This article is relating to an article in the January 2014 issue.

1957

  • International Marine building wooden boats based on Herreshoff 28-foot design.
  • Okamoto Shipyard building 35- and 40-foot wooden ketches designed by Garden and commissioned by Hardin.

1958

  • Clair Oberly founds Far East Yachts, builds wooden versions of the Alden/Oberly-designed Mariner 31 and Garden-designed Mariner 40.

1960

  • Bill Hardin shuts down Okamoto Shipyard, moves operations to Taiwan.
  • Kawasaki Dockyard Company, Ltd. (later to become Kawasaki Heavy Industries) purchases both International Marine (which became TOA Yachts) and Far East Yachts (which became Far East Boats).
  • Yamaha parlays its FRP expertise to begin building a few small (<15 feet) open boats.

1964

  • Far East Boats adds two boats to lineup: Garden-designed Mariner 35 and S&S design #1738, a 40-foot full-keel sloop.

1967

  • Far East Yachts builds first hull molds to begin fiberglass construction.

1968

  • Far East Yachts ceases construction of wooden boats.
  • Far East Yachts introduces Mariner 31.

1970

  • Far East Yachts introduces Mariner 32.
  • Far East Yachts introduces Mariner 40.

1972

  • Far East Yachts introduces Mariner 36.
  • Kawasaki Heavy Industries shuts down Far East Boats and TOA Yachts.
  • Fuji Yacht Builders builds a couple of one-off boats using Mariner 36 hull mold.

1973

  • Fuji Yacht Builders introduces Fuji 35.

1974

  • Fuji Yacht Builders introduces Fuji 45.

1975

  • Fuji Yacht Builders introduces Fuji 32.
  • Yamaha introduces Finot-designed Y29 for sale in Europe.

1976

  • Yamaha introduces Y33, Y24, Y25 for sale in North America.

1977

  • Fuji Yacht Builders introduces Fuji 40.
  • Yamaha introduces Y36.

1979

  • Fuji Yacht Builders ceases operations.
  • Yamaha introduces Y35.

1980

  • Yamaha introduces Y30.

1984

  • Yamaha introduces Y37.

1985

  • Yamaha ceases exports of recreational sailboats.

Mariner, Fuji, and Yamaha sailboats built for export

Japanese Boats Table