By: Scott Way
Clarion Boats has announced that Muskoka realtor Paul Crammond has purchased the intellectual assets to one of Canada's most renowned wooden boat lines.
Founded and operated by Dwight and Kerstin Boyd since the mid 1980s, Clarion was based out of Campbellford, Ontario but has been relocated to Muskoka as part of the purchase. Crammond, a realtor in nearby Port Carling, now brings the Clarion lineup into the heart of the wooden boat market in Ontario cottage country.
As part of the transition Crammond also announced the launch of 'The Twenty,' a new runabout dubbed a "classic, but not old-fashioned." The Twenty is designed for a broader market with seating for up to six, a large social cockpit, responsive steering for cruising and docking, and a 250 HP Mercruiser sterndrive with top speeds in excess of 50 mph. All Clarion boats are produced at Brackley Boats in Muskoka, where each modified deep-V hull requires about 2500 hours to craft. Each boat is made with an epoxy cold-moulded construction designed to keep maintenance minimal and limit hull degradation over time.
According to Crammond, the prototype Twenty has been completed and the first production level model is expected in spring 2021. Twenty designer and marine architect Steve Killing added, “The Clarion Twenty represents the first time we have integrated a practical I/O drive in a classic runabout to combine ease of operation with that traditional beauty – it will make you look like a hero maneuvering at the dock, and the clever inset of the drive in the transom pleases my eye.”
The Twenty will come with a price tag of $245,000 Cdn and can be ordered directly through Clarion. As each boat is a unique custom build, buyers can choose their stain colour, chrome trim, seating layout, and upholstery colour. For more information visit the Clarion website.
Here's the first look at the all-new Twenty:
The full press release:
Paul Crammond of Port Carling is pleased to announce that he has purchased the intellectual assets of Clarion Boats. For over 30 years Clarion has been a pre-eminent Central Ontario builder of custom mahogany racers, runabouts, & launches. Clarion was founded and operated by Dwight and Kerstin Boyd.
Crammond has rebranded the company Clarion Boats of Muskoka and has teamed with Dwight Boyd and Marine Architect Steve Killing of Midland, Ontario, to create a new, 20-foot family runabout, “The Twenty”. Crammond says the goal with the new Twenty was to achieve a timeless yet contemporary look: “classic, but not old-fashioned.”
“The Twenty appeals to the new generation of wooden boater — busy, successful people who want to turn the key and hit the water. The Twenty has all the unique beauty and sophistication of a classic wooden boat, but none of the accompanying hassles,” Crammond tells us.
The Twenty is designed to appeal to a broader market than previous Clarion models. It seats up to six people in a comfortable and sociable open cockpit. The Twenty is easy to drive, park, and service, with a 250 HP Mercruiser sterndrive. Speeds of 50+ mph are safely attainable from the smooth, dry, modified deep-V hull.
Production takes place at Brackley Boats in Muskoka where Paul Brackley and his craftsmen have been restoring wooden boats for over 30 years. They are enjoying the challenge of building new Clarions.
As in all Clarion designs, the epoxy cold-molded construction keeps maintenance to a minimum, and eliminates hull rot and leakage.
The Twenty has some classic styling elements: a gentle crown to the decks, a pleasing flair to the bow, and an ideal “finish” aft, where the hullsides curve in to meet the convex-rounded transom.
“The prototype Twenty is completed, and she watertested perfectly,” reports Crammond. The second Twenty is underway in the Brackley shop with completion set for Spring 2021.
In the words of marine architect and Twenty designer Steve Killing, “The Clarion Twenty represents the first time we have integrated a practical I/O drive in a classic runabout to combine ease of operation with that traditional beauty – it will make you look like a hero maneuvering at the dock, and the clever inset of the drive in the transom pleases my eye.”
Each Twenty takes approximately 2,500 hours to construct and is priced at $245,000 CDN.
As with all Clarion models, The Twenty is built to custom order. Clients choose bespoke details such as stain colour, chrome trim, interior seating layouts, and upholstery colours. No two Clarion boats are identical.
Clarion Boats of Muskoka will continue to custom-build all existing Clarion designs, offering a total of nine gentlemen’s racers, runabouts, and launches from 19 to 34 feet.
