Cruisers Yachts, Wisconsin's Express and Flybridge Builder

From lapstrake boats in Oconto to KCS

Cruisers Inc. was founded in 1953 by second-generation boatbuilders of the Thompson family, and its first shipment left the Oconto, Wisconsin factory on November 18, 1953. The company built small lapstrake boats, struggled when wooden boats declined in the 1960s and moved into fiberglass. In 1982 it bought the fiberglass boat operations of Mirro Aluminum Company.

The turning point came in 1993, when K.C. Stock's KCS International bought the company and renamed it Cruisers Yachts. Under KCS the builder moved upmarket, expanded its express and flybridge lines and became one of the first US builders to adopt Volvo Penta IPS pods. In 2021 MarineMax, the largest US boat retailer, acquired the company, linking Cruisers to its national store and service network.

Cantius, GLS, Express and Fly

Cruisers organizes its range into four families, and the models we cover span most of them. The 50 Cantius, introduced in 2017, is the flagship of a 42, 46 and 50 Cantius lineup, with IPS pods, a big salon and a full-beam master. The 38 GLS and 42 GLS represent the newer dayboat direction, with open layouts, folding terraces and outboard or sterndrive power for owners who spend days rather than weeks aboard. The 35 Express is a classic earlier express cruiser and remains a popular used entry point.

All Cruisers boats are built in Oconto and Pulaski, Wisconsin, with combined plant space over 600,000 square feet and a test tank where hull designs are validated.

• Cantius, luxury express and flybridge yachts such as the 50 Cantius
• GLS, bowrider-style dayboats such as the 38 GLS and 42 GLS
• Express and Fly, traditional sport cruisers and flybridge yachts

Resale, service and what to inspect

Cruisers boats are among the best supported American cruisers on the used market thanks to MarineMax ownership and a long-standing dealer network, especially in the Great Lakes and Florida. Resale is solid for recent Cantius and GLS models and more average for older express cruisers, which compete with plentiful Sea Ray and Formula inventory. A 50 Cantius typically lists from about $700,000 to $1.66 million depending on year.

Focus the survey on propulsion and the systems that run hardest.

• Volvo Penta IPS service history, including pod oil, bellows and anodes
• Sterndrive bellows and gimbal bearings on older Express models
• Outboard hours and transom on GLS outboard versions
• Hardtop sunroof and window seals
• Generator, air conditioning and hydraulic swim platforms