palmer johnson yachts history

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PALMER JOHNSON Yachts – Operating Since 1918

Palmer Johnson is one of the iconic yacht builders to emerge from the Americas. The company is located in the Great Lakes region in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin.

The company constructs high-end performance yachts up to 81.4m, with showrooms in Fort Lauderdale and Monaco.

Once highly regarded, they built famous vessels, such as the Fortuna for the King of Spain, and the Turmoil, an explorer vessel that sailed the globe three times. 

PALMER yachts history

In 1918, Hans Johnson and Herman Gmack founded Palmer Johnson under the original name Sturgeon Bay Boat Works.

The boatyard specialized in repairing rowing boats and commercial fishing vessels in the 1920s.

In 1928, they launched their first wooden yacht and became known for building high-end wooden sailing yachts. Hans’ son, Palmer Johnson, takes over the company in the same year.

As with many companies with a 100-year history, Palmer Johnson went through hard times and prosperous times.

The WWII period was a particularly good time for business for Palmer Johnson as they built over forty 45-foot air-sea rescue boats and four “T” class freighters.

In 1956, the shipbuilding company was sold and renamed after the founder’s son, Palmer Johnson.

Throughout the 1960s and into the next four decades, Palmer Johnson was at the forefront of innovative yacht construction using aluminum. 

The company delivered FIREBIRD just a few short years after this shift to aluminum yacht construction. FIREBIRD was the world’s largest aluminum sailing yacht at the time of her launch, a 25.6m ketch.

FORTUNA soon surpassed this record in 1979. FORTUNA was King Juan Carlos of Spain’s 30.5m yacht.

FORTUNA held the title of the fastest yacht globally for over a decade as she could reach the incredible top speed of 46 knots, which was unheard of at the time.

Celebrating its 80th anniversary, Palmer Johnson launched LA BARONESSA, a 59.5m all-aluminum yacht, the largest in the USA, in 1998.

In 2003, Timur Mohamed bought the stagnant Palmer Johnson Yachts after purchasing his 120-foot yacht, the Cover Drive, from the shipbuilders.

The English businessman purchased it as the company had experienced several unproductive years.

In 2004, the company burst back onto the shipbuilding scene when it introduced its popular SportYacht series under its new owner’s direction.

The series featured exterior and interior designs from Nuvolari Lenard, the major yacht design company renowned worldwide.

In 2012, Palmer Johnson introduced the new carbon-fiber SuperSport performance. The SuperSport was a new carbon fiber performance model.

Unfortunately, this series was launched in a different economic climate and didn’t reach the success of their SportYacht series. 

Notable launches

Palmer Johnson has several other notable launches besides its most iconic launches like the FORTUNA and LA BARONESSA.

In 2007, the 41.5m PJ 135 SportYacht Dragon was launched. The superyacht rose to international acclaim with a maximum speed of 30 knots. 

Although Palmer Johnson struggled to keep traction in the yacht market after 2012, an ongoing project in partnership with Bugatti is a point of interest for yacht fans.

A contract for thirty of the new PJ 48 Niniette and PJ 63 Niniette Open Sport series yachts has been signed, which amounts to EUR 40M for the yacht building company.

Palmer Johnson has a rich history in yacht building, with over 100 years of innovative yacht building that will hopefully continue with the new Niniette model.

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Palmer Johnson Yachts

Sturgeon bay wi.

Most recent update: June 7, 2019.

The Palmer Johnson yard was established in 1918 as Johnson and Gmack, to build fishing vessels. Hans Johnson bought out Herman Gmack after World War One and changed the name to Sturgeon Bay Boat Works. Johnson's son Palmer bought control in 1932 and later renamed the company Palmer Johnson Yachts. Palmer Johnson retired in 1959 and sold the company to a group of local businessmen, who sold it in 1961 to Pat Haggerty, of Texas Instruments, who died in 1980, leaving it under the management of Mike Kelsey, Sr. Then, in 2000, it was sold to Andrew McKelvey, of monster.com, who sold it in 2003 to Timur Mohamed, the famous cricketer. Finally, in 2015, it was announced that the Sturgeon Bay shipyard would be closed and sold after delivery of its last boat, which happened in 2017: all production operations have now been moved to Europe. Visit the company at palmerjohnson.com , although this is a great example of a really useless web site. The Sturgeon Bay operation was located at 128 Kentucky Street, between 1st and 2nd Avenues: you can see it from the air on Google here .

