Arnold Meyer Sr.

Arnold Meyer Sr. was a visionary American boatbuilder and early adopter of fiberglass construction in the post-WWII era, best known for founding Meyer Boats (later Meyer Marine) in Costa Mesa, California, during the 1950s. A self-taught naval architect and marine engineer, Meyer transitioned from wooden powerboats to pioneering affordable, durable fiberglass sailboats and runabouts, helping democratize boating in Southern California. His designs—simple, stable, and family-friendly—were among the first mass-produced fiberglass dinghies and small cruisers, influencing the industry’s shift from wood to GRP (glass-reinforced plastic). Meyer’s legacy lives in the thousands of Meyer boats still sailing today, prized for their bulletproof construction and classic West Coast style.
Meyer Sr., based in Pewaukee, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee), was a local sailing enthusiast and early ILYA member. In 1923, the association sought a new "E" class scow (sized between C and F classes). Meyer drew up the scantlings for a 28 ft scow with a 3–4 crew, emphasizing speed and simplicity. A prototype was built in a converted horse barn on Rocky Point (still standing today).
Evolution: The design refined over decades—e.g., Dacron sails (1949), aluminum spars (1969), fiberglass hulls (1973)—but Meyer's original lines remain the core.
His Broader Early Career: Before California fiberglass (1950s), Meyer designed multiple scow classes (A, B, C, E) for ILYA, helping popularize scows on inland lakes. This Midwest phase (1920s–1940s) was his "wooden era," contrasting his later West Coast innovations.