⛵ Sailboat DB

Grampian Marine

Active: 1962 – 1977 • Website

Grampian Marine was one of the first manufacturers fiberglass sailboats in Canada. It was founded by Jim Bisiker, owner of a construction company at Oakville, Ontario. Bisiker, along with Dick Kneulman and John Burn began building small fiberglass boats under license from Dyer Yachts of Rhode Island, USA. At the time, Dyer was at the leading edge for this technology and all three men had spent time at the Dyer plant learning as much as they could. The first Grampian plant was built on land owned by Bisikers company.\r\nSoon enough this attracted a group from the US wanting Grampian to build boats for them. There was Charles Angle from Rochester, NY, who had designed the TRIANGLE 20 and TRIANGLE 32, and later the US 42 which later became the 46. Marketing was done by US Yachts, whose principals included Bob Larsen and Warren Dellenbaugh. Larsen and Dellenbaugh were also among the founders of O’Day Yachts.\r\nAs a result, Grampian began building not only the US Yachts line, but also (for the Canadian market only) the O’Day line of day sailors. Grampian also participated in the development of O'Day's new Hunt designed offshore powerboats though they chose not be involved in the actual production. \r\nDuring the late 1960's, Grampian continued to build boats for O’Day though declined an offer to be bought out by them. (O’Day did purchase US Yachts and Triangle Marine before going public on the New York Stock Exchange.)\r\n\r\nGrampian also built the ALBACORE, SNIPES and FLYING TERNS and 420’s (The Canadian government placed an order for fifty) in addition to the CLASSIC 22 and the G 17, a cuddy cabin dinghy. \r\nIn response to the urging of George Walton Yachts of Annapolis, Md., and other dealers in the US, Grampian began building it's own line of ailing yachts which included the CLASSIC 31 designed by Peter van Dyne, and the S&S designed CLASSIC 37. Subsequently Grampian took on its own in-house designer Alex McGruer. He began with the GRAMPIAN 26 followed by the GRAMPIAN 30 and later the GRAMPIAN 23.\r\nDue to it's expanding US market, a plant was opened in North Carolina USA and the company became less reliant on it's original Oakville facility. \r\nWhen the company closed in 1977, the assets were sold to a number of different buyers. (The molds for the HERITAGE 35 had been purchased just before.) \r\nThe North Carolina plant was taken over by Tanzer Industries.

Boats (26)

Name LOA (ft) First Built Last Built Rig
ALBACORE 15 1954 Fractional Sloop
CLASSIC 22 (GRAMPIAN) 22.16 1962 Fractional Sloop
CLASSIC 31 30.92 1963 Cutter
CLASSIC 37 (GRAMPIAN) 37.33 1964 Masthead Sloop
DISCOVERY 7.9 (GRAMPIAN) 26 1975 1977 Masthead Sloop
EAGLE 27 27 1963 1967 Masthead Sloop
FLYING TERN 13.94 1955 Fractional Sloop
GRAMPIAN 17 16.5 1969 Fractional Sloop
GRAMPIAN 2-34 33.75 1974 1977 Masthead Sloop
GRAMPIAN 22 22.33 1969 1971 Fractional Sloop
GRAMPIAN 23 23.25 1971 1976 Masthead Sloop
GRAMPIAN 26 26 1967 1977 Masthead Sloop
GRAMPIAN 28 28 1975 Masthead Sloop
GRAMPIAN 30 29.75 1969 1977 Masthead Sloop
GRAMPIAN 34 33.58 1972 1977 Masthead Ketch
GRAMPIAN 46 46 1969 1976 Masthead Yawl
GRAMPIAN CLASSIC 31 30.92 1964 Cutter
GRAMPIAN CLASSIC 37 37.26 1965 Masthead Sloop
INTERNATIONAL FJ 13.22 1956 Fractional Sloop
JUMPAHEAD 16 1948 Fractional Sloop
SNIPE 15.5 1931 Fractional Sloop
TRIANGLE 20 20.5 1961 1963 Fractional Sloop
TRIANGLE 32 32 1961 1968 Masthead Ketch
US 41 41.92 1963 1967 Masthead Yawl
US 46 46 1968 Masthead Sloop
WALTON 37 (GRAMPIAN) 37.33 1964 Masthead Sloop