G. Prout & Sons


G. Prout and Sons of Canvey Island, Essex, in the United Kingdom, initially a building of folding dingies canoes and kayaks, moved to small sailing catamarans in the early 1950s with Shearwater I and later with what the National Maritime Museum states to be the first production catamaran in the world, the Shearwater III class of small sailing catamaran. The company developed from small catamarans to larger cruising vessels. The company dissolved in 2002.

History

Brothers Francis and Roland Prout were canoeists who took part in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. They worked in the family firm G. Prout & Sons Ltd, with their father, making folding canoes and dingies. They developed their first catamaran, the Shearwater I in the early 1950s. Initiallly they experimentally lashed together two K1 kayaks and added a bamboo platform and a mast and sail, and after the success of this went on to build the Shearwater I, in which they participated in local regattas. They then developed the Shearwater III.
The brothers were both awarded the Freedom of the City of London and were appointed liverymen of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights.
In 1975 the brothers became directors of a new company, Prout Catamarans, while Frank's son and Roland's daughter continued to make catamarans as G. Prout & Sons Ltd. Prout Catamarans changed its name to 199 AB Limited in 2001 and went into administration the same year. In 1989 G. Prout & Sons Ltd was renamed Prout Holdings Ltd, and on 22 April 2020 the decision was made to wind up the company and a liquidator was appointed.

Cruising catamarans

Prouts built a large range of catamarans. The table is sorted initially by length of vessel, and is composed of those built in the company's heyday.