History
A passion for perfection, a love of the creative process and a drive to build great boats brought three extraordinary men together to build the first PDQ Yacht. These three men were Dr. Harvey Griggs, MIT graduate in structural engineering and the man who commissioned the first yacht, Alan Slater, chief engineer and steadfast believer in catamarans, and Simon Slater, Alan's son, creator of the deck design, and the brawn behind the construction.

PDQ Yachts was founded in 1987 on a belief that a catamaran is a better cruising sailboat. Already known for performance, their stability and accommodation make multihulls ideal for long-range cruising. Although catamarans were already successful in the charter industry, PDQ decided to build a boat targeted towards cruising couples. The result was a 2-cabin, 34-foot cruising catamaran, which quickly gained popularity with retired professionals.

PDQ soon built a reputation for being an engineering oriented, high quality boat builder. In 1994, PDQ introduced its second boat, a 32-foot sailing catamaran. The Altair's interior incorporated an aft twin-cabin layout that would be expanded upon in later designs.

Changing Directions
In 1999, after 12 years in business, PDQ decided on a change in direction. First, PDQ acknowledged that its skills and expertise were better suited to building luxury, high-end products as opposed to high volume production sailboats. Also, in order to achieve substantial growth, PDQ decided to design and build a line of power catamarans for the much larger powerboat market.

Most catamaran sailboats today are essentially built for charter and are constructed with fiberglass interiors with a priority set at cramming as many beds and bathrooms into the layout. Identifying a void in the sailboat market for a true luxury catamaran, PDQ made a strategic decision to move away from building production boats and began the design of a luxury 42-foot sailing catamaran. This high-end cruising catamaran was inspired by the Hinckley-line of boats as opposed to a high-production boat.

In order to accommodate the company's expansion plans, PDQ moved to a larger 45,000 square-foot facility in 2000. This was in addition to the original 15,000 square-foot facility.

The first 42 Antares was launched in 2001. As orders for the 42 increased, PDQ began its planned phase out of the older generation products. The 32 was discontinued in 2002 and the last orders for the 36 sailboat were taken in 2004.

Power Shift
PDQ introduced its first Power Catamaran at the Annapolis Boat show in the fall of 2000. Since that time, the 34 Power Catamaran has become the most successful product in PDQs history. This is largely attributed to the well-engineered and quality construction of the boats, as well as greater attention to market requirements. Concurrent with new designs was the introduction of PDQ U, a hands-on boat orientation program, as well as our Flotilla programs. The PDQ 34 Power Catamaran is now the best selling cruising catamaran in North America.

In the fall of 2003, PDQ began establishing a powerboat distribution network with a Florida based dealer. Since then, dealers have been established in the Chesapeake, New England and the Great Lakes regions.

Future Goals
PDQ began the design of a 41-foot Power Catamaran in 2004. The first PDQ 41 will be launched in the summer of 2006. By the time the first 40 Powercat is launched, PDQ will have already delivered well over 100 34-foot Powercats.

Today, PDQ is moving in a positive way towards achieving its goals of increasing its position as the dominant builder in the growing power catamaran market, as well as firmly establishing itself as the premier builder of luxury sailing catamarans.

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