An American, a Scotsman and an Englishman

The single most significant factor that these three designers had in common, which others of their day didn’t, was that they all worked at family-run boatyards. It has so often been the case, and still is today, that a new client’s first port of call is the naval architect or designer, who then has the opportunity to influence the later process of selecting a builder. When trying to attract work, a yard that has its own designer is going to be one step ahead of one that doesn’t.

The story of Camper and Nicholsons began in 1782 when Francis Amos set up a boat building and repair business in Gosport. When Amos died in 1824, he left the business to his great nephew William Camper, who had joined him 15 years earlier. In 1842, Camper recruited an apprentice called Ben Nicholson who later became a partner having established himself as a designer, and subsequently took over the yard when Camper retired in 1863. Ben developed and expanded the business considerably over the next 30 years, during which time three of his sons – Ben Jnr, Charles and Arthur – came to work for him. Ben Jnr initially inherited the running of the company from his father, but the mantel then passed on