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Palmer Johnson

The Palmer Johnson yard, located in Sturgeon Bay, WI, has a long a illustrious history of building mostly large custom yachts. Founded by Hans Johnson and Herman Gmack, it was originally known as Sturgeon Bay Boat Works when Hans Johnson’s son, Palmer, assumed ownership. During World War II, the company turned it’s efforts toward building boats for the military. It wasn’t until Palmer Johnson retired in 1959, when some local business men assumed ownership, that the firm acquired it’s present name. In 1961, long time Palmer Johnson customer and Texas Instruments CEO, Pat Haggarty, bought the company. An avid yacht racer, he did much to establish the builders reputation in the international racing circuit. It was in the establishment of a separate brokerage division, that the company sold a number of different production fiberglass sailboat models under the Palmer Johnson name. Palmer Johnson never really built fiberglass boats (though it did finish a great number), deciding that it’s future lay with custom aluminum yachts. For a time it contracted with a number of builders, mostly in Europe, that were sold under the Palmer Johnson name. Palmer Johnson production sailboats were only sold for a few years. Nautor of Finland, the builder of the larger PJ models, ultimately decided to sell it’s yachts exclusively under it’s own Swan brand. Today, Palmer Johnson continues as a world renowned builder of large, custom, power and sailing yachts.

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Our History

Palmer Johnson's rich history spans more than 100 years, back to 1918 when Sturgeon Bay Boat Works began. In 1956, Sturgeon Bay Boat Works was renamed Palmer Johnson Yachts and in the 1960s Bill Parsons became a partner in Palmer Johnson Yachts. Over the next 4 decades, Palmer Johnson Yachts constructed world-class vessels ranging in size from 80' to 195'.

In 1977, Palmer Johnson Distributors was spun off to diversify the business, distributing Twin Disc products. Bill Parsons retained ownership of Palmer Johnson Distributors and it has remained a family business for over 40 years. In 2004 Bill's son, Craig Parsons, joined Palmer Johnson Distributors, now Palmer Johnson Power Systems.

Below are highlights of the last 100+ years of history ranging from the early days of the boatyard to its current state as a world-class off-highway distribution and service company.

Johnson and Gmack found Sturgeon Bay Boat Works

Yacht Construction Resumes After The War

Palmer Johnson Distributors is Founded

Distribution and Service Capabilities Expand

Palmer Johnson Purchases NA D'Arcy

A New Name: Palmer Johnson Power Systems

New Headquarters Opens in Sun Prairie

Key Partnership Established with JLG

Employee Wellness Becomes a Top Strategic Priority

The Brotherhood of The Wrench is Born

Palmer Johnson Acquires Bowers Transmission

Palmer Johnson Celebrates 40 Years

PJ ReNew is Established

Palmer Johnson Acquires Mill Log from Twin Disc

Palmer Johnson Acquires Hamilton Engine

Alterra Power Systems

• Door County
• On the Water

Palmer Johnson: Building the World’s Finest Yachts

By Julia Chomeau , Door County Living – September 1st, 2005

Back in 1918, a company called Johnson and Gmack was busy building and repairing boats for the Great Lakes commercial fishing fleet. But it wasn’t until 1928, when a man named Palmer Johnson, the founder’s son, built the company’s first wooden pleasure boat that an entirely new era began. Its history has had many chapters but nonetheless has proven a steady business in the changing waters of the maritime industry. With traditions carrying from generation to generation and a skilled group of craftsmen by its side, the Palmer Johnson company has established its place on the forefront of the exclusive world of luxury yachting.

Through its history, various owners have guided the company in both periods of prosperity and hard times. International events, too, affected the company. For example, when the United States entered WWII, and as most American industries rallied around the war effort, Palmer Johnson was no different. Then called Sturgeon Bay Boat Works, the company built over forty 45-foot air-sea rescue boats and four 65-foot “T” class freighters used to haul munitions during the war years. At war’s end a few custom yachts were being made, as well as a series of 27-foot and 33-foot wooden stock sailboats.

Officially named Palmer Johnson (commonly referred to as “PJ”) in 1956, Texas Instruments founder Pat Haggerty bought the company in 1961. Under Haggerty, PJ earned a reputation as a world-class yacht producer and continued new, innovative, welded aluminum construction. Haggerty’s son-in-law, Mike Kelsey Sr., ran the company alongside Haggerty and continued at the helm after Haggerty’s death in 1980.

In 2000, the company was sold to dot-com magnate Andrew McKelvey, owner of the popular website Monster.com. With that sale came a confusing and altogether unpleasant few years for Palmer Johnson. In 2003, English businessman Timur “Tim” Mohamed purchased a 120-foot yacht christened Cover Drive , leading him to purchase the company in 2004. Mike Kelsey Jr., grandson of former owner Pat Haggerty, joined Mohamed’s team and together the two have revitalized this icon of shipbuilding and continue to search for ways to stay ahead of the game.

When I asked president Mike Kelsey Jr. why, after several shifts in ownership in the past decade, production still remains in Sturgeon Bay, he stated simply, “The craftsmen are here.” It is obvious that Kelsey values his workers above all else. “Right now in the yard,” he said, his hand sweeping across the huge bay windows in his office that overlook the building yard, “we have a grandfather, father and son all working out there.” He claims that there are descendants of the original 1918 crew that still work for him today. “These people still know what it means to give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.”

