Purdy Boat Company
Purdy Boat Company was an American builder of custom yachts, racing boats, and small naval craft, prominent among wealthy New York clients during the 1920s and 1930s.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Purdy Boat Company was an American custom boatbuilder associated with Port Washington, Long Island, and with the elite recreational boating culture of the interwar United States. Founded in 1916 by Indiana entrepreneur Carl Graham Fisher, the company was built around the boatbuilding abilities of brothers Ned Purdy and Gil Purdy, whom Fisher had encountered while they were working at Consolidated Shipbuilding in Morris Heights, New York. Fisher recognized their technical and practical talent and recruited them to establish a new enterprise. The company initially operated from Fisher's shop at the Indianapolis Speedway, reflecting Fisher's interests in both automobile and boat racing. Later in 1916 it moved to Miami Beach, Florida, and in 1919 briefly relocated to Trenton, Michigan. In 1925, Purdy Boat Company established its lasting base in the Bayview Colony at Port Washington on Manhasset Bay. The Port Washington location placed the business close to New York's Long Island estates, yacht clubs, and affluent clientele, helping it become a prominent maker of bespoke racing boats, cruisers, and yachts. During the 1920s and 1930s, Purdy's reputation grew alongside the expansion of Long Island's so-called Gold Coast society. Its boats were commissioned by wealthy and influential customers, including Walter P. Chrysler, Carl Fisher, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, and John Hay Whitney. Custom boats served practical and social purposes: they could carry owners between Long Island residences and Manhattan, support racing and leisure activities, and function as visible symbols of wealth and technical refinement. Contemporary descriptions treated the Purdy name as a luxury institution comparable, in its field, to Tiffany in jewelry. One of the company's best-known vessels was Aphrodite, a 74-foot cruiser completed in 1937 for John Hay Whitney. The yacht later became associated with an exceptionally prominent passenger list, including Fred Astaire, Laurence Olivier, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Ford II, Harry Hopkins, and Nelson Rockefeller. Shirley Temple also attended a birthday celebration held aboard the vessel. Another recognizable Purdy design was the Biscayne Baby, a class praised by T. E. Lawrence in a 1930 letter for its quality and performance. The company also experienced serious setbacks. A major fire at its Port Washington boathouse in 1928 destroyed the facility and several boats, including a flying yacht belonging to a member of the Vanderbilt family. During the Second World War, Purdy shifted part of its production toward national service and built more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy. The company ultimately ceased operations around 1950. Although no longer active, Purdy Boat Company remains associated with American classic-boat history, bespoke yacht construction, New York social history, and the transition from private luxury production to wartime manufacturing.
History
Purdy Boat Company emerged from the meeting of entrepreneur Carl Graham Fisher and brothers Ned and Gil Purdy. Fisher, an Indiana businessman known for his interests in automobiles, speed contests, and boats, had encountered the brothers during their employment at Consolidated Shipbuilding in Morris Heights, New York. Impressed by their work, he recruited them in 1916 to form a new boatbuilding business. The enterprise began in Fisher's shop at the Indianapolis Speedway. Its early identity was therefore connected to the same culture of engineering, competition, and mechanical experimentation that characterized Fisher's wider business interests. Later in 1916, the company moved to Miami Beach, Florida. In 1919 it relocated briefly to Trenton, Michigan, before establishing a permanent home in 1925 at the Bayview Colony in Port Washington, on Manhasset Bay, Long Island. The Port Washington base was strategically important. It put the company near the estates, private docks, and social networks of New York's affluent Gold Coast. In the 1920s and 1930s, Purdy became known for custom-built racing boats and luxury cruisers designed for individual clients rather than mass production. The company attracted customers such as Walter P. Chrysler, Carl Fisher, Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, and John Hay Whitney. Its boats could be used for racing, transportation between Long Island and Manhattan, and informal or highly publicized social entertainment. The Purdy name consequently became linked with both craftsmanship and status. The company's best-known commission was probably Aphrodite, a 74-foot cruiser built for John Hay Whitney in 1937. The yacht became notable not only for its construction but also for the distinguished people who traveled aboard it. Its guests included prominent figures from government, business, film, and theater, among them Fred Astaire, Laurence Olivier, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, Henry Ford II, Harry Hopkins, and Nelson Rockefeller. Shirley Temple was also associated with a birthday party held aboard the yacht. The company additionally built the Biscayne Baby class, which received favorable notice from T. E. Lawrence in 1930. Purdy's success was interrupted by a serious 1928 fire that destroyed its Port Washington boat-house and a number of vessels. One of the losses was a flying yacht owned by a Vanderbilt family member. The incident illustrates the vulnerability of a custom builder whose facilities contained individually valuable, often unique craft. World War II brought a change in production emphasis. Rather than concentrating exclusively on private yachts and racing boats, the company contributed to the American war effort by constructing more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy. This work connected Purdy to the broader wartime mobilization of American boatbuilding capacity. The company closed around 1950. It left no continuing mass-market product line or surviving corporate group, but its historical importance persists through surviving classic boats, accounts of Long Island society, and references to vessels such as Aphrodite and the Purdy-built patrol boats USS Raven III and USS Shadow III. Purdy is remembered as a representative of a period when custom boatbuilding combined naval architecture, competitive performance, luxury transport, and elite social culture.
