Island Gypsy: new and used yacht and trawler sales

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Island Gypsy is a high quality ocean going trawler designed for serious boating, coastal cruising or live aboard use.

Island Gypsy has been selling world wide since 1975, and enjoys a fine reputation for quality and unique design. All of there hulls are designed with rough seas and long range cruising plus crew comfort in mind. Excellent teak joiner work is a signature of there craft. The Halvorsen Family have been building boats continuously since 1870, when Halvor Andersen built his first boat near Arendal, in the South of Norway.

His son Lars, who took his fathers first name for his surname in the tradition of the times, built his first boat in 1903. Between 1905 and 1910, Lars traveled to New York, where he worked for Luders and Elco, two well known builders of the era. He planned to set up his own company in Florida, however an attack of malaria forced his return to the colder climate of Norway. During World War I, even though Norway was neutral, he employed 35 staff building boats up to 120'.

In 1921, a severe depression occurred, which caused Lars to emigrate with his family to South Africa, where he founded a new boat building company. This company built life boats, fishing boats and sailing boats.

While this business in Cape Town was successful, he decided that he would like to return to the U.S.A. for the sake of his family's future, and made plans accordingly. A new friend suggested however, that he should check out Sydney Australia on the way through, as it boasted the finest natural harbour in the world, and had potential for a good boat builder. As a result, the family settled in Sydney in 1925.

Before long, Lars had established himself as the number one boat builder in Sydney, with his 5 sons working at his side. He died prematurely in 1936 at the age of 49, but not before he had established a tradition second to none.

From 1925 to 1980, Halvorsen designed and built many of the finest pleasure craft built in Australia, and during World War II, designed and constructed nearly 250 boats for the Australian Army and Air Force, plus the U.S. Army and Dutch Government.

Halvorsen started the first charter boat business in Australia in 1946, building it up to become one of the largest privately owned fleets in the world.

In 1949, they built a 60' Motor Yacht and shipped it to Newport Beach California, to explore the export market. The yacht was successfully received, and several more followed until the outbreak of the Korean War.

In 1962, Halvorsens built the first Australian challenger for the Americas Cup, ''Gretel''. This was the beginning of an era which eventually resulted in the wresting of the ''Auld Mug'' from the New York Yacht Club by Australia, after 132 years.

In the early 70's they again built boats for the American market, shipping a 62' Cockpit Motor Yacht to the West Coast, and a 66' Motor Yacht to the East Coast. At this time, it was decided to also look at importing boats in to Australia, due to the escalating labor costs there. The Australian company, ''Lars Halvorsen Sons Pty., Ltd.'', secured the Australian dealership for the line of Grand Banks, Alaskans and Lagunas, built by American Marine. In the process, they became for a time, the second largest dealer they had in the world.

In 1975, a Joint Venture company was formed with Joseph H.H. Kong, who up to that time, had been the Manager of the American Marine plant in Hong Kong. The new company was called ''Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Engineering Company Limited'', and between 1975 and 1990, hundreds of fine craft were built by the firm under the Kong & Halvorsen and ''Island Gypsy'' names.

During 1978, K&H had an ''Island Gypsy'' assembled in Mainland China near Canton, and as a result of that experience, decided to look for a permanent boat building set up in China.

In 1980, a Joint Venture was formed with China Merchants Steam Navigation Company, and A. Fai Engineers of Hong Kong. China Merchants Steam Navigation Company, is a 100 year old company which controls the Shekou Industrial Zone where the Joint Venture yard is located. The new JV, called ''Jiang Hua Marine and Engineering Ltd.'', was in fact the first pleasure boat Joint Venture builder in China. Shekou is located about 20 N.M. from Hong Kong.

Halvorsen owns a major interest in Jiang Hua, and provides all the designs, and technical support for the pleasure boats. When the boats are completed in Shekou, they are run on their own bottoms to Halvorsens own facility in Hong Kong for final checking and packing & for shipping to the World wide dealer network. Jiang Hua is also heavily involved in commercial boat building, and has a range of modern high speed passenger ferries in production, which are being sold all over China. The design and technical input for the commercial division is provided from within China and by our own in house technicians.

In 1986, Joseph Kong unfortunately passed away after a long illness, and in 1990 Kong & Halvorsen Marine & Eng. Co. Ltd., was purchased in full by the Halvorsen family, and the name changed to Halvorsen Marine Ltd.

In 1998 Halvorsen formed International Yacht Distributors Ltd. to market & distribute their line of pleasure boats internationally which now includes the ''Solo'' 43 and 47 long range trawler.. They now have the Solo & some Island Gypsy models built in other yards in Southern China.

The Halvorsen family have the distinction of having built boats on 5 continents, spanning 5 generations continuously in the business... and the tradition continues.

Contact Information:
International Yacht Distributors Ltd.
P.O. Box 79529, Mongkok Post Office
Kowloon, Hong Kong
(852) 2497-6298
Fax: (852) 2432-1107