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.

1. 2022Ten-design production range reported

   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.

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2. 1995Named official Day Sailer builder

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

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3. 1991Hurricane Bob increased repair demand

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

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4. 1979Gordon L. Goodwin became president

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

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5. 1947Fiberglass production began

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

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6. 1947Herreshoff design rights acquired

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

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7. 1942Wartime operation as Wareham Shipyards

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

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8. 1940Cape Cod Mercury 15 introduced

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

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9. 1939Les Goodwin acquired the company

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

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10. 1925Cape Cod Knockabout designed

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

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11. 1919Plant moved below the Narrows Bridge

    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.

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12. 1899Dedicated boatbuilding company established

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

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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.

• Cape Cod Mercury 15Sailboat1940

  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.

• Herreshoff Bull's EyeOne-design sailboat1914

  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.

• Herreshoff 12½Classic sailboat

  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.

• Day SailerOne-design sailboat1995

  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.

• Rhodes 18One-design sailboat1948

  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.

• Herreshoff GoldeneyeSailboat1959

  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.

• Marlin Heritage 23Sailboat

  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.

• Raven 25Sailboat1949

  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.

• AtlanticKeelboat1929

  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.

• ShieldsOne-design keelboat1962

  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.

• Zephyr SparsMarine spars and rigging components

  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.

• 1995Become official Day Sailer builderOther

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

  What changed. 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.

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• 1979Diversify into repairs and storageStrategy

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

  What changed. 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.

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• 1947Adopt fiberglass boat constructionStrategy

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

  What changed. 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. Cape Cod Shipbuilding
2. Cape Cod Shipbuilding official website