(9) - 1959 Dorsett Catalina

In 2017 I purchased a 1959 Dorsett Catalina cabin cuddy with a 75 hp. Johnson outboard. Sold the Johnson and decided to use my 1962 Mercury 700 outboard on the Dorsett.  Restored the Dorsett with new floor and transom, reupholstered seats, plexiglas windows, and then all new Mahogany wood interior, and painted top half as the gelcoat was in very poor condition. Over a year of work and many more improvements were made.

History of Dorsett Boat

The Dorsett Boat Company started in Santa Clara, CA, in 1955 under the boat brand name of Endura Craft Boats by Dorsett Plastics Company. In 1958, the company was re-named Dorsett Marine and simply called its boats, Dorsett. Dick W. Dorst was the company president. He was a Navy veteran who earned an engineering degree from the University of California and was an alumnus of the Harvard Business School.

Dick expanded the company by adding production plants in Bremen, IN, and Cambridge, MD. Yes, Dorsett boats were made on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. The plant was managed by a Naval architect, John Moore, Jr., who earned his degree in Newport News, VA.

In 1960, the company was sold to Textron, Inc. It was sold again in 1964, when the company created a Santa Clara division separate from the other plants. Then 1968 brought another sale. The molds and equipment were sold off individually in 1970, some going to Sierra Performer Boats as well as to Marlin Boats. It’s likely there were other buyers, too. 

Much was made of the design partnership with Raymond Loewy that Dick Dorst established in 1959. Since Ms. Ryan’s Dorsett 1960 fiberglass Catalina model was already in production when Loewy arrived, he added his style to some of its design details.

Loewy was a powerhouse of design talent. We have him to thank for a classic Coke bottle. His designs extended from streamlined locomotives right down to the JFK postage stamp. He won a $50,000 bet with the president of the American Tobacco Company when he improved the Lucky Strike cigarette package. He even created JFK’s Air Force One paint scheme.  

He designed the Studebaker Avanti, Champion, and Starliner cars. He introduced a clever transistor radio case. Greyhound hired him to design its popular bus and logo. Loewy also designed signature logos for both Shell and Exxon. The Coldspot refrigerator he designed for Sears in 1934 caused sales to jump from 60,000 to 275,000 in just two years. 

270+ photos of Catalina restoration can be seen  here