THE HOOD LEGACY
For C.W. Hood’s own Chris Hood, a career in boatbuilding started as early as the age of twelve, when he was enlisted to help restore his family’s sailboat. Before long, he found himself launching a design of his own, a little tender known as the Ocean 1. Incredibly simple by design, this little boat was packed with cutting edge features (injection-molded construction, self-bailing cockpit, and a roller-reefing rig) that even much larger boats had yet to develop.
Initially based out of Ted Hood’s (uncle to Chris Hood) Little Harbor marine complex, Chris Hood started C.W. Hood Yachts with the help of lifelong friend and fellow boatbuilder Chris Stirling. The small operation worked hard to fuel growth by tackling challenging projects in engineering and composite construction.
Momentum gathered, and by the mid-1990s C.W. Hood Yachts hit high gear, launching such products as the redesigned Wasque 26, which brought together traditional yacht quality with advanced composite manufacturing. At the same time, the company was awarded the honor of being the sole US builder for the International One Design (IOD) class. Hood moved into a larger facility nearby, and eventually set up shop in his hometown of Marblehead, MA, where operations continue to this day.
Following the move, the powerboat lineup expanded to include 30- and 32-foot models, both based on renowned Jarvis Newman Downeast hulls. Eventually, C.W. Hood moved to acquire the entire Jarvis Newman company in an effort to keep alive an icon of the Maine boatbuilding industry.
In 2011, the first C.W. Hood 32 debuted, and it has become our flagship vessel. Winner of both U.S. and European awards, the Hood 32 fleet is growing with vessels in the Bahamas, Europe, Mexico, the Northeast and the Great Lakes. Our customers include renowned yachtsmen, ESPN commentator and former America’s Cup sailor Gary Jobson. With its Mastervolt pod 2.0 electric sail drive, it is a delight to day sail and switch on the motor at the end of a day.
Additionally, there are more Hood innovations, like the award-winning C.W. Hood 43, the remarkably spacious Hood 50 motoryacht, and now the Katama 30 with a Volvo Diesel inboard outboard propeller drive.
For the crew at C.W. Hood Yachts, no matter where the future takes them, they will never let go of their past and their shared belief that every customer and every new boat launched become part of something very special: a little bit of the Hood legacy.
