About This Site
This site was created to provide information regarding some of the custom boats that are popular in California and the West Coast. Central California, including Santa Barbara and Morro Bay, are popular home bases for ocean activities such as fishing, diving, surfing, exploring and more. A number of custom boats and hulls have been created specifically for these purposes and the sometimes harsh conditions the Pacific Ocean off California can produce. Additionally, some other boats are noted that seemingly are used widely on the California coast, despite possibly having other origins.
Radon Boats
Ron Radon Sr started back in the 1960s. His sons were Don, Mike and Ron Jr. They started in Santa Barbara. In 1973 they franchised the business, sold the Santa Barbara location and headquartered in Port Townsend Washington. Franchises then started up in California, Hawaii and Singapore. Don eventually branched into his own and started D.R. Boat Building.
In 1987 Don was offered a buy by Innovator and that formed Radoncraft. This lasted for 2 years with a 22 and 26' hull. Shortly after in 1989 Don left this formation.
Don then licensed the name Radoncraft to Harold Davis around 1990.
Don took a break then started up again and designed a 22, 26, and 29.
- Signature 22
- Signature 26
More information can be viewed at http://www.radonboats.com/
Ron Radon Jr has also continued making boats in Oregon and can be found here http://www.ronradonjr.com/ (website seemingly gone since 2019). These often had the letters LRB tied to them, or Little River Boats.
Radon boats are popular in the commercial fleet near Santa Barbara, making long runs to the outer channel islands diving for uni (sea urchin). The boats can hold very heavy loads of urchin coming back across the channel, typically traveling down-swell and down-wind, which the Radon hull excels at.
Currently based out of Paso Robles, California on the Central Coast.
Boats include:
The molds were the Radoncraft boat molds and the following was listed on the website:
Ron Radon Jr has also continued making boats in Oregon and can be found here http://www.ronradonjr.com/ (website seemingly gone since 2019). These often had the letters LRB tied to them, or Little River Boats.
Radon boats are popular in the commercial fleet near Santa Barbara, making long runs to the outer channel islands diving for uni (sea urchin). The boats can hold very heavy loads of urchin coming back across the channel, typically traveling down-swell and down-wind, which the Radon hull excels at.
H&F Radon Boats
These were boats made by Harold Montgomery up in Oregon. H&F is for Harold and Frannie, his wife. Harold bought molds from the Radon family and built custom boats off of them starting in 1977.Davis Boats
Harold Davis is the owner, and these are very high quality boats based on the Radon. Don Radon licensed the Radoncraft name to Harold.Currently based out of Paso Robles, California on the Central Coast.
Boats include:
- Rock Harbor (presumably after Morro Bay)
- Bahia
- Cortez
Davidson Boats - NOW CLOSED
Davidson Boats was owned by Clayton Ludington started in 2012 in Riverbank, CA. It was named after the Davidson Seamount offshore from the Central Coast. This has no relation to Harold Davis who is mentioned above.The molds were the Radoncraft boat molds and the following was listed on the website:
- Albi 19
- Cortez
- Bahia
- Rock Harbor
The company was closed sometime around 2014 because of quality problems (control/lamination/design/functionality issues) with the boats.
One person quoted "the hull is not structurally sound as determined by a competent marine surveyor, It has no Coast Guard certification (not able to be a documented vessel) and the buyer (he) is having problems with Davidson boats."
The contact information that was listed was:
Phone: 209 812-1288
E-mail: davidsonboats@yahoo.com
The website is no longer functioning.
www.davidsonboats.com
Anderson Custom Boats
Anderson Boats, located now in Goleta, is one of the more popular custom boats in California, especially the Central Coast. Anderson Boats was initially driven to created rugged commercial boats for the fishing industry off of the Santa Barbara Coast. Started in the early 1980s, Anderson Boats is still thriving today.
The Anderson 26 is one of the most popular molds of the lineup. The full lineup includes an Anderson 20, 22, 24 and 26.
Anderson is also very excellent at any retrofitting and refreshes on hulls. It is not uncommon to see them stretching a hull a few feet longer. Anderson Boats does an excellent job of taking an old bare hull and building a new 'boat' on top of it, including full pilothouses / cabins to block the weather of the Santa Barbara Channel (which can get nasty at times). These boats are very popular for commercial urchin ( uni ) operations, fishing, surfing, and island exploring at Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands.
The Anderson 26 is one of the most popular molds of the lineup. The full lineup includes an Anderson 20, 22, 24 and 26.
Anderson is also very excellent at any retrofitting and refreshes on hulls. It is not uncommon to see them stretching a hull a few feet longer. Anderson Boats does an excellent job of taking an old bare hull and building a new 'boat' on top of it, including full pilothouses / cabins to block the weather of the Santa Barbara Channel (which can get nasty at times). These boats are very popular for commercial urchin ( uni ) operations, fishing, surfing, and island exploring at Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands.
Greenough Boats
Greenough Boats were designed by George Greenough himself. George Greenough is a well known surfer and ocean lover. Greenough has designed a small version, almost like a jetski, that is now being used in advanced rescue and military.
With regards to the west coast boats, George Greenough contacted Anderson Boats in the Santa Barbara area with his design. Anderson Boats started producing the G17 and G21 in the late 1980s.
With regards to the west coast boats, George Greenough contacted Anderson Boats in the Santa Barbara area with his design. Anderson Boats started producing the G17 and G21 in the late 1980s.
Wilson Boats
Boats made by Brian Wilson in the Santa Barbara area roughly in the 70s, geared towards the urchin diving industry. With the proliferation of Radon and Anderson boats, these seem to be becoming more and more rare.
