{{Short description|Powerboats manufacturer in America}} {{Use American English|date=April 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2026}} '''Wellcraft''' is a brand of American powerboats. It was founded in 1955, making wooden runabouts.<ref name=Mknew>{{cite book|last1=McKnew|first1=Ed|title=2008 PowerBoat Guide|date=November 2007|publisher=American Marine Publishing|isbn=978-0977353941|page=469}}</ref> The company is owned by Groupe Beneteau, part of its Rec Boat subsidiary.
==Acquisitions== In 1982, Wellcraft purchased California Yachts from the Marshall Boat Company and in 1987 sold it back to them.<ref>{{cite book|last1=McKnew|first1=Ed|title=2008 PowerBoat Guide|date=November 2007|publisher=American Marine Publishing|isbn=978-0977353941|page=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7K1jVSAfQX8C&dq=%22Wellcraft%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA46}}</ref>
In 2014, Groupe Beneteau acquired Rec Boat Holdings (Wellcraft, Four Winns, Scarab, and Glastron).{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}
==Education programs== Wellcraft created the Wellcraft Saltwater Fishing School to teach new Wellcraft owners how to become better fishermen. It also created Wellcraft's High Performance Boot Camp to teach new Wellcraft owners how to get "maximum thrills" out of their new purchase while operating them safely.<ref name="academy">{{cite book |last1=Kovach |first1=Brad |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4fh6rZTY9UgC&dq=%22Wellcraft%22%20-wikipedia&pg=PA81 |title=Angling Academy |date=April 2001 |publisher=MotorBoating |page=81 |access-date=30 August 2015}}</ref>
==Product line== Its Scarab line of boats, specifically, the ''Scarab 38 KV'' was featured on ''Miami Vice''. The Wellcraft Scarab 38 KVs were a 28-hued, twin 440-hp boat that sold for $130,000 in 1986. As a result of the publicity the show gave Wellcraft, the company received "an onslaught of orders", increasing sales by 21 percent in one year.<ref name="boatsofmiamivice">{{Cite journal |last=Davis |first=Chris |date=June 1986 |title=The Boats of Miami Vice |journal=Motor Boating and Sailing |volume=157 |issue=6 |pages=36–40}}</ref>
In appreciation, Wellcraft gave Don Johnson an exact duplicate of the boat featured on the show.<ref name=boatsofmiamivice/> Altogether, one hundred copies of the boat (dubbed the "Scarab 38KV Miami Vice Edition") were built by Wellcraft.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Benoit |first=Ellen |title=Just Like On TV |journal=Forbes |page=106 |date=1986-04-07 }}</ref> The ''Miami Vice'' graphics and color scheme, which included turquoise, aqua, and orchid, was available by special order on any model Scarab from 20–38 feet.<ref name=popularmechanics>{{Cite journal|last=Cole |first=Tim |title=The Machines of Miami Vice: The car, the boats, the guns that make it TV's hottest show |journal=Popular Mechanics |volume=152 |issue=5 |pages=89–91 |publisher=Hearst Corp. |date=May 1986 }}</ref>
Don Johnson also designed the Scarab Excel 43 ft, Don Johnson Signature Series (DJSS), and raced a similar one. The Don Johnson Signature Series was powered by twin 650-hp Lamborghini V-12's, which caused some problems to the design of the boat due to their size. Overall the boat cost $300,000 with each engine amounting to between $60–$70,000.<ref name="starshipvice">{{Cite journal |last=Schryver |first=Doug |date=February 1988 |title=Don Johnson's new Scarab gets all the bells and whistles Wellcraft can muster, plus a few new tricks. You can own one, too – for a price. |journal=Starship |pages=116–119, 202–203}}</ref>
==Starwind division== {{Redirect-distinguish|Starwind|Star Wind|StarWind Software}} In the 1980s, Wellcraft started a sailboat division, called Starwind. The division operated until about 1984, producing a line of small sailboats, including the Starwind 19, Starwind 22, Starwind 223 and Buccaneer 18 centerboard boats.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=95|title = Starwind 223 sailboat specifications and details|access-date = 25 July 2018|last = Browning|first = Randy|work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2018|archive-date = 25 July 2018|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180725183846/http://sailboatdata.com/viewrecord.asp?class_id=95|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url =http://sailboatdata.com/view_builder.asp?builder_id=573|title =Starwind (USA) |access-date = 25 July 2018|last= Browning| first = Randy |work = sailboatdata.com|year = 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/buccaneer-18|title= Buccaneer 18 sailboat |access-date= 7 October 2020|last= McArthur| first= Bruce |work= sailboatdata.com|year= 2020|archive-url= https://archive.today/20201007170033/https://sailboatdata.com/sailboat/buccaneer-18|archive-date= 7 October 2020 |url-status= live}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{official website|www.wellcraft.com}}
{{Starwind}}
Category:Wellcraft