J Boats For Sale On Boat Buys

J Boats Search Results

PHOTO	LISTING DETAILS	LOA FT	LOCATION	PRICE
	1985 J Boats J35 Offered By Fresh Water Boats Inc.	35	MI	$ 39,500.00 USD
	2009 J Boats J 22 NEW	22	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 24 NEW	24	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 80 NEW	26	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 92S NEW	30	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 95 NEW	31	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 97 NEW	31	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 100 NEW	32	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 105 NEW	34	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 109 NEW	35	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 122 NEW	40	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 124 NEW	40	Nation-Wide	See Ad
	2009 J Boats J 133 NEW	43	Nation-Wide	See Ad

About J Boats

The story of J Boats is a classic entrepreneurial tale: With a $20,000 investment, and a speedy 24-foot sailboat that Rod Johnstone built in his garage, Rod & his brother Bob Johnstone went into business. That was 1977. Now, that boat (the J/24), has become the most popular recreational offshore keelboat in the world.

While other manufacturers may sell more boats, J boats have won the high-end, performance-oriented segment of the market. Theirs is the so-called racer/cruiser category: boats that perform well enough to race but which are comfortable and easy enough for the family to daysail and cruise. It is with knowledgeable, experienced sailors that J boats have done best.

Enter Everett Pearson, the owner of Tillotson Pearson, Inc, a highly respected boat builder in Warren Rhode Island. He was quite taken with Rod's design and agreed to produce the boat on spec in return for the U.S. building rights. Display ads in Soundings got the word out. That winter they set up a makeshift factory in an old textile mill in nearby Fall River, Massachusetts, and began popping out J/24s.

Enter the marketing experience of brother Bob, a vice president of marketing at AMF/Alcort (the makers of Sunfish sailboats at the time). He saw the potential in the boat Rod had designed. From 1975 to 1977, Bob had helped to take Alcort from the red into the black, and then began trying to convince AMF to start producing a boat similar to the J/24. But, he says, in spite of overwhelming market research results showing 50% purchase intent in a boat like the J/24 , AMF really didn't care anything about gaining share of market or investing any more in sailing. So, in February of 1977, at age 43, Bob left AMF and threw in his lot with J Boats.

With Rod contributing the design and his prototype 'Ragtime' and Bob investing $20,000 to cover start-up costs, office space, and advertising, their 50-50 partnership of J boats was launched. Expecting to sell 250 J/24s that first year, they sold 750. Each successive year marks unique achievements in the sport and industry.