KenCraft Boats, the Wilson Builder That Now Goes by Bay Rider

Fifty years in Wilson without a corporate owner

Wilson lies inland from the sounds of eastern North Carolina, and that is where KenCraft has molded fiberglass boats since, by the company's own account, 1975. By the company's telling it has remained independent and in family hands throughout. The Brunson family runs it day to day, and an archived 2012 KenCraft homepage told visitors the company had started with a commercial boat, was owned by no corporation or investor group, and employed people who had worked there for decades.

That continuity sits under a confusing set of names. Over the years the Wilson plant has produced Bayrider skiffs, Sea King and then Challenger consoles and bay boats, and offshore models carrying the KenCraft badge itself. Around the start of 2024 the old KenCraft web address started forwarding to Bay Rider, and every model now wears that name. Boating magazine's recent coverage simply calls Bay Rider the company formerly known as KenCraft.

What the Wilson plant believes in

The company's pitch has always been value without cutting corners where it counts. Hulls contain no wood, are laid up by hand and filled with closed-cell foam, and fuel tanks are coated aluminum. A shop on site does the aluminum welding, every boat is checked against a 212-item list before shipping, and a decade-long warranty can pass to a second owner. Boating's editor, touring the 53,000-square-foot factory, singled out knee braces from stringers to a 4-inch transom and a glued hull-to-deck joint. Law enforcement agencies buy boats here too.

Styling is pure Carolina, with a flared bow and tall sides that suit families and anglers running inlets in a short chop.

Today's three Bay Rider series

The current lineup runs from 21 to 27 feet. There is a Bay series (219, 239 and 269), a Skiff series (2060, 2260, 2460 and FS versions) and an Offshore series with a 21 and a 25. Our KenCraft 21 review covers the small console that was sold as the Outer Banks Edition and carries on as the 21 Offshore. It also explains why older Sea King and Challenger 21-footers, often advertised as KenCraft 21s, are not the same boat, and gives dimensions, equipment and new and used prices.

Dealers, reputation and buying used

Distribution is an Atlantic coast affair, with dealers in the Carolinas, Florida, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Owners in those states have easy access to warranty work and parts, while buyers farther afield will rely on independent shops. On the used market, KenCraft and Bay Rider boats hold value steadily rather than spectacularly. Their appeal is a solid, flared-bow console at a price well under the premium Carolina brands.

Checks that apply to any used KenCraft:

• Read the hull ID and capacity plate to establish exactly which model and series you are looking at
• Ask whether any remaining factory warranty can be transferred to you
• On older consoles, look at the transom and jack plate bolts closely
• Test livewells, fish box drains and hatch struts
• Get outboard service history and hours