Willard Trawlers

Trawler yachts produced by Willard Marine of Costa Mesa, CA, beginning in the 1960's. Willard ceased pleasure boat manufacturing around 2003.

Please feel free to add your Willard shots to this group! (Please include as much information as you can -- Boat Name, model, place, date, event, etc.)

For more info about Willards see pacificmotorboat.com/willardboats

Summary of Willard Trawler Models:

Production began in the 1960’s with the William Garden designed Vega 36, sold primarily as a sedan flybridge cruiser (28 built), but also as a motorsailer (5) and a pilothouse North Sea Trawler style (6).

Until 1977 the term "Vega" was used to denote the hull style. It does not identify a model.

The Willard Vega 30 series (Voyager, Searcher, Nomad & Horizon motorsailer models) were built 1973-75. A total of 110 of these 30-footers were built.

The Vega 30 models then were discontinued and replaced with the Willard 30/4 ("Mark IV"). 28 of these flybridge sedans were built between 1977 and 2001. In 1999-2001 two raised pilothouse boats and one “liveaboard” adaptation were also built.

In 1975-76 Willard produced 30 of the "8-ton cutters" (an English-style designation), a cutter-rigged sailboat built on a modified Vega 30 hull.

The "Vega 40" was built 1973-77. Three were flybridge sedans in a “widebody” design (without sidedecks). Two were in a raised pilothouse style without a flybridge. One was custom built as a motorsailer in 1977.

A new all-fiberglass Willard 40 was introduced in April 1977 with "many updated features". It was similar to the previous Vega 40 but with sidedecks. Also, the decks and superstructures were cored fiberglass produced from a mold, as in the 30/4, and the term "Vega" was discontinued. 14 were built as the W40 Flybridge Sedan between 1977 and 2001. 6 were built in a pilothouse configuration, the last two in a "new" design in 2001-02.

-Adapted from a WillardBoatOwners posting.