Cape Dory Yachts was a Massachusetts-based builder of
fiberglass
Fiberglass (American English) or fibreglass (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English) is a common type of fibre-reinforced plastic, fiber-reinforced plastic using glass fiber. The fibers may be randomly arranged, flattened i ...
sailboats, powerboats, and pleasure trawlers which operated from 1963 to 1992. It also produced a small number of commercial craft.
History
The company was founded in 1963 by Andrew Vavolotis in
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Bridgewater is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city's population was 28,633. The historic town center of Bridgewater is located approximately south of Boston, Massachusetts and approxima ...
. It began building a small fiberglass sailing dinghy, the Cape Dory 10. Later it moved to a facility in
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in and the county seat of Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Taunton is situated on the Taunton River, which winds its way through the city on its way to Mount Hope Bay, to the south. As of the 2020 United States ...
, producing thousands of boats during the company's lifespan. After the dingy it introduced the popular Typhoon series of small sailboats, then
cruising yachts ranging from 22 to 45 feet.
Carl Alberg
Carl Alberg (11 April 1901 – 31 August 1986) was a Swedish born naval architect known for his influence in early fiberglass boats.
Career
Alberg moved to the United States in 1925 where he began working as a rigger then later as a spar (sa ...
designed many of the company's models, favoring simple lines, narrow beams, and often utilizing a full
keel
The keel is the bottom-most longitudinal structural element of a watercraft, important for stability. On some sailboats, it may have a fluid dynamics, hydrodynamic and counterbalancing purpose as well. The keel laying, laying of the keel is often ...
for superior handling in heavier winds and seas. Together they gave these boats the classic Cape Dory look. Alberg utilized the aforementioned full keel with attached rudder for a sleek and sturdy shape.
In later years the company added pleasure powerboats and trawlers and some commercial boats to its output.
The Cape Dory 25D has been single-handed across both the Atlantic (New York to Ireland) and Pacific (California to Australia) oceans and a solo circumnavigation was completed in a Cape Dory 28.
A division was Intrepid Yachts, which built the
Intrepid 28 starting in 1979, among other designs.
When Cape Dory folded in 1992 it sold a number of its designs to New York's Newport Shipyards, which ceased operations in 1996. The hull molds and designs for several models were then acquired by Robinhood Marine. Headed by Cape Dory founder Vavolotis, it makes them available today as semi-custom yachts.
Models
See also
*
List of sailboat designers and manufacturers
This is a list of notable sailboat designers and manufacturers, which are described by an article in English Wikipedia. Sailboat design and manufacturing is done by a number of companies and groups.
Notable designers
Sailboat designer articles ...
Notes
References
External links
Article on the Cape Dory 25 sailboat at sailboat.guideArticle on the Cape Dory 28 sailboat at sailboat.guideArticle on the Cape Dory 36 sailboat at sailboat.guide
{{Cape Dory Yachts
Cape Dory Yachts