Cranchi, the Family Yard That Builds Sea Boats in the Alps

From a Bellagio boat shed to a factory in the mountains

Giovanni Cranchi opened his workshop at San Giovanni di Bellagio on Lake Como, and the business was registered to build wooden boats in 1870, the date the company treats as its founding. In 1932 his grandson, another Giovanni, moved it to Brienno on the same lake and grew it into a real boatyard. Aldo Cranchi, who drew the hulls, took the decisive step in 1970: Tullio Monzino became his partner, and the yard moved to Piantedo in the nearby Valtellina valley to expand.

That geography is still unusual. Cranchi builds boats up to 50 feet at Piantedo, where it also keeps its research center and spare parts store, and boats from 50 to 80 feet at a second plant in Rogolo, then partly dismantles the big ones for the road trip to the sea. The Cranchi and Monzino families still own the company, with Paola, Elena and Guido Cranchi and Franco Monzino directly involved, and the yard stresses that it has operated independently since 1870.

Orizzonte, Aria and Marea, and where our two boats fit

Before its recent dayboats, Cranchi was best known for cruisers, flybridges and trawlers, and today's catalog is split three ways. Orizzonte holds the long-range flybridge and coupe yachts, from the Sessantadue 62 to the Settantotto 78. Aria groups the open, outdoor boats from the A32 to the A64. Marea keeps the classic open boats, including the M44 HT, the Z35 and the E26.

Both models we cover come from the yard's recent design partnership with Christian Grande, who handles art direction while hulls still come from Aldo Cranchi and the in-house research team. The Cranchi E26 Classic, launched in late 2018, is a 26-foot runabout with a vertical stem, teak foredeck and Volvo Penta sterndrive, sold alongside an outboard bowrider version. The Cranchi A46 Luxury Tender, from 2021, is a 46-foot walkaround in the Aria line with fold-down bulwarks, a single cabin and twin Volvo Penta IPS 650 pods.

Dealers, values and a Cranchi survey

Cranchi lists North American dealers in Florida, Maryland, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Oregon and Washington, including Chesapeake Yacht Center in Baltimore and Intermarine in Fort Lauderdale. Volvo Penta power is a real advantage in the US, where sterndrive and IPS technicians are easy to find.

Because the yard is independent and has kept its spares center in Piantedo, parts for current models are straightforward, and both boats we cover hold value well, with used prices close to new for recent hulls. Many listings are in Europe, so price in shipping, duty and electrical conversion.

• Ask for Volvo Penta service records, including IPS pod oil and seal service or sterndrive bellows and gimbal bearing changes.
• Cycle every electric or hydraulic mechanism, such as the A46's folding bulwarks and platform, several times.
• Check teak decks and platforms for lifted seams and worn caulking.
• On lake-kept boats, confirm the systems have been used in salt water before relying on them offshore.
• On European boats, confirm CE category, US duty status and 230-volt shore power.