Cascade Yachts
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Boat building |
| Founded | 1954 in Portland, Oregon, United States |
| Founder | Group of local sailing enthusiasts |
| Headquarters | Warrenton , United States |
| Products | Fiberglass monohull sloop-rigged sailboats (23 to 42 feet) |
| Website | www |
Cascade Yachts was a United States-based manufacturer specializing in fiberglass monohull sloop-rigged sailboats with lengths spanning from 23 to . Established in 1954 in Portland, Oregon by a group of local sailing enthusiasts, the firm concentrated on advancing fiberglass sailboat design and construction.
History
Originally launched in 1954 under the name Yacht Constructors by five sailors, the company's inaugural model was the Chinook. This design, crafted by Philadelphia naval architect Frederick Geiger, was an adaptation of an existing wooden boat. Between 1956 and 1957, the first five units were introduced, quickly earning acclaim through regional regattas and press attention. With roughly 70 Chinooks built, it stood among the earliest fiberglass production sailboats.
Robarta A. Smith, who previously worked with Sparkman & Stephens, was responsible for several Cascade models:
- Cascade 29 (1961) – 360 units manufactured
- Cascade 42 (1964)
- Cascade 36 (1967)
- Cascade 23 (1977)
- Cascade 24 (1977)
- Cascade 27 (1978)
The initial manufacturing techniques led to yachts that were heavier than those produced by later competitors. Cascade’s trailblazing application of fiberglass included extensive durability testing; samples demonstrated resistance even to .45 caliber bullets. This toughness established Cascade’s reputation for crafting bulletproof vessels capable of enduring substantial impacts and damage. Numerous hulls were offered as kits, allowing owners to customize interior fittings themselves.
In 1989, new proprietors acquired the company’s assets and maintained production under the Cascade Yachts brand. Later in 2007, ownership passed to Russell Mead, who shifted operations to Warrenton, Oregon.
Notable voyages
- Walt Wilson, a former police officer, undertook a six-year global circumnavigation aboard the Cascade 29 Euphoria.
- Jim and Molly Moore sailed their Cascade 36 Swan around the world over four years, an adventure detailed in their publication "By Way of the Wind."
- At eighty years old, Josh Taylor completed an eleven-year worldwide journey on the Cascade 36 Comitan.
- A syndicate from Portland Yacht Club campaigned a Cascade 42 in seven consecutive Transpacific Yacht Race editions (1967–1979), securing third place in 1969 with a fastest time of 11 days and 15 hours.
- Ed Hart, at age 64, accomplished an unexpected circumnavigation aboard his Cascade 29 named Hooligan.
- Portland sailors Joby Easton and Bill Huseby piloted the Cascade 36 Rain Drop to victory in their division and overall at the 2008 Pacific Cup (San Francisco to Oahu), also claiming both the Navigator's Trophy and Latitude 38 Performance Trophy.
- AJ Goldman completed the 2010 Singlehanded Transpac race after the official deadline sailing his Cascade 36 Second Verse.
See also
References
- The Circumnavigators. Don Holm, 1974
- Sailboatdata.com
- One Storm, Two Muggings, a Collision and Circumnavigation
- Cascade Yachts: Building Boats for the Long Run, Peter Marsh
- Latitude 38, Rain Drop Takes Pac Cup
- Latitude 38, West Coast Circumnavigators