HEWESCRAFT HISTORY - Staff

Bob and Ralph built boats under their Hewes Flying Service company name starting in 1948 establishing a tradition of safe, tough aluminum boats that has lasted for 75 years.

 

Bob and Ralph called their school Hewes Flying Service. As business at the piloting school waned, Bob and three of his friends decided to build their own fishing boats. Bob, Justina and Ralph Hewes.

 

Justina Hewes was hardworking and resourceful. She was the widowed mother to three boys (Bill, born 1915; Bob, born 1916, and Ralph, born 1919) who lived in Colville, Washington during a difficult economic time. Bill lost his life in his early 20s as a result of a tragic auto accident. Bob was mechanically gifted, left school after the eighth grade, bought a logging truck (for $10), and went to work in the timber industry. Ralph worked hard on his studies and, after graduating early from high school, he worked six 10-hour days every week at a bakery.

  

  

  

  

When Bob and Ralph weren’t hard at work, they were building and flying their own airplanes. This experience prepared them for service as airmen in World War II. Following the war, with added experience in aircraft piloting, repair, and maintenance, Bob and Ralph returned home to Colville and opened a pilot school to serve veterans looking to improve their education on the G.I. Bill. They called their school Hewes Flying Service. As business at the piloting school waned, Bob and three of his friends decided to build their own fishing boats. Bob traveled to a junk dealer in Spokane, Washington where he purchased aluminum sheet and other supplies. After three boats were built (and Bob’s buddies could now go fishing instead of building boats) Bob had to recruit his younger brother, Ralph, to help construct his boat. Local outdoorsmen began to see these small, well-built fishing boats out on local waters, and suddenly, a family business was born. Bob and Ralph built boats under their Hewes Flying Service company name starting in 1948 establishing a tradition of safe, tough aluminum boats that has lasted for 75 years.

 

Bob and Ralph built boats under their Hewes Flying Service company name starting in 1948 establishing a tradition of safe, tough aluminum boats that has lasted for 75 years.

 

1950s

In 1952, Bob and Ralph change their company’s name to Hewes Marine Company, and in 1956, Bob sells his interest in the company to Ralph and his wife Rita. Ralph and Rita begin producing and selling boats under the name Hewescraft and add new boat styles. The traditional lineup of Hewescraft fishing boats is joined by two pleasure boats—the 12’ Ski Bee and the 15’ Ski Master.

Hewes Marine Company continues its strong commitment to safety in all models. Every Hewescraft boat features Styrofoam flotation (the best safety flotation available at the time).

   

  

   

   

1960s

Hewescraft offers eight models including the new-for-1962 16’ Ski King and 18’ Cruiser. These boats’ wider beam and deep-v hull are the foundation of Hewescraft’s future designs. The 14’ Ski Maid, 15’ Ski Master, and 16’ Ski King models are all offered with a canvas shade/rain top to keep family boaters out on the water no matter the weather. By 1965, Ralph Hewes convinces an official in the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game to purchase three boats for their official use. This, combined with adding the brand at Alaska Ship Chandlers in Juneau and Montgomery Ward in Anchorage, opens Hewescraft’s success in the 49th state. In 1967, Hewescraft’s extremely stable 12’ Fishing Barge is sold into countless fishing resorts around the Pacific Northwest for inexpensive family fishing day rentals. It is later simply referred to as “The Resorter.” By 1969, the brand has expanded throughout the Inland Northwest. No longer just sold out of the Colville airport, Hewescraft can be found at hardware and sporting goods stores like Sety’s in Chewelah and Maley’s in Omak, as well as boat shops like River City Marine in Spokane and Dale’s Boat Service in Moscow, ID.

 

1970s

The deep v and high sides of the 18’ Storm King gives the Hewescraft lineup its biggest, toughest boat to date. This is the precursor to Hewes Marine Company’s off-shore boats. 

