Ron Rawson Inc.

Overview of Ron Rawson, Inc.
Ron Rawson, Inc. was a pioneering Pacific Northwest boatbuilding company founded by Ronald "Ron" Rawson in the mid-1950s in Port Angeles, Washington, specializing in early fiberglass sailboats and commercial fishing vessels. As the first U.S. builder of fiberglass commercial fishing boats, Rawson leveraged post-WWII innovations in reinforced plastics to produce durable, low-maintenance hulls, transitioning from wooden designs to molded fiberglass by the late 1950s. The company operated until the late 1970s, building around 200-300 sailboats under renowned architects like William Garden, Ben Seaborn, and Alfred E. Luders Jr., focusing on seaworthy cruisers and racers for the rugged PNW waters. Known for robust construction (solid FG hulls, often with teak interiors), Rawson's boats emphasized affordability and performance, contributing to the region's fiberglass boom. After Ron's death in 2013, the legacy persists through well-preserved classics, with no active production but strong owner communities.