Fast Cruiser Motor Yachts, Semi-Custom Yachts
From 37.9m (124’) to 72m (236’)
Planing, Semi-Displacement
Palmer Johnson started in 1918 as a small boatbuilder in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. For decades, it focused on wooden craft built for both work and recreation. The company’s direction began to shift in the mid-20th century, when aluminum hulls and faster designs brought new attention and set the tone for what would come next.
The launch of the SportYacht series in the early 2000s marked a new chapter for the brand. These models featured low profiles, wide decks, and a distinct design language that blended performance with sharp styling. The follow-up SuperSport series introduced a trimaran-style hull and carbon composite materials, increasing both efficiency and usable space onboard.
Although the company no longer builds in Wisconsin, its presence continues from Monaco, where operations now focus on international clients and limited-production projects. Yachts like Khalilah and DB9 reflect Palmer Johnson’s signature approach: fast, sleek motor yachts that stand out for both looks and capability.
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Palmer Johnson Yachts
An Overview of the Shipyard's History, Specialty, Iconic Builds, and Partnerships
Palmer Johnson Yachts
Shipyard History
A respected American brand, Palmer Johnson was founded in 1918 and expanded from its humble beginnings in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, building and repairing wooden skiffs and commercial fishing vessels, to become a noted superyacht builder. Building yachts in both aluminium and carbon fiber, Palmer Johnson yachts range across many styles including the sturdy Explorer line to the luxurious SuperSport series and the new SportYacht. A reputation for style, performance, innovative materials and engineering set Palmer Johnson apart for years and help make their yachts a well-recognized brand on the charter and sales market.
Notable deliveries and models
A reputation for style, performance, innovative materials and engineering set Palmer Johnson apart for years, and the yard’s launches have been met with critical acclaim. The 30.5m FORTUNA, a 1979 motor yacht built for King Juan Carlos of Spain, reached 46 knots and held the record for fastest superyacht for over ten years. The 48m KHALILAH, launched in 2014 as the first SuperSport, was the largest carbon composite superyacht at her launch. The 65m LADY M, delivered in 2013 as the first PJ210, is the largest yacht built by the yard. The 52.2m S (ex-SANAM) followed in 2016 as the third PJ170 and the last superyacht completed at the yard’s original Sturgeon Bay facility, joining her sisterships DB9 and BLISS.
With vessels constructed from both aluminum and carbon fiber, Palmer Johnson yachts have ranged across many styles, including the sturdy Explorer, the Italian styled SportYacht series, spanning the PJ120 to the PJ210, and the high-performance SuperSport series. The Sport series followed in 2022, when the first 19.4m PJ63 Sport was delivered, adding a fuel-efficient, sculpted sport cruiser capable of 34 knots to the range.
Design collaborations on models and projects
Palmer Johnson has built its design language through partnerships with some of the industry’s most distinctive names, from an established Italian studio to a crossover project with an automotive icon.
Nuvolari & Lenard has worked with the yard since the SportYacht series launched in 2004, creating both exteriors and interiors across hulls including DB9, BLISS, S and LADY M. The SuperSport series’ wave-piercing trimaran hull originated in a concept by naval architect Berkeley March, a finalist in BOAT International’s 2008 Young Designer of the Year Award, who went on to lead design at Palmer Johnson and later shaped the PJ63 Sport. Palmer Johnson developed March’s carbon composite design into KHALILAH.
Palmer Johnson also partnered with Bugatti on the Niniette series, a line of sport yachts announced in 2015 in PJ42, PJ63 and PJ88 versions. The project applied Bugatti’s “Form follows Performance” design philosophy, drawing on design cues from classic Bugatti automobiles such as the Type 57 C Atalante and Type 41 Royale, and paired carbon fiber hulls derived from the SuperSport series with titanium accents. A later Niniette 66 took its cues from the Bugatti Chiron.