power Dory Company after their wagon business began building and selling skiffs.

A specialist American builder focused on durable fiberglass sailboats, classic designs, one-design racing fleets, and continuing production of historically significant yacht types. The company combines traditional boatbuilding heritage with fiberglass construction, spar manufacturing, repair, and storage services.

• Sailboat · 1940

  Cape Cod Mercury 15

  A small one-design sailboat associated with Cape Cod Shipbuilding's production history. The design was among those converted from wooden construction to fiberglass after the Second World War and remained part of the reported production range in 2022.

• One-design sailboat · 1914

  Herreshoff Bull's Eye

  A racing and recreational sailboat based on the Herreshoff design tradition. Cape Cod Shipbuilding constructed wooden Bull's Eyes to support established fleets and later included the model among its active production designs.

• Classic sailboat

  Herreshoff 12½

  A classic Herreshoff-derived sailboat associated with Cape Cod Shipbuilding's heritage-design portfolio. Its inclusion in the company's production range reflects the builder's role in maintaining established designs for modern buyers and sailing fleets.

• One-design sailboat · 1995

  Day Sailer

  A Uffa Fox-designed one-design sailboat for which Cape Cod Shipbuilding became the official builder in 1995. The model is intended for class racing and general recreational sailing and was part of the company's reported ten-design range.

• One-design sailboat · 1948

  Rhodes 18

  A Philip Rhodes-associated sailboat that became one of the company's notable production designs. Cape Cod Shipbuilding helped transition the model from wood to fiberglass and continued to associate the boat with its one-design and classic-sailboat portfolio.

• Sailboat · 1959

  Herreshoff Goldeneye

  A Herreshoff design included in Cape Cod Shipbuilding's modern production lineup. It represents the company's practice of preserving and manufacturing established American yacht designs.

• Sailboat

  Marlin Heritage 23

  A 23-foot-class sailboat included in the company's reported 2022 range. It forms part of the builder's mix of traditional designs and production sailboats intended for recreational and fleet sailing.

• Sailboat · 1949

  Raven 25

  A 25-foot-class sailboat listed among the designs Cape Cod Shipbuilding was producing in 2022. Detailed specifications and current availability are not established in the supplied reference material.

• Keelboat · 1929

  Atlantic

  A classic keelboat design included in Cape Cod Shipbuilding's reported production portfolio. The company has built Atlantic boats as part of its support for long-running one-design and heritage sailing classes.

• One-design keelboat · 1962

  Shields

  A one-design keelboat included in the company's 2022 production range. It extends Cape Cod Shipbuilding's role beyond small daysailers into larger class-racing boats.

• Marine spars and rigging components

  Zephyr Spars

  A spar-making division acquired from Alcoa. Based at the Wareham facility, it manufactures aluminum masts and booms and supplies spars to other boat manufacturers.

• 1995

  Become official Day Sailer builderOther

  Background

  The Day Sailer class required an authorized builder for continued production of the Uffa Fox-designed one-design boat.

  Action taken

  Cape Cod Shipbuilding was appointed by the class association as the official builder.

  Aftermath

  The appointment strengthened the company's position in class-racing and heritage-design production.

  Source

• 1979

  Diversify into repairs and storageStrategy

  Background

  The early-1980s recession and a decline in the sailboat market created pressure on the company's new-boat business.

  Action taken

  Under president Gordon L. Goodwin, the company expanded boat-repair and storage services to supplement manufacturing revenue.

  Aftermath

  The additional services helped the operation remain viable during the market downturn; Hurricane Bob later generated a substantial increase in repair work.

  Source

• 1947

  Adopt fiberglass boat constructionStrategy

  Background

  Fiberglass emerged as a new boatbuilding material during and after the Second World War, creating an opportunity to reduce reliance on traditional wooden construction.

  Action taken

  Cape Cod Shipbuilding began experimenting with fiberglass models, converted the Rhodes 18 and Mercury 15, and developed one-piece hull and bonded-deck techniques.

  Aftermath

  The move made the company an early commercial builder of fiberglass sailboats and became central to its later product identity.

  Source

1. 1Cape Cod Shipbuildingen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Cape Cod Shipbuilding official websitecapecodshipbuilding.com