Hinckley Yachts, Maine Craftsmanship From the Bermuda 40 to the Picnic Boat

A Southwest Harbor yard that bet early on fiberglass

Benjamin B. Hinckley bought a small boatyard in Southwest Harbor, Maine in 1928, and his son Henry R. Hinckley, a Cornell-trained engineer, took control in 1932. The yard built boats for the war effort in the 1940s, then the Sou'wester sailboats, and in the 1950s experimented with a material many traditionalists distrusted. The result was the Bermuda 40, introduced in 1959 and launched in fiberglass in 1960, one of the first serious American yachts built from the new material.

Ownership has changed several times since Henry Hinckley sold the business in 1979, passing to family members, then to investment groups. Along the way Hinckley added Hunt Yachts in 2014 and Morris Yachts in 2015, along with technologies such as SCRIMP resin infusion, Dual Guard aramid and carbon laminates, and the JetStick joystick control.

Two icons, the Bermuda 40 and the Picnic Boat

The Hinckley Bermuda 40, designed by Bill Tripp, ran from 1959 to 1991 and reached 203 hulls. It is a centerboard yawl or sloop with a shallow draft, elegant overhangs and joinery that set the standard for American production yachts. Well-restored examples still sell for strong prices decades later.

The Hinckley Picnic Boat of 1994 did the same for powerboats. Its Downeast lobster-boat profile, varnished trim and quiet waterjet propulsion created a whole category of luxury dayboats. The original single-engine 36 gave way in 2008 to the twin-engine 37, and the family has since stretched to a 40 flagship plus newer 39 and 45 models, alongside Talaria motor yachts and Sport Boats.

The Picnic Boat 34, a smaller door into the jetboat family

When Hinckley wanted an entry point below the 37 during the recession years, it produced a compact twin-engine jetboat in 2012 and called it the Talaria 34. By 2017 the same hull was being marketed as the Hinckley Picnic Boat 34, now with more powerful Yanmar diesels. Brokers also list later or well-optioned boats as the 34 MKII or 34 S, so buyers should confirm build year and engines rather than trust the suffix.

The 34 keeps the brand's core recipe: a Michael Peters planing bottom, Hamilton waterjets, JetStick control and a draft of under two feet. Inside it is a day boat with a V-berth and enclosed head for the odd night aboard, and a helm set well forward to free up deck space. Running in the low 30s of knots at cruise, it rides better and goes faster than the original single-engine 36, and it remains the most affordable way into a twin-engine Hinckley jetboat on the used market. There was also an open runabout sibling, the Talaria 34R.

Service yards, resale and the used-Hinckley checklist

Hinckley's biggest advantage for US owners is its service network. Company yards in Maine, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Maryland, Georgia and Florida handle storage, refits and warranty work, which keeps boats in top condition and supports resale. Used Picnic Boats are among the best-holding powerboats in the country, and many owners trade up within the brand.

Even with good care, these boats deserve a careful survey.

• Waterjet impeller, wear ring and reverse bucket condition on Picnic Boats
• JetStick and thruster electronics on joystick-equipped boats
• Varnish condition, which is costly to maintain properly
• Centerboard pennant, pivot pin and trunk on the Bermuda 40
• Deck core around fittings and chainplates on older sailboats
• Service records from Hinckley yards, which add value at resale