Celebrating a Milestone Moment, Hinckley’s Iconic Picnic Boat is Emblematic of American Yachting. And Poised for Decades More Play
When Hinckley Yachts concepted the Picnic Boat in the early 1990s, the company had a singular mission: To introduce a boat that uniquely celebrated the American lifestyle. At the time, Hinckley Yachts was already considered an industry pioneer, known for its beautiful boats handcrafted by exceptional artisans and generational craftsmen using only the finest materials. “The company was building eight to 10 sailboats a year, and they’d built over 500 power boats prior to 1989,” recalls Hinckley’s Senior Business Advisor Phil Bennett.
As the idea for the Picnic Boat evolved, Bob Hinckley, son of Henry Hinckley, and former Hinckley Co-Owner and CEO Shep McKenney were at the helm. McKenney especially, “really wanted to move the ball forward in terms of technology,” says Bennett. The question permeating boardrooms was, “How do we build a better boat than anything else that had ever come to market?”
THE BACKSTORY
Enter naval architect Bruce King. In the early ‘90s, McKenney met with several boat designers for ideas, but King’s concept trumped them all. McKenney’s quantifier was straightforward: function followed form. “Shep wanted a boat that was 36 feet long or so, that could easily take a family out on the water for the afternoon, for yacht races or to an island for a picnic,” Bennett says. “Several Hinckley designers and leaders sat around a cherry-wood conference table and agreed this boat had to have several aspects: First, it had to be a head turner, a work of art. Equally important, it had to be extremely comfortable when onboard. Additionally, per Shep’s emphasis, it had to be technologically the most advanced boat you could possibly build, because that’s what Hinckley excelled at. Lastly, it needed to cater to both eight and 80-year-olds — a quiet boat that a grandmother would feel comfortable on.
After two years of tank testing, development, and modification, the first Picnic Boat was readied for introduction. It featured a diesel engine, yet the jet drive was the game changer, allowing for a very shallow draft. “You could go places people were afraid to go on a conventional boat,” Bennett says. “In order to do that, the boat had to be light enough to carry the extra weight of the jet propulsion, which led to not only using fiberglass, but to also employing Kevlar, which was new in those days.”
The fundamental building-block of the Picnic Boat was the SCRIMP process, originally used to make windmill blades. The result of this new application in boat building was a stiffer, stronger, lighter boat than ever before. And because the Picnic Boat had no drag components like a propeller, captains could explore in just 18 inches of water. “It was a shallow draft boat for its size, yet could also tackle open ocean comfortably, which forever changed the yachting industry,” Bennett says.
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
When the boat was ready for its official 1994 debut, it had yet to be formerly named. The team kept returning to the Picnic Boat, an internal nickname alluding to how it would be used. “The simple idea of a picnic fosters fun, nostalgia, families smiling,” says Bennett. The Picnic Boat, ultimately, represented freedom, and eventually became an icon of the American dream. “When we first put it out there, everyone held their breath,” Bennett recalls. “We introduced the Picnic Boat at the Newport Boat Show in
September 1994. When people came around the corner and saw this boat for the first time, their jaws literally dropped.” Around the same time, Hinckley debuted the JetStick, a transcending, innovative steering system that was added to the Picnic Boat. With three fingers on the control, captains could point the boat where they wanted to go. “It gave people who were perhaps inept at driving boats the ability to handle the most taxing situations with surgical precision,” Bennett explains. “It would be like somebody buying the most expensive Rolls Royce and not being able to parallel park. We removed that embarrassment or stress of docking by making the Picnic Boat with a highly unique steering and control system.” The first Picnic Boat owner bought not one, but two of the yachts, one for his home in Seal Harbor, Maine, and the other for his vacation house in Chile. And then, the news started to spread.
“All of a sudden, people who didn’t even know the word Hinckley knew of the Picnic Boat. We were at the right place, at the right time, and the boat captured the hearts of everyone who saw her.”
30 & COUNTING…
Hinckley has an established tradition of perpetual innovation, always aiming to build the next boat better than the last. “Here we are, 30 years later and Hinckley boats, no matter the model or size, still take inspiration from the Picnic Boat,” Bennett says. “I know a very busy owner who ran one of America’s largest companies. He hadn’t been able to get on the water much when we last spoke. I asked him if he’d consider selling, and he replied, ‘On my worst day, I come home, look out at that slip, and my Hinckley is the finest piece of art that I own.”
30 YEARS OF SERVICE…
As the Picnic Boat has evolved, so has Hinckley’s level of service. From Hinckley YachtCare to expanding service locations, Hinckley’s expert service team handles the minutia so you can easily enjoy time on the water.
HINCKLEY YACHTCARE
Hinckley YachtCare brings together 9 world-class Hinckley service locations and mobile service team to deliver an ownership experience like none other. Program highlights include:
Mobile Service. A mobile service team will visit your boat directly for service without storage.
Art of Delivery. Concierge pick up and drop off provides owners a trouble free beginning and end to their boating seasons.
World-Class Storage. Hinckley features 100,000 square feet of climate-controlled storage at Hinckley Service locations from Maine to Florida.
Qualify for CPO-Status Upon Resale. As an added benefit, Hinckley yachts enrolled in YachtCare can qualify for Certified Pre-Owned status upon resale. CPO qualified yachts sell with a limited warranty and trade faster and typically at a higher value.
NEW SERVICE LOCATION
Hinckley owners can access the Hinckley Sweetwater Marina located in Fort Myers, Florida. The property has a category 5 hurricane rated yacht storage building, transient slips and ample amenities.