 

The deep v and high sides of the 18’ Storm King gives the Hewescraft lineup its biggest, toughest boat to date. This is the precursor to Hewes Marine Company’s off-shore boats. In 1971, the River Runner (14’ and 16’), with its signature squared-off nose, is Hewescraft’s first foray into the whitewater rivers of Alaska, Western Canada, and the serious proving grounds of Hell’s Canyon, Idaho. Hewescraft expands into stores throughout the entire Pacific Northwest. Long-time sporting and fishing institutions such as Ed’s Surplus, Skagit Marine, and Fred’s Tackle feature this now 30-year-strong brand. By 1979, the popularity of metal boats for whitewater river applications puts the River Runner at the top of Hewescraft’s development list. The River Runner is offered in lengths of 14’, 16’, 18’, and 20’.

   

  

  

  

1980s

By the end of the eighties, riveted hulls no longer live up to the increasing Hewescraft standard for ruggedness and safety. All River Runner and Sea Runner hull bottoms are now welded. 1980s Sea Runner.  Right: To celebrate Hewescraft’s 75th year in business, all 2024 models sport an anniversary medallion and limited-issue 75th-anniversary seating.

 

Hewescraft removes three ski-focused boats from its lineup and replaces them with the soft-riding, easy-on-the-eyes 17’ V-Rocket. This do-it-all runabout is an early showcase for Hewescraft’s future signature look. Hewes Marine now fills (and overflows) 18,000 square feet of separate “hull shop” and “finish shop” production space still comprised of airport hangars and various detached buildings. By 1984, deep involvement in whitewater racing leads to plenty of destructive testing. The River Runner “Banana” (named for its new curved-V bow) becomes the first prototype welded-bottom Hewescraft. 12-15 shop employees produce and ship a consistent 5-6 boats per week. Approximately 300 boats per year are shipped to a dealer network that has grown to include western Canada and the Kenai peninsula. In 1988, airplane hangars and outbuildings can no longer handle Hewescraft’s growth and pace of production. The plant remains in Colville, WA but moves out of the airport and into Tamarack Lanes—a 22,500 square foot former bowling alley. By the end of the eighties, riveted hulls no longer live up to the increasing Hewescraft standard for ruggedness and safety. All River Runner and Sea Runner hull bottoms are now welded.

 

1990s

Alaska boaters need serious all-weather protection, and Hewescraft obliges in 1996 with the first hard-top Sea Runner. Early bolt-on assemblies were quickly replaced by rugged, all-welded cabins. Alaskan Sea Runner.

 

Hewescraft pairs its first inboard jet propulsion solution (a Ford 302 V-8 with a Berkeley jet drive) with the welded hull of the River Runner. Government agencies, municipal works departments, and law enforcement agencies begin to use these tough, capable boats in many non-recreational applications. The improvement of buoyant foam products during the 1990s allows Hewescraft to step up its already tough flotation standards. Hewescraft surpasses all Coast Guard flotation regulations. Alaska boaters need serious all-weather protection, and Hewescraft obliges in 1996 with the first hard-top Sea Runner. Early bolt-on assemblies were quickly replaced by rugged, all-welded cabins. Hewes Marine ups its commitment in 1999 to tough materials, smart design, and rugged construction by making every model welded throughout.

   

  

  

  

Second-Generation Ownership

Ralph and Rita Hewes’s seven children (Bill, Fred, Jeanne, Dave, Katie, Margie, and Elizabeth) all spent plenty of time during their formative years working in the family business. However, as they grew and matured, each of them showed more interest in heading out into the world to seek their own professions—outside the boat-building industry. For Bill and Dave, this meant continuing their educational experience after high school by attending Gonzaga University.

Bill received a bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga in 1974. He then headed east to Wisconsin, where he received a graduate degree in Journalism from Marquette University in 1977. During his time at Gonzaga, Dave earned an engineering degree, graduating in 1978. Although they both spent a few years away from home pursuing careers in their respective fields of study, Dave and Bill eventually made their way back to Colville and Hewes Marine Company.

After 50 years guiding the company that he helped found, Ralph began contemplating retirement. From 1997 to 2000, Ralph and Rita Hewes transitioned the ownership and oversight of their company to Bill and Dave. Launa Hewes, who married Bill in 1995, also became an integral part of the ownership team at that time. Since then, Bill, Launa, and Dave have made it their highest priority to provide the best jobs, for the most people, for as long as possible in the Colville, Washington community. In working toward this lofty goal, they have presided over the company for 25 years as it has grown to a team of more than 200 employees and Hewescraft has become the #1-selling boat in the Pacific Northwest. Now, and for generations to come, Hewes Marine Company will continue to provide a bright future to the Colville community and its families.