Although PJ has always been known as a custom yacht builder, Mohamed has taken a different tack (pun intended). Palmer Johnson is no longer doing their traditional custom work, but instead is producing specifically designed models exclusive to their company. Similar to the Cover Drive , Mohamed’s custom yacht, these luxury yachts are built on spec and Kelsey says business is booming. When I asked Mike if he thought that someone who was willing to spend such a large amount of money on a yacht would want to buy one already built, he nodded enthusiastically. “They look at our yachts and say, ‘That’s me, that’s what I want.’”

The smallest of the fleet currently being produced by PJ is a mere 120 feet and takes over a year to build, whereas the 150-foot model can take over one and a half years. When asked how many man-hours are required, Kelsey won’t specify but says, “Well in excess of 100,000.” Every detail of the construction is overseen by PJ including the interiors which are finished at a Palmer Johnson facility, working with new owners provided they join the process early on. Only four yachts are built per year and, so far, supply and demand are evenly matched. Two of the 120-footers were launched this spring and another two are due to launch this fall.

So what does someone get when they purchase a luxury yacht?  Well, for example, in 1979 King Juan Carlos of Spain got the Fortu na , which was the company’s first yacht over 100 feet and boasted, at 52 knots, to be the fastest large motor yacht in the world for almost 10 years. If you have been around Door County in the past few years, you will remember the launch of the Baronessa , a 195-foot motor yacht that had the distinction of being the largest built in the United States since 1930.

The cost is something that Kelsey is understandably evasive about. The prices can fluctuate considerably with the top of the line going for over 30 million dollars. On the models being produced by PJ right now, there are four to six staterooms (not including rooms for crew) and the well-appointed interiors are outfitted with the latest and greatest of gizmos and gadgets. Flat screen TVs and video on demand in every stateroom give the feel of the best hotels—only floating.

The quality of the construction is what separates Palmer Johnson from the rest of the pack, according to Mike. “We have attention to detail that few yards do,” he said. The fit and finish of the woodwork, using materials gathered from all over the world, and the most solid systems in engineering are what combine to create the world’s most deluxe mega-yacht. “We have successfully blended European high styling with quality American construction,” declared Kelsey.

My next question concerned just who is buying these opulent vessels. Of the last four yachts sold one was to an American, two were to Europeans, and two were to Russians. Russians? Kelsey shrugged his shoulders. “Most of these boats end up in the Mediterranean,” he said by way of explanation. Owners can come from all over the world; Palmer Johnson has built and sold yachts to people in Chicago, Illinois; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; and Canton, Ohio. Yep, Canton, Ohio.

Once the yachts are completed there is the rather large problem of getting them to their owners. Anyone who spends time in Door County knows that getting to our little island can be a logistical nightmare, by land or by sea. Most of the vessels are brought (by water) to the east coast where they are literally picked up out of the water and placed on very large ships owned by a company called Dock Express. These carriers are specifically designed as luxury yacht transporters and ensure that the cargo is brought safely to its anxious owners.

There are over 200 employees working in the yard in Sturgeon Bay but there is only one that Kelsey eats dinner with on a regular basis: his son. “He’s out there somewhere,” Kelsey said, looking again out the expansive windows. It just shows that Palmer Johnson is a family-oriented workplace. “I was the only one out of my siblings that really showed an interest in the business,” he said. Kelsey Jr. started working in the yard when he was young; starting early helped him gain an intimate knowledge of the business that few people at his level can claim.

It is a true family affair with Mike Kelsey Jr. taking the company into the new millennium as president. While his father passed away unexpectedly a few years ago, Mike Jr. is quick to point out that, although he misses his father’s advice and input, he has plenty of family around who are still in the maritime business. Mom Sheila is owner of Great Lakes Yacht Services, a yacht brokerage firm situated on the site of the original Palmer Johnson shipyard, and brother Brian is the Executive Director of the Door County Maritime Museum.

In looking at Palmer Johnson’s past and considering its future, it seems that the strength of its people, owners and workers alike, are to be credited with much. Through every chapter, they have helmed the company toward its achievements, first among which is their unwavering commitment to quality.

