When the Tide Turns

America’s Sailboat Builders Are Taking on Water

There’s been a big shift in the American sailboat world this year — and not the good kind. Two of the last major U.S. production sailboat builders, Catalina Yachts and Tartan Yachts, have hit rough water under the same new ownership. We’ve seen this movie before — just with different hull numbers.

At the center of it all: Michael Reardon, CEO of Daedalus Yachts, a composite-boat outfit based in North Carolina that made headlines this year for snapping up classic brands at a dizzying pace. First Catalina and True North in May. Then, in August, Tartan Yachts, Freedom Yachts, and AMP Carbon Spars.

Reardon promised a renaissance — “the rebirth of American sailboat manufacturing.” Instead, within months, Catalina was dead in the water, evicted from its factory, and scrambling to pay its people. Not good — not even close…

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Catalina Yachts: “A Pause,” or the End of the Line?

For decades, Catalina was the every-sailor’s brand — the blue-jeans cruiser that defined coastal sailing in America. From the Catalina 27 to the 42, they built more than 60,000 boats and were the most successful fiberglass sailboat builder in history. They even snapped up Morgan Yachts back in the late 1980s.

The Catalina 425

But on October 15, 2025, Catalina announced a “temporary production pause.” The press release made it sound like a systems upgrade. In reality, it seems more like a SOS.

• And if that weren’t bad enough court filings in Florida show that Reardon and Daedalus were evicted from Catalina’s Largo plant after defaulting on lease and purchase terms.

• Employees report missed payroll and cancelled health insurance.

• Catalina insists existing orders will be filled, but insiders call it “chaotic.”

In typical PR fashion, the company says it’s “restructuring to ensure long-term sustainability.” Hopefully this is the case, otherwise it’s what we sailors call taking on water.

Still, don’t count Catalina out completely. Their dealer network remains intact, and the brand equity is massive. But it’s fair to say the company is adrift, and the “temporary pause” may prove permanent unless new investors or a management reboot appear soon.