| Inland Boat Co.: |
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History / Start Page Brochures Still in use Back to the boats |
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 Your current location is: To the Boats - Brochures & Literature - Inland Boat Co. - Main Page HOME |
| Inland Boat Co.: |
|
History / Start Page Brochures Still in use Back to the boats |
|
|
Your current location is: To the Boats - Brochures & Literature - Inland Boat Co. - Main Page HOME |
Inland Boat Co. - History
This history of Inland boats was written by David C. Moehrke after spending an afternoon with Joan Coats owner operator of Inland boats December 2003 Thank you Joan The fabulous fifties arguably the high water era [no pun intended] of boat styling. Newly emerging middle class with disposable income created a need and new construction materials called fiberglass allowed literally hundreds of boat manufactures to spring up overnight. One of those companies, "Inland Boats" is still around today. Started 8 years before the fabulous fifties as a wood boat refinishing business located in a rented space below the locale Lincoln Mercury dealership. Father and son team Frank and Bill Coats worked on the boats side by side. As the fifties arrived Inland Boats had moved into there own building on the Yahara River Monona Wisconsin. By this time Inland had begun building there own line of boats starting with pre formed plywood hulls purchased from a supplier in Canada. Inlands response to the Canadian supplier's signing an exclusive sale contract with a competitor was to set up there own ovens and presses and begin manufacturing there own hulls eventually supplying many other smaller companies with bare hulls. By the mid to late fifties Bill and his wife Joan had taken over the day to day operations at Inland and helped bring the company into the future "Fiberglass" This new product allowed new design ideas to flourish not just at Inland but through out the industry. The recreational boat market really began to take off. The next twenty years saw Inland boats build and sell 100 boats a year shipping them world wide. Many different designs were built with some showing a performance influence. Inland also built custom boats and race boats many performing to prominence. Bills racing history included building boats for Kiekhaefer and a life long affiliation with Mercury products. Inland stopped manufacturing boats in 1972. Today Joan and her two children who grew up around the boats continue to run Inland.. A full service marina, Inland has sold and serviced many of the more popular boat brands. One constant besides there Yahara river location has been Mercury out boards. Future plans for Inland Boats include new owners a remodel of the facility and continued service to the boating community for many years to come. Historical Time line 1942: Frank and Bill Coats open Inland Boats, Madison Wisconsin. 1944: Inland begins manufacturing wood boats. 1945: Inland moves into there new home, Monona Wisconsin. 1946: First Mercury Outboard arrives at Inland. 1955-1959: Bill and Joan Coats guide Inlands change from wood to fiberglass manufacture. 1959: Inland manufactures a full line of Fiberglass boats. 1972: Inland manufactures their last new boat. 1972 - Present: Inland operates as a full service marina. |