"The Ulrichsen Boat Company was started by my father, Andrew Ulrichsen, about 1947 in Keyport, NJ, originally constructing Jersey Sea Skiffs for commerical fishermen and later for sport fishermen. In the late 40s or early 50s the boats were first shown at the New York Boat Show which then was in Grand Central Palace. His business, after the boat show, expanded greatly. He was also asked by Henry Luhrs to construct some hulls which were to be finished by the Luhrs Company and later to provide a design and patterns so that the Luhrs boats could be constructed in Morgan, NJ. Both companies flourished into the late 50s when a recession severely curtailed demand. The Ulrichsen facility in Keyport, NJ was a series of buildings not allowing for a production line. In the late 50s, Henry Luhrs came to my father and suggested that both lines of boats be redesigned and sent to the Chicago Trade Show in hopes of expanding their dealership and increase sales. In return, for my father's designs he was offered a new facility in Marlboro, NJ where a production line could be set up. Mr. Luhrs' intent was to make both companies profitable, enterinto the fiberglass market, and ultimately sell both companies. This was accomplished in the early 60s when the companies were sold to the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad which later became the Bangor, Punta, Allegra Sugar Company and then ultimately -Bagor Punta. During that period Ulrichsen boats built wooden sea skiffs from 25 feet to 37 feet. The first entry into fiberglass boats was made by Luhrs when they acquired molds from a Virginia company - I do not remember the name. The first one was 29 feet with a fiberglass hull and a wood super structure and later at 32 foot model was introduced. To the best of my recollection, the first all fiberglass boat was a 29 foot, marketed as an Alura. Both boat companies ceased operations in 1969. Henry Luhrs had two sons, John and Warren, who left the Marlboro operation and purchased a small New Jersey wooden boat company named Silverton. They hired a man by the name of Jack Fields to redesign the Silverton boats in fiberglass. Warren, the younger brother, went on to start Hunter, a sailboat company in Florida and then later started a trawler line called Mainship. At some point they purchased the Luhrs name back from the holding company and, to this day, continue to produce Silverton, Luhrs, and Mainship. I left the boat company when it closed down and ultimately started custom home building in Moorestown, NJ, where I reside today.
If you have any questions, please email me. Eric Ulrichsen"
