Watkins Yachts

The company was founded by the four Watkins brothers. The first yacht produced was the WATKINS 23 in 1974, similar to the HELSEN YACHTS 22. Rich Watkins obtained permission to duplicate the hull with some modifications from Johannes “Jopie” Helsen, owner of Helsen Yachts. The Watkins brothers commissioned Walter Scott to assist them in designing the WATKINS 27, which was brought out in 1977. Around 1980 the company was taken over by Al Larson, owner of Auroraglas, a boat building company that had been purchased by Watkins Yachts. After this, the company rolled out a number of larger yachts, (WATKINS 25, 32 and 36) all based on tooling that had been purchased from the now defunct Columbia Yachts including the sister Coronado brand. (It should be pointed out, that all these models were significantly modified and it is difficult to determine the similarities of the WATKINS and the earlier Columbia’s even after close inspection) In 1986 the Watkins company was sold to the McLaughlin Body Co. The sailboat line was renamed as ‘SEAWOLF’. But after this, power boats became the main stay of production. From then on only about one or two hulls per month of each of the 3 remaining models were built. The last WATKINS model was produced in 1989.