Ivor Jones (above left), who with his brother Jack (right) established Delta Marine and grew it from a fishing-boat builder to a custom-superyacht builder, has died. He was 86 years old.
Born in April 1939 in Seattle, Ivor Jones seemed destined for a career in the marine industry. He and Jack enjoyed racing flat-bottom boats on nearby Lake Sammamish. In fact, Ivor exceeded 100 mph aboard the Starfire Irritation in 1969. Together with Jack, he hit just shy of 104 mph three years later aboard another Starfire, Screaming Yellow Zonker.
Ivor Jones swapped speed for salt water in 1967. He and Jack established a small boatyard along the Duwamish River in Seattle to construct fiberglass fishing vessels. The commercial fishing fleet had long employed wooden hulls, but fiberglass would require less maintenance. Simultaneously, it would hold up well to the harsh realities of trolling the waters of the Pacific Northwest, especially Alaska. Within two years, Ivor Jones and Jack had launched the first hull in a series of 38-footers (11.6-meters). By 1970, their reputation had grown to the point where they needed new facilities. Ivor and Jack Jones erected sheds to construct commercial fishing vessels to 50 feet (15 meters)—buildings still standing today. Equally notable, many of the boats from 1970 onward are still in operation today, and more than 600 vessels in total departed the yard.
Commercial fishing took a big hit in the United States in the late 1970s, however, due to overfishing and foreign competition. The Jones brothers therefore pivoted, launching their first yacht in 1984, a 70-footer (21-meter). Not surprisingly, she employed the same hull design as the successful Delta 70 fishing vessel from 1980. From that point onward, Delta Marine never looked back.
Although Ivor Jones preferred staying out of the media spotlight, his contributions to Delta Marine’s success were significant. Craftspeople proudly share stories of how he spent time with them on the shop floor. The shipyard launched its first megayacht exceeding 120 feet (37 meters) in 1989, a remarkable size for the time. Delta Marine launched yet another remarkably-sized yacht in 2006, the 240-foot (73.15-meter) Laurel (above). Not only was she its then-largest yacht, but also she became the largest yacht constructed on American soil in 75 years.
A further milestone occurred under Ivor Jones’ watch, with the opening of the Delta North facility in 2009. For the first time in its history, Delta Marine began offering metal hulls to customers. While the builder continued constructing in fiberglass, it realized aluminum and steel were more attractive to buyers seeking larger luxury yachts. The facility could handle superyachts exceeding 300 feet (100 meters), too.
Ivor and Jack Jones handed over day-to-day operations to their children in recent years. Ivor Jones’ daughter, Michelle Jones, is vice president. Chris Jones, Jack’s son, oversees project management. Ivor also leaves behind another daughter, Trish.
Delta Marine deltamarine.com
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