In 1994, Hinckley broke its no-building-before-buying rule for the very first Picnic Boat. The company was struggling financially when co-owners Bob Hinckley and Shep McKenney came up with the idea for a dayboat: It would look like the lobster boats that trolled Maine’s rocky coves, be made of the then-newfangled Kevlar composite, and use an innovative inboard jet system to allow the hull to navigate shallow water.

The first Picnic Boat was launched in May of that year, with no interest and no buyers. Today, the Picnic Boat is a cornerstone of the company’s business and one of its best-known products—Hinckley even trademarked the name.
Now in its 25th year of production and with more than 1,200 built, the boat is available in 34-, 37-, and 40-foot variants with price tags of $1 million to $1.7 million.