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By Airwaves Writer Tyler Colvin

In the boat building industry, the name Johnstone is about as close to a royal family as you can get.  Ever since the first J/24 Ragtime was cast in the garage of 1975 by Rod, the family has dominated the boat building scene.  Boat building has continued to stay in the family, with a board of directors made up of Johnstones, as well as a myriad of individual projects, including Peter Johnstone’s well-known Gunboat International.

The company that grew from the garage project, J/Boats, was in its infancy when Peter Johnstone was just 12 years old.  When asked about how he got his start, his reply was, “Osmosis. Nightly dinner discussions with the family take over your thoughts at a young age.”  He caught the bug early, learning to sail with his sister.  “My older sister was very supportive of my sailing when I got started at age 7. She encouraged toughing it out on many difficult early days in a Sunfish as a tiny kid.”  This was the beginning of what has been a storied sailing career, earning All-American sailing honors while at Connecticut College.  He would go on to win multiple class championships and make several world record attempts.
Stemming from his love of the water and his family obsession with the boat building industry, Peter himself has played a big part in the advancement of modern boats.  His first venture, Johnstone One Design, introduced the world to the retractable bowsprit on the One Design 14, revolutionizing sport boat design.  Since then he has been involved with numerous other companies, including Sunfish Laser (pre-Vanguard Boats), Escape Sailboats and EdgeWater Powerboats.

“I love sailing. I love boats. And I love boat yards. Once you have done complex yacht projects, the rest of life seems pretty boring. It is not so much a job. It is a mission and an affliction,” he says, “It feels like I was placed here to push for new market segments and expand the capabilities and reach of sailing.”  Indeed few have had even nearly the success he has had in the industry, and perhaps it is because his drive to be the best is unequaled.
In 2001, frustrated by the lack of a performance cruising catamaran on the market, Johnstone set out to create his own.  He wanted a combination of comfort, enjoyment and the ability to do hundreds of miles a day without sacrificing the other criteria.  From this the 62’ Tribe was born.  Again, Johnstone revolutionized the industry.  Tribe performed beautifully and Gunboat International was born.

The industry standard for luxury catamarans, Gunboat has grown and changed over the years, but not without some pitfalls.  “The industry is very cyclical. The fall of Lehman Brothers set us back 6-8 years. Recessions hit hard. You have to take the punches, pick yourself up, dust off, and set back at it.”  He has stuck with it over the years and is reaping the rewards.

Despite getting a jump on the competition growing up in the First Family of boat building, Johnstone has earned multiple victories along his career path; revolutionizing the industry several times.  He attributes his accomplishments to hard work and persistence, quoting, “Rudyard Kipling’s poem, “IF”, captures the life of a boat builder well.  If that poem sounds attractive, then you are cut out for the challenges.  If it doesn’t sound good, go elsewhere!”  Positivity is a big contributing factor as well, and he offers sage advice for those starting out in the sailing industry: “Be willing to do anything at first.  Be positive and gung-ho.  Energy and motivation are always prized traits even if the work experience is not there yet.” 

Gunboat International is based out of Wanchese, NC, and regularly posts openings in their workforce to the Sail1Design Career Center! If you are interested in getting your start in the industry, be sure to monitor the job postings for any new openings they, or other companies, may have.