In this great video Barry Hinckley shares the story Hinckley Yachts. It’s amazing to hear the story of Hinckley from a member of the Hinckley Family. He traces the start of the company back to origins with the purchase of a boatyard in Southwest Harbor, Maine, in 1927 by Benjamin Barrett Hinckley.
While his great-grandfather initially acquired the yard for his sons to work in during the summer, his grandson, Henry Hinckley, is credited with truly driving the business when he joined full-time in 1932, leading to the construction of the first Hinckley boat in 1933.
His narrative highlights the company's evolution, from building wooden boats for the military during World War II and later luxury wooden sailboats, to embracing fiberglass construction with the successful Bermuda 40 in the late 1950s. Challenges such as family transitions, economic downturns including the impact of a luxury tax in the early 1990s, and subsequent changes in ownership are discussed, culminating in the company's acquisition by a private equity firm around 2010 and its current state with no Hinckley family members directly involved.