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Palmer Johnson builds custom yachts in the yards of their Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, facility with sales offices in various worldwide regions. From its start as a builder of wooden fishing boats in 1918, Palmer Johnson has grown to be a leader in the United States for custom megayacht construction. The yachts feature an emphasis on a quiet, low vibration ride. The first aluminum megayacht in the United States to have both a United Kingdom MCA and Lloyd’s certification came from Palmer Johnson. A Palmer Johnson yacht also set a world speed record at one time in the large motoryacht class. Palmer Johnson was founded in 1918 as Johnson and Gmack, building and repairing boats for the Great Lakes commercial fishing fleet. This continued until 1928, when Palmer Johnson, the founder’s son, built the first wooden yacht. As the reputation for high quality yachts grew, so did orders for custom wooden yachts. When the United States entered WWII and country rallied behind the effort, Palmer Johnson, then called Sturgeon Bay Boat Works began producing 45’ air-sea rescue vessels 65’ T-class freighters. At wars’ end, a series of custom yacht manufacturing began. In 1956 the company was officially named Palmer Johnson Boats and was sold to a group of local Sturgeon Bay businessmen. In 1961, after being sold to Texas Instruments founder Pat Haggerty, a commitment was made to then begin producing yachts constructed of aluminum. Later, Palmer Johnson was later purchased by Andrew McKelvey from Monster.com. Today, Palmer Johnson yachts is headed up by none-other than Mike Kelsey, Jr., who’s father Mike Kelsey Sr. is largely credited with developing Palmer Johnson into a megayacht legend. Mike Jr. had been an employee of the company for many years. Prior to his departure during some difficult financial years for the company, he vowed to return to the yacht building business due to his concern for the workers in Sturgeon Bay. For more than 150 years, these craftsmen launched ships into the Great Lakes, finishing over 250 boats with the skills and expertise that has made Palmer Johnson into an American icon. Mike Jr. seized the opportunity to purchase and expand Palmer Johnson's in the early 2000’s and turn back into one of America's premier yacht builders. Mike Jr. is fully credited with resurrecting the company and arranging the financial restructuring that has allowed Palmer Johnson to continue building on its successes. Now, Palmer Johnson has several new high-style motor yachts under construction in Sturgeon Bay, ranging from 90 feet up to 123 feet, with the latter being the first ever fiberglass Palmer Johnson ever built. They have recently finished a 142’ tri-deck as well.

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United States

Founded in 1918

Founded by Hans Johnson & Herman Gmack

Palmer Johnson

Palmer Johnson has a great storied history – an authentic brand whose story for almost a century has been about vision, evolution and innovation.

From humble beginnings as a wooden boat builder, to the famous Palmer Johnson yachts winning every major championship race in the golden era of sailing yachts, to the groundbreaking design of its SportYachts of the last decade and now to its revolutionary SuperSport series, brand values of design, performance and emotional appeal have been a constant – core values deeply embodied in the spirit of the company and reinforced and manifested in its beautiful yachts.

Yachts built by Palmer Johnson

CLIFFORD II

Palmer Johnson Yachts

Palmer Johnson Yachts

The history of an American shipyard Palmer Johnson started in 1918 when the company was building and reparing wooden fishing ships. 8 years later the first sailing yacht was launched. Today Palmer Johnson sailing yachts participate in different famous regattas and mega yachts receive many awards in the industry. Not long ago the company started the production of the new line of yachts „new generation” made of carbon, combining high speed, energy and spacious interior.

During its existence, Palmer Johnson shipyard has launched more than 200 yachts and gained a reputation as an innovator in the yachting industry. Unique design, the latest technology, accuracy and attractiveness - these are the main features of the company that is building one of the most “sought after” superyachts in the world.

Arcon Yachts offers purchase, leasing, charter and new yacht construction. We will professionally carry out the sale transaction and provide a comprehensive operational, technical and financial management of the vessel afterwards.

A gem of our fleet - luxury motor yacht Palmer Johnson DB9 , 52 meters long, characterized by sporty style and high performance. This yacht has everything necessary for a great sea cruise. It can accommodate up to 12 guests, there is  a grand piano in a luxury saloon with  high ceiling, there are 4 swimming pools onboard , 2 jacuzzi , 5 bathrooms, cabins, captain's suite and four guest cabins with Pullman berth and each.

Our project Palmer Johnson VANTAGE , 45 meters long, perfectly combines high performance and comfort. This racing yacht built of aluminum alloy has a top speed of 28 knots, with 6 cabins that can accommodate 12 people.

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First look: Palmer Johnson unveils first 19m PJ63

US-headquartered shipyard Palmer Johnson has unveiled the first images of its all-carbon 19 metre PJ63 model, named Maveric 1 .

First hitting the water in May and making its debut at the Monaco Yacht Show 2022, the yacht marks one of the first Palmer Johnson vessels to be completed since the yard closed its Sturgeon Bay facilities in 2015. Construction of the sports yacht took place at facilities in northern Europe, while outfitting was undertaken in Pisa, Italy.

The new model has been built with an increased focus on efficiency and fuel consumption. According to the yard, when it comes to fuel emissions the PJ63 is 33 per cent more efficient compared to older yachts in the Palmer Johnson range. 

In a statement, the yard said that the eco-credentials of its latest models put it "on a good path to enabling larger zero-emission yachts where the company has set its sights".

