Kadey-Krogen 40th Anniversary Rendezvous: Owners Gather at Fort Adams, Newport
More than 180 Kadey-Krogen owners converged on Fort Adams State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, to celebrate the builder’s 40th anniversary. The event brought together 185 enthusiastic attendees and 38 Kadey-Krogen yachts for a weekend of friendship, storytelling and commemorating a brand known for seaworthiness and comfortable long-range cruising.
By early evening, the marina and park filled with the sounds of live music from Changes in Latitude as the gathering kicked off with a “Margaritaville” cocktail hour and buffet. Owners — many longtime friends who’ve become family through cruising and rendezvous — enjoyed the seaside atmosphere and companionship that defines the Kadey-Krogen community.
The first full day began with a lively arrival under a white tent, where owners exchanged stories over coffee before departing for a guided tour of Newport’s famous mansions. Lunch was followed by a tasting and tour at Newport Vineyards, while those looking for a more active afternoon chose sails aboard 12-Meter America’s Cup yachts. A trivia contest later in the evening challenged attendees to place company and owner anecdotes into the correct historical timeframe, an entertaining nod to the brand’s deep heritage since its founding in 1977.
Guests of honor included members of the Lin family from Asia Harbor Yacht Builders in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, the long-time exclusive builder of Kadey-Krogen hulls. Kadey-Krogen president Tom Button presented the Lins with a Krogen painting by owner and artist Wendy Petersen McArthur. Other personal tributes included an original portrait of one owner’s yacht, also painted by McArthur, highlighting the close relationships between builders, owners and artists in the Krogen community.
Day three opened more quietly with waterfront yoga and a breakfast roundtable on cruising Maine’s coastline. An Explore Newport Dinghy Scavenger Hunt sent teams through the harbor and shoreline, solving clues and collecting points. One memorable bonus came when participants found Scot West, president of event co-sponsor Ronstan Sailing North America, earning extra points by sharing a drink with him — a reminder that these rendezvous combine adventure with networking.
Evening festivities continued with a happy hour featuring chowder and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a traditional clambake and live music. The weekend concluded with a Sunday brunch and a parade of Kadey-Krogen yachts cruising through Newport Harbor, a fitting finale that showcased the diverse models and their seaworthy presence on the water.
Owners shared heartfelt comments about the event. “Fabulous time — an outstanding event,” wrote Pauline Masuhr on the Kadey-Krogen Facebook page, thanking organizers for the memories. For many attendees, the rally reinforced Kadey-Krogen’s slogan, “At Home on Any Sea,” a phrase that reflects both the boats’ capability and the lifestyle they enable.
Couples such as Tricia and David Evangelista of Jamestown, Rhode Island, owners of the Krogen 48 Lauryl Anne, praised the camaraderie among owners. They recall arriving in Stuart, Florida, for New Year’s Eve and suddenly discovering seven other Krogens anchored nearby. “Suddenly we had a whole new group of friends,” Tricia said. Capt. Mike Warren and his wife Dyan, now on their third Krogen, echoed those sentiments, describing lifelong friendships formed through deliveries, events and shared passages.
The Krogen 42 remains the company’s most popular model, with 206 built over 22 years. Designed by marine engineer Art Kadey and naval architect Jim Krogen, the 42 favors timeless styling, solid comfort and long-range passagemaking over flashier, short-range designs. With an approximate cruising range of 2,000 nautical miles at 8 knots, the full-displacement hull, soft bilges, full keel and wineglass transom deliver stable tracking and comfortable motion in a variety of sea states.
Construction details underscore the brand’s emphasis on durability and comfort. Asia Harbor Yacht Builders molded the 42’s hull from fiberglass mat and roving over a closed-cell PVC core to absorb shock and sound, resist temperature shifts and prevent condensation. Decks and superstructure use fiberglass over end-grain balsa coring to reduce weight aloft and help maintain a lower center of gravity.
While Kadey-Krogen adheres to conservative, proven design principles, the company is not static. It adopts new materials, systems and construction methods when they improve safety, performance or owner satisfaction. Many older Krogen yachts receive upgrades to electronics and running gear, and the brand’s durable design and strong resale values keep owners engaged and enthusiastic across generations of boats.
Other notable models include the Manatee 36, built in response to demand for a safe, comfortable yacht well suited to coastline and inland cruising, and the Krogen 54 ketch-rigged motorsailer, inspired by rugged North Sea fishing boats and designed for owners with serious cruising ambitions. The ketch balances range and efficiency, offering owners extended passagemaking capabilities when sailed or motored conservatively.
Larry Polster, Kadey-Krogen’s vice president and an owner himself, exemplifies the company’s hands-on ethos. A former sailor and live-aboard, Polster moved into sales after volunteering at a boat show and later became a partner at Kadey-Krogen. Today, he and fellow principals Tom Button and Tucker West lead the company, preserving its original philosophy: prioritize boatbuilding craftsmanship and listen to owners’ needs.
With more than 600 yachts built to date, Kadey-Krogen benefits from strong customer loyalty, an active owners association and powerful word-of-mouth promotion. Owners willingly share why they love their boats — for many, the combination of seaworthiness, comfort and a like-minded community is what keeps them “At Home on Any Sea.”
Kadey-Krogen Yachts, Stuart, Florida, (772) 286-0171. kadeykrogen.com
This article originally appeared in the December 2017 issue.