Honoring Seven Decades of Craftsmanship & Heritage

Grand Banks Yachts is celebrating its 70th Anniversary in 2026, marking seven decades of boatbuilding innovation that has shaped the modern power cruising yacht.

Published: Saturday, April 18, 2026 9:00 am

The milestone celebration kicked off at the Palm Beach International Boat Show this past March, launching a seven-month global celebration honoring seven decades.

Founded as American Marine Ltd. in 1956, the company began as a shipwright’s enterprise dedicated to building honest, capable boats. That ethos found its defining expression in 1964 with the introduction of the Grand Banks 36, a cruising yacht that effectively created the production trawler category and established a design genre that would influence generations of passagemaking yachts.

The 70th Anniversary celebration will unfold over seven months in honor of seven decades with a number of special initiatives:

A commemorative anniversary edition of the Grand Banks in-house magazine, exploring the brand’s history, innovations, and defining yachts.
Owner celebrations across the United States, Australia, and Europe, bringing together the global Grand Banks community.
Curated digital and editorial storytelling highlighting historic milestones, influential designs, and the people who shaped the brand over seven decades.