Hmmm. Catalina Shuts Down Factory 'Temporarily'
Not Paid in Two Months, One Employee Complains
Back in May, a marine industry player described as a “boatbuilding entrepreneur” purchased one of America’s last production boatbuilders, Catalina Yachts. Happy talk ensued, not just about the venerable sailboat brand, but sister company True North, Catalina’s company for Downeast style power craft.
“We’re not just preserving the legacy—we’re building upon it,” Michael Reardon said. “Catalina and True North are iconic American brands. I’m honored to lead them into the next era of growth and innovation.”
Earlier this week operations at Catalina’s Largo, Florida, plant were suspended temporarily. The announcement was made by company President Patrick Turner, who had been promoted from sales manager under the new ownership. Turner said:
We have initiated a temporary production pause while we reorganize key areas of our operation. Like many manufacturers in today’s environment, we are navigating short-term financial challenges. Rather than pushing ahead in a way that could compromise quality or consistency, we have chosen to take a responsible pause while we finalize the support needed to move forward stronger.
The company had little choice, if an employee named Lisa Cayce is to be believed. “The new owner, Michael Reardon, had not paid our wages for the past two months and our insurance was cancelled. We had meeting today and hopefully we will be back in two weeks when the owner pays and the vendors,” Cayce wrote on the Catalina Parts & Pieces Facebook Page.
Reardon is founder of Daedulus Yachts of North Carolina, a company once described by sailing writer George Day as a “high-tech disruptor.” Reardon’s partner in Daedulus is Stefan Muff, who created the technology for Google Maps.
In late August, Reardon announced the acquisition of the classic American brands Tartan, Freedom and AMP Spars from Seattle Yachts. Freedom was just a brand name with no assets. Although Tartan was struggling at the time of sale, it hadn’t stopped building boats at it’s Ohio factory and apparently production continues today.
Also in August, Catalina announced that was bringing a new model to the market. The 48 represented a new look from a partnership with Tripp Yacht Design to bring a new Catalina 48 to market. It was billed as the first of several new generation models.
Since 1970
Catalina Yachts was founded in 1970 by Frank Butler, with the first model being the Catalina 22, quickly followed by the Catalina 27.
In May 1984 the California company acquired Morgan Yachts in Largo, Florida, a division that specialized in cruising and charter boats. True North was acquired in 2019 to establish the company in the powerboat market.
At one point, Catalina was the biggest sailboat manufacturer in the world and has sold more than 100,000 boats to date. The 22 is one of the most successful sailboats in history with nearly 18,000 sold.
As someone who purchased a 2005 Catalina 42 Mark II six months ago instead of a Beneteau 42CC Clipper, let me first say "fffffffuuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkk...."
I had heard from local Catalina mechanics that the post-COVID boats were not as good. Seems like maybe they botched the pandemic and never really came back...?
Dreadful. Fiberglass boatbuilders can be victims of their own success. Their biggest competitor is their own used boats. Speaks to need to continuously introduce new models and equipment. A smart move would be to offer upgrade kits for gear and interiors.