Maveric I has a signature Palmer Johnson style, with a unibody hull design and a sculpted exterior culminating in a gentle reversed bow.

The yacht can reach top speeds of 34 knots and it benefits from "displacement characteristics" which result in a smoother journey with less slamming and a low banking angle during high-speed maneuvering.  

A 6.3 metre beam gives the PJ63 ample lounging spaces, with a large open deck lounge area complete with sunpads and seating. Below deck, guests will find a full-beam master cabin, a saloon with galley facilities and a forward guest cabin. 

Palmer Johnson has described the interior styling as an "evocative retreat" that contrasts modern shapes with light warm materials. 

With Maveric 1 on the water, Palmer Johnson is currently developing a series of day yachts and the first 15 metre hull will be launched in a few months. "This series is based on the fully developed trihull form and there will be a fully electric version as well," commented a Palmer Johnson representative. 

Elsewhere, the yard is also working on a new series of 36 - 55 metres Sportyachts designed for zero-emission cruising.

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Palmer Johnson

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Best Palmer Johnson Yachts for Sale

The world-renowned Palmer Johnson is one of the world’s top luxury yacht builders. Known for its eye-catching luxury yachts that boast impeccable style and run with top performance and grace, Palmer Johnson yachts are noticed in every port they cruise. For more than 100 years, the builder has been crafting boats, ships and yachts to top specification. Palmer Johnson yachts are constantly pushing the boundaries of yacht design. Palmer Johnson offers everything from aluminum explorers to carbon fiber sports yachts.

From its humble beginnings in the United States to its now iconic status and worldwide appeal, Palmer Johnson yachts for sale offer buyers the opportunity to own a yacht that not only operates at the highest possible level but also has covetable, unique good looks and sex appeal. Now with a shipyard on the great lakes in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, and showrooms in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and Monaco, the hearts of the American and European yachting communities, Palmer Johnson offers world-class luxury yachts for the most discerning owners.

Palmer Johnson Heritage

Palmer Johnson came onto the yachting scene in 1918. Founded by Hans Johnson and Herman Gmack, the brand launched its first yacht, a sailing yacht, in 1926. It began its foray into custom yachts after World War II. In 1961, at Haggarty, founder of Texas Instruments, bought Palmer Johnson and began building aluminum yachts, moving away from the classic wooden yachts of the brand’s past. In 1966, Palmer Johnson made history with the 84-foot (35.6m) ketch FIREBIRD, which at the time was the world’s largest aluminum sailing yacht. By 1979, Palmer Johnson launched FORTUNA, a 100-foot (30.48m) aluminum yacht widely respected as the fastest yacht in the world. This launch solidified Palmer Johnson’s penchant for performance and speed. Throughout the following decades, Palmer Johnson doubled down on its reputation as a luxury yacht builder with a focus on top performance and excellent design. In 2005, Palmer Johnson was the first yacht builder to present a modular production process and 3D engineering of yachts. In 2012, it launched the “SuperSport” series, a line of carbon fiber yachts with a radical, quicker, more effective and more stable hull design. Palmer Johnson has built more than 200 yachts that are still afloat today. TURMOIL was the first explorer yacht built by the brand; she has circumnavigated the globe three times. Palmer Johnson’s LA BARONESSA is the largest aluminum yacht built in America.

“Palmer Johnson yachts are recognized wherever they cruise,” says Northrop & Johnson Sales Broker Ed Dickinson. “The brand has a long history of producing luxury yachts with incredible performance and impressive style. It is a pioneer in the yachting sector, particularly with its sports line of yachts, which blend the luxury of traditional yachts with the performance of sports boats to create something unique for the owner that wants both.”

Palmer Johnson is an extremely innovative brand. They utilize state-of-the-art materials, including carbon, to create innovative hulls that feature the brand’s signature curve, perfect symmetry and an accentuated centerline.

“Palmer Johnson yachts are extremely popular on the charter market,” says Northrop & Johnson charter broker Celine Pujol. “Their striking looks and top performance make put them in high demand, especially in the Mediterranean. These yachts can quickly move from port to port with style and speed. Charter guests relish the incredible amenities and features of Palmer Johnson luxury yachts.”

A tradition of performance and daring design

The Palmer Johnson Collection

The ultimate day cruiser, Palmer Johnson’s 63-foot (19.2m) PJ63 SPORT elevates the playing field when it comes to open sports yachts. The brand’s signature curved surfaces and smooth lines create a sleek look from bow to stern. Strong yet sensual, boasting the larges deck in the day cruiser class, the PJ63 SPORT is ideal for enjoying life on the water. An optional hardtop can be added to the yacht for those who want a bit more shade. The PJ63 SPORT sleeps four guests. She is a spacious, comfortable, tech-savvy, fast day cruiser.