- 1950
Company closes
[1]Purdy Boat Company ceased operations around 1950.
- 1937
Aphrodite completed
[1]Purdy completed the 74-foot Aphrodite for financier John Hay Whitney.
- 1930
Biscayne Baby receives praise from T. E. Lawrence
[1]T. E. Lawrence referred favorably to the Purdy-built Biscayne Baby class in a letter written in July 1930.
- 1928
Port Washington boat-house fire
[1]A fire destroyed the company's boat-house and several boats, including a Vanderbilt-associated flying yacht.
- 1925
Permanent Port Washington base established
[1]The company established its long-term headquarters at the Bayview Colony on Manhasset Bay in Port Washington, Long Island.
- 1919
Temporary move to Trenton
[1]Purdy briefly moved its operations to Trenton, Michigan.
- 1916
Company founded
[1]Carl Graham Fisher founded Purdy Boat Company with the boatbuilding talents of brothers Ned and Gil Purdy.
- 1916
Early operations move to Miami Beach
[1]After beginning at Fisher's Indianapolis Speedway shop, the company relocated to Miami Beach later in the year.
World War II naval production
[1]The company built more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy during World War II.
Products and positioning
A high-end American custom boatbuilder whose reputation rested on bespoke craftsmanship, racing performance, and close association with wealthy New York and national clients.
Luxury motor yacht · 1937
Aphrodite
A 74-foot cruiser built in 1937 for John Hay Whitney. Aphrodite became the company's most socially famous vessel because it hosted prominent figures from American government, business, entertainment, and public life.
Racing boat and cruiser class
Biscayne Baby
A Purdy boat class associated with the company's reputation for fast, refined custom craft. T. E. Lawrence praised the Biscayne Baby in a 1930 letter, describing it as an outstanding American-made boat.
Racing boats
Custom racing boats
Purdy built bespoke racing boats for private owners and competitive use. These craft formed a central part of the company's identity during its most prominent period in the 1920s and 1930s.
Military and patrol boats
Small naval craft
During World War II, Purdy adapted its production to build more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy. Earlier Purdy-built civilian motorboats also served as World War I Navy patrol boats under the names USS Raven III and USS Shadow III.
Brand decisions
1925
Establishment of a permanent Long Island baseStrategyBackground
After operating in Indiana, Florida, and Michigan, the company sought a stable location close to the wealthy New York boating market.
Action taken
Purdy established itself at the Bayview Colony in Port Washington on Manhasset Bay.
Aftermath
The location supported the company's rise as a custom builder for Gold Coast clients during the 1920s and 1930s.
- Shift toward wartime naval productionStrategy
Background
World War II created demand for small military craft and changed the operating environment for civilian luxury manufacturers.
Action taken
Purdy built more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy.
Aftermath
The wartime work became part of the company's historical record before it closed around 1950.
Recent events
- 1950
Purdy Boat Company ceases operations[1]
Other
The company closed around 1950 after its period as a prominent custom yacht and racing-boat builder.
- 1928
Purdy boat-house destroyed by fire[1]
Other
A major fire destroyed the company's Port Washington boat-house and several vessels, including a flying yacht associated with a Vanderbilt family member.
Purdy builds small craft for the United States Navy[1]
Other
During the Second World War, the company produced more than 80 small craft for the United States Navy.
Sources4 sources
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