   

    

   

   

2000s

By 2000, every Hewescraft carries a life-time warranty on the hull and all welds. The Alaskan Sea Runner features Hewescraft’s first genuine cuddy v-berth forward of the main cabin. At 24’, this cruiser is the largest Hewescraft yet. Demand for the Hewescraft brand has grown immensely in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and western Canada. As a result, the Hewescraft team triples in size over a single decade. The 179 Sea Runner becomes an ocean-going favorite for PNW suburbanites. This boat marries the rough-water hull of the Sea Runner with a size that fits in just about any garage. More skilled artisans join the “Hewescraft Family” as the company grows to 75 employees and offers four boat models—Sportsman, Sport Jet (Mercury-powered in-board jet), Sea Runner, and Alaskan. PNW boaters demand a wide lake and river boat that provides more fishing room but is still extremely stable during slow-speed fishing. The answer was the 6’-bottom, 14° deadrise ProV. Hewescraft is now the #1-selling boat in Alaska. The cuddy v-berth-equipped Pacific Series (Sport and Cruiser) arrives to give excursion fisherman a comfortable home out on tough Alaskan waters. In 2008, The legendary Sportsman—Hewescraft’s #1-selling model for years—receives a major redesign. Its suspended “bucket” bow and innovative gunwale/side fabrication stagger Hewescraft’s competitors.

 

2010s

2008-2010 brings a complete reset to the boating industry nationwide. After tough layoffs, followed by steady rehiring, Hewescraft emerges stronger than ever and overtakes all competitors to become the #1-selling boat (of any type) in the Pacific Northwest. In 2011, Hewescraft introduces the Pacific Explorer. It combines the comfort of the earlier Pacific Cruiser with an 8’-wide, self-bailing hull—turning big water and bad weather into an invitation. By 2017, boaters need something bigger and badder than Hewescraft has ever built. So, the Alaskan is redesigned with an impressive rising sheer line, ladder-access bow, and huge 42” sides. Hewescraft partners with BRP/Rotax to provide 200hp and 250hp 4-stroke inboard jet power for the whitewater-proven River Runner hull. Continued growth in both the size and quantity of boats produced means manufacturing space must also grow. In 2018, Hewes Marine purchases and moves into the 130,000 sq. ft., former Quadra-Fire/Hearth & Home building in Colville, WA. In 2019, Hewes Marine responds to continued requests for a “thirty-footer” by producing and releasing its largest, most capable model yet—the Adventure. This smooth-running cruiser handles every fishing adventure in world-class comfort and mahogany-trimmed style.

 

2020s

75th-anniversary trim models feature a modern version of the Hewescraft ocean blue that adorned the Hewescraft lineup throughout its early decades. 2024 250 Pacific Explorer in Anniversary Blue.

 

Designed and built like the fully up-dated Alaskan concept from three years previous, Hewescraft releases a reborn Pacific Explorer in 2021. This renewed model features upgrades to size and depth from the v-berth to the walk-through transom door. After years of gradually opening dealers in Minnesota, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin, it is clear that the Hewescraft brand has arrived in the Great Lakes when a 2021 Hewescraft-only walleye tournament brings out the best fishermen on Lake Erie. In 2022, Hewescraft breaks out of its PNW, salmon-trolling tradition to add the exciting Evolution walleye/multi-species fishing platform. With the hull of an Ocean Pro, and an interior worthy of the best walleye tournament fisherman, Hewescraft has evolved.

 

75 Years And Counting

A video from Hewescraft's 70th Anniversary open house in 2019. Moving into their new factory location in Colville, Washington. Tony Amato video.

 

To celebrate Hewescraft’s 75th year in business, all 2024 models sport an anniversary medallion and limited-issue 75th-anniversary seating. 75th-anniversary trim models feature a modern version of the Hewescraft ocean blue that adorned the Hewescraft lineup throughout its early decades. With a foundation of more than seven decades, and an excellent team of manufacturing professionals, Hewes Marine Company will continue to provide the safest, most fishable aluminum boating platform around—now, and into the future.

 

 

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