Supersport Series

The perfect blend of performance and luxury, Palmer Johnson’s SuperSport yachts come in three sizes: 138 feet (42m), 157 feet (48m) and 236 feet (72m). Utilizing state-of-the-art technology and innovative design techniques, these luxury yachts are unlike others on the market. They push the boundaries of the status quo to offer yachts that offer better efficiency, stability and speed with spacious, luxurious, comfortable interiors and exceptional deck spaces. According to Palmer Johnson, these yachts are, “all in a sleek and stunning carbon-fiber body designed with not a single flat surface.”

The Palmer Johnson 42M SuperSport is 142 feet (43.3m) in length. It features an aluminum hull and superstructure and a beam of 34 feet (10.3m). The yacht can cruise at 28 knots and runs at a maximum speed of 32 knots. The Palmer Johnson 42M SuperSport welcomes 12 guests aboard and has seven crewmembers. The 160-foot (49m) Palmer Johnson 48M SuperSport is eye-catching. It’s 36-foot (11m) beam ensures ample space on board. The yacht can reach speeds of 32 knots. Her aluminum hull and superstructure are designed to be sleek and sexy. Twelve guests are comfortably accommodated on board and are served by nine crewmembers. The embodiment of elegance on the water, the 236-foot (72m) Palmer Johnson 72M SuperSport is an innovative yacht with strong lines and chic spaces. It welcomes 14 guests and runs with 17 crew. Her extraordinary max speed of 27 knots is impressive for her size.

Sportyacht Series

Palmer Johnsons Sportyacht series has garnered somewhat of a cult following thanks to its lustrous profile, top engineering and exceptional performance. The cutting-edge sporty yachts in this range, which comprises a 120, 135, 150, 170 and 210, are extremely unique on the market. Offering a dynamic at-sea lifestyle, their open-plan layouts with chic beach-house-style interiors and large decks that effortlessly flow with the interior are built to please. Despite their immense power and exceptionally high speeds for their sizes, these yachts can run anywhere from 28 to 32 knots, nothing was compromised in the Sportyacht series. Available as an open Sportyacht or a tri-deck Sportyacht, each boasts the tried and true Palmer Johnson pedigree of top performance and impeccable design. Distinctive design aspects, such as sleek-shaped windows, no transom, signature portholes and beautiful curves set the yachts in the Sportyacht series apart from others in their size ranges. Additional touches like hidden stairs, concealed awnings, foldaway balconies and wing stations leave the decks uncluttered and perfectly suited for entertaining at sea.

Palmer Johnson yachts are iconic. The brand has made a reputation for itself as a top builder on the world stage. For further information on our Palmer Johnson yachts for sale, a new build Palmer Johnson or to charter a Palmer Johnson yacht , contact your Northrop & Johnson broker.

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Palmer Johnson Yachts history

Palmer johnson yachts company history timeline.

Palmer Johnson's rich history spans more than 100 years, back to 1918 when Sturgeon Bay Boat Works began.

1926 – Sturgeon Bay Boat Works builds its first sailing yacht.

1928 – Hans Johnson's son Palmer builds the company's first wooden yacht.

Founded as Sturgeon Bay Boat Works at the end of World War I, the company was renamed Palmer Johnson Yachts in 1956.

1961 – Pat Haggerty, founder of Texas Instruments, buys Palmer Johnson.

1962 – The first aluminum boat is built – Isanti – for a Manitowoc banker.

Palmer Johnson Yachts spun off a company named Palmer Johnson Distributors in 1977, which was later renamed Palmer Johnson Power Systems and is now based in Sun Prairie.

1979 – Launching of the Fortuna for King Juan Carlos of Spain, the most advanced 86-foot aluminum boat at that time.

1979 – Atlanta sportsman Ted Turner's Palmer Johnson sailing yacht Tenacious wins the ill-fated Fastnet Race in which storms wreak havoc and yachts and lives are lost.

1992 – Company buys the former Thunderbolt Shipyard and Marina property in Savannah, Ga., expanding its service facilities from Sturgeon Bay and Racine to the East Coast.

1998 – In reaching its 80th birthday, PJ celebrates with the launching of La Baronessa, the largest aluminium yacht built in the US.

Craig Parsons, 2nd generation family ownership, joins PJ. Palmer Johnson Distributors changes name to Palmer Johnson Power Systems and is entirely separate from Palmer Johnson Yachts which sold in 2000.

Palmer Johnson marches south & west adding locations through acquisition, culminating with the purchase of NA D’arcy in California in 2002.

2003 – Now owned by Internet billionaire Andrew McKelvey, the company files for bankruptcy and is purchased by Timur (Tim) Mohamed, a former professional cricket player from Guyana.

2004 – Introduction of the Sportyacht series, starting with the PJ 120 Coverdrive.

2012 – The SuperSport series is launched, next-generation carbon-fiber yachts with a revolutionary hull design considered faster, more efficient, stable and spacious.

