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Jensen Marine / Cal Boats Boats

Jensen Marine was a Costa Mesa, California boatbuilder founded by Jack Jensen and best known for the Cal line of fiberglass production sailboats, including the influential Cal 40 offshore racer-cruiser.

1 boats

Builder Facts

  • CountryUnited States
  • HeadquartersCosta Mesa, California, United States
  • Founded1956
  • Active years1956-1989 across Jensen Marine, Cal Boats, and later Cal successor ownership
  • StatusDefunct as an independent builder; Cal-branded production ended after later ownership and plant moves.

Production Focus

  • Fiberglass production sailboats
  • Performance cruiser-racers
  • Cal sailboat model line

Materials

Fiberglass

Construction

1960s solid hand-laid fiberglass construction on the Cal 40 line

Builder profile

Known Yards

Costa Mesa plant

Costa Mesa, California, United States

Original Jensen Marine / Cal Boats production base.

Tampa plant

Tampa, Florida, United States

Cal production moved to Tampa in 1981 under later ownership.

Fall River plant

Fall River, Massachusetts, United States

Later Cal production location associated with O'Day and successor ownership.

Builder profile

Notable Boats

Lapworth 24 / Cal 24

The early centerboard sailboat that established the Cal name.

Cal 27

A successful pop-top racer-cruiser family designed after the first Cal 24.

Cal 40

Introduced in 1963 and widely recognized as a major production offshore racing design.

Builder profile

Designer Relationships

C. William Lapworth

Lapworth designed the Lapworth 24 and multiple Cal sailboats, including the Cal 40.

C. Raymond Hunt

Later Cal models used Hunt-associated naming in SailboatData's model list.

Builder profile

Ownership History

Bangor Punta acquisition

Bangor Punta purchased Jensen Marine, while boats continued to be listed under the Jensen Marine name for several years.

Later Cal ownership names

The builder lineage later appeared under names including Lear Siegler Marine, Starcraft Sailboat Products, and Cal Boats.

Sourcing

Profile Notes

Published references disagree on some acquisition and closure dates depending on whether they count only Jensen Marine or later Cal successor entities. This profile keeps both the original Jensen Marine identity and the broader Cal Boats lineage visible.

Catalog entries

Boats Built By Jensen Marine / Cal Boats

Cal 40Sailboats / Masthead sloop

A lightweight production offshore racer-cruiser included as the first seed record for the BoatEncyclopedia.com page and archive skeleton.

Offshore racing and cruising | Fin keel with spade rudder | Masthead sloop

Sources

Builder References