Outfitted with six cabins and boasting a pool and helipad, the Lady M was christened in 2013, making it one the final vessels launched from what were then the Palmer Johnson Yachts shipbuilding facilities in Sturgeon Bay.

Meanwhile, the yacht business, which had moved its headquarters to Monaco, shuttered its Sturgeon Bay shipyard in 2015.

Palmer Johnson closed its Door County operations in 2015. (Credit: Marisa Wojcik / PBS Wisconsin)

PBS Wisconsin is a service of the Wisconsin Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. © 2022 All Rights Reserved.

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Moscow downtown historic district.

• Location: Moscow Idaho Regional Essays: Idaho Latah County Architect: Robert H. Barton Leonidas McCartor Michael Shields William J. McConnell James McGuire Milburn Kenworthy Types: mixed-use developments motion picture theaters hotels (public accommodations) apartments retail stores storefronts Styles: Romanesque Revival Richardsonian Romanesque Italianate (North American architecture styles) Spanish Colonial Revival Art Deco Materials: brick (clay material) cast iron sandstone dimension stone cast stone

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Wendy R. McClure, " Moscow Downtown Historic District ", [ Moscow , Idaho ], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/ID-01-057-0003 . Last accessed: March 5, 2024.

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According to historians who traveled throughout North Idaho at the turn of the twentieth century to interpret the early histories and future viability of the region’s towns, Moscow was a community where the early “pioneers got it right.” In 1903, visiting historians observed a thriving town in the center of a rich agricultural valley, where commercial development significantly outpaced resident population growth. They noted that, here, in contrast to other pioneer settlements, railroad companies accepted early settlers’ geographic choice for the town center rather than forcing the town to move the commercial districts to accommodate railroad interests. Downtown Moscow has persisted as the symbolic heart of the community and center of public life. Its late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century buildings have adapted to changing needs over time and currently serve entertainment and housing needs of a university city.

Multiple conditions favored early Moscow’s capacity to achieve stability and prosperity as a business center during its formative years. The region’s geography was naturally accommodating of human habitation. For hundreds of years “Tatkinmah,” the “valley of the spotted deer” in which Moscow is located, served as a seasonal meeting grounds for tribal peoples including the Nez Perce, Coeur d’Alene, and Palouse, who frequented the area to harvest camas roots, trade, and race horses. Early settlers benefitted from ease of access to the region afforded by the Nez Perce Trail, which climbed two thousand feet from the tribe’s winter home in the Snake River Valley. In 1871, the first wave of homesteaders ascended the trail and claimed land in what they called “Paradise Valley,” a landscape of rich soil, bucolic grassy hills, and gently flowing streams. As farm families in pursuit of a permanent home, they brought early stability to the area and a need for a commercial marketplace. Moscow’s formative years also benefitted from the foresight and generosity of four homesteaders and businessmen (Almon Lieuallen, James Deakin, Henry McGregor, and John Russell), who each donated 30 acres of their intersecting claims to establish the initial townsite and commercial center. From the start, they established a climate for community stability by cultivating commercial enterprises along Main Street. Their motivations differed from those of fortunes seekers throughout the west, who temporarily populated, and exploited, early western settlements and then moved on.

Given its central location within a highly productive agricultural landscape, downtown Moscow quickly expanded from its humble beginnings into a booming regional marketplace for outlying communities and farmsteads. In 1885, the railroad arrived downtown, assuring Moscow’s role as a regional shipping point. Equally vital to the commercial district’s economic well-being, was the territorial legislature’s 1888 decision to locate the University of Idaho in Moscow. The combined economic stimuli afforded by agriculture, railroad linkage, and education produced downtown Moscow’s most significant period of commercial development. All downtown buildings constructed between 1888 and 1893 were either retail establishments or banks; over one-third of buildings designated as “contributing” to Moscow’s National Historic Downtown District were built in this period. Their developers, which included William McConnell, Robert H. Barton, and Michael Shields, were among Moscow’s most influential local businessmen. In architectural stature and purpose, these buildings remain unsurpassed by later periods of downtown development.

In 1891, William McConnell and his partner, James McGuire, erected the McConnell-McGuire Building, a three-story department store on the southeast corner of First and Main Streets. The physical heart of downtown during this period, however, developed at the intersection of Fourth and Main Streets, where a prominent commercial building was constructed at each corner between 1889 and 1891. All of the structures were built of brick, as required by an 1891 city ordinance regulating fire safety. The 1891 Skattaboe Block, originally constructed on the southwest corner of the intersection in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, was modified at the street level in the 1980s. The Hotel Moscow, a replacement building following a catastrophic fire in 1890, was also designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. Across the street on the northeast corner, Leonidas McCartor erected two mixed-use buildings in the Romanesque Revival style in 1891 and 1896, respectively. The 1891 building initially served as Farmer’s Bank before becoming Moscow’s City Hall in 1900, and it served in that capacity until the mid-twentieth century. Use of the Italianate style for downtown buildings was also relatively common as in the Shields Building on the intersection’s southeast corner. Michael Shields developed the Shields Building North as Moscow’s first three-story brick building with an elevator in 1889. The building has since lost some of its original ornamentation and has been modified at the street level.

Mirroring national economic trends, downtown development and construction activity paused during the economic panic of 1893. The national recession led to a slowdown in new construction and the upper floors of several department stores were converted from retail space to offices and apartments between 1893 and 1900. Main Street’s growth resumed in tandem with the country’s economic recovery. Twenty percent of the downtown district’s current inventory of buildings was built between 1900 and World War I. The majority are one- and two-part, block-style commercial buildings. They are smaller in scale and simpler in their detailing than buildings associated with downtown’s peak period. The Kenworthy Theater, a vaudeville and motion picture venue, is a notable exception. Between World War I and World War II, downtown continued to infill with brick and concrete block buildings designed in period-appropriate Art Deco and Spanish Mission styles. Both downtown movie theaters exhibit Art Deco influences and remain popular destinations for cultural entertainment and community events.

Typical of downtowns throughout the country during the post–World War II period, retail businesses and buildings along Moscow’s Main Street suffered from the erosive effects of highway traffic and shopping mall construction. A downtown revitalization initiative in 1980, featuring highway rerouting, streetscape improvements, and construction of a public plaza at the downtown’s core intersection at 4th and Main, helped to re-establish Main Street as a center for public life. The historic integrity of even the most prominent downtown buildings has been compromised, and many bear the marks of storefront modifications intended to forestall retail decline. Collectively, however, they provide a palimpsest of inherited culture and visitors to Moscow’s Main Street need only look up from street level at the brick buildings to connect with late-nineteenth-century community builders who had envisioned downtown Moscow as a bustling regional marketplace.

Attebury, J. Building Idaho: An Architectural History. Moscow: University of Idaho Press, 1991.

David, H. “Moscow at the Turn of the Century.” Moscow, ID: Local History Paper #6, Latah County Historical Society, 1979.

Hibbard, Don, “McConnell-McGuire Building,” Latah County, Idaho. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 1977. National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington DC.

Julin, Suzanne, “Moscow Downtown Historic District,” Latah County, Idaho. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2005. National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington DC.

Julin, Suzanne, and D. Krae, “Kenworthy Theater,” Latah County, Idaho. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2001. National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington DC.

Monroe, J. Moscow: Living and Learning on the Palouse , Charleston, SC: Making of America Series, Arcadia Publishing, 2003.

Otness, L. A Great Good Country: A Guide to Historic Moscow and Latah County, Idaho . Moscow, ID: Local History Paper # 8, Latah County Historical Society, 1983.

Western Historical Publishing Company. An Illustrated History of North Idaho: embracing Nez Perce, Idaho, Latah, Kootenai and Shoshone Counties, State of Idaho . Spokane, WA: Western Historical Publishing Company, 1903.

Wright, Patricia, “Hotel Moscow,” Latah County, Idaho. National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 1978. National Park Service, U.S. Department of Interior, Washington DC.

Writing Credits

• Location: Moscow, Idaho Regional Overviews: Latah County Architect: Robert H. Barton Types: mixed-use developments motion picture theaters hotels (public accommodations) apartments retail stores storefronts Styles: Romanesque Revival Richardsonian Romanesque Italianate (North American architecture styles) Spanish Colonial Revival Art Deco Materials: brick (clay material) cast iron sandstone dimension stone cast stone

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This Day In History : January 26

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U.S. Olympic Committee votes against Moscow games

At the request of President Jimmy Carter , the U.S. Olympic Committee votes to ask the International Olympic Committee to cancel or move the upcoming Moscow Olympics. The action was in response to the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan the previous month.

Demonstrating once again that the Cold War infiltrated every facet of world life, the action indicated that even the Olympic games, an arena for sportsmanship and friendly international competition, could be a highly politicized event. Although the Committee stopped short of announcing a U.S. boycott of the Olympics in Moscow, the U.S. stance left little room for optimism on that count.

President Carter made it clear that if the Soviets did not disengage from Afghanistan by February 20, a cancellation of U.S. participation in the Olympics was all but certain. As one member of the committee stated, the vote reflected “what the president requested the committee to do.” He indicated that the vote was a message to the Soviets that “their aggression in Afghanistan will not go unanswered.” On the other side of the argument, a number of U.S. Olympic athletes were highly critical of both the vote and President Carter’s ultimatum, feeling that an international sports competition should not be a tool for political statements.

The Soviets ignored the vote and the ultimatum, and the U.S. Olympic Committee decided to boycott the games. It was the first time in the modern history of the Olympics that the United States refused to participate. Almost a decade passed before the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan.

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