In Santa Barbara, Ca 2 surfers desired to make rugged lasting boats for commercial fishermen, and so Anderson Custom Boats was born. Anderson Custom Boats was started in 1980 by Santa Barbara surfers Bill Anderson and Charlie Alexander. Anderson and Alexander wanted produce rugged dependable power boats for the booming California Abalone fishery. In 1981 Anderson Custom Boats had competed their first mold, the then named Chaz 22. The Chaz 22 proved to be a rugged and dependable boat capable of hauling 2 or more thousand pounds of freshly caught abalone across the rough cold waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. By 1985 when Anderson Custom Boats unveiled the Anderson 26 more than 10 Chaz 22's had been built.
The Anderson 26 was designed with the needs of the now booming Sea Urchin fishery. Bigger, wider and able to carry over 5 thousand pounds product at speeds of 20 knots and over. Originally powered by twin Mercruiser 454's the Anderson 26 exceeded the original expectations of Bill Anderson. As of 2002 65 Anderson 26's have been built. Used for everything from commercial fishing to research and sport fishing, Anderson 26's have proven to be a sturdy hull for almost any use.
In 1988 Bill Anderson was approached by surf legend George Greenough. Greenough wanted Bill to build a mold to produce his revolutionary Greenough hull form. The Greenough 17 added a fast reliable boat to Anderson Boats product line. The Greenough with its wide hull and striking tri-plane shape proved to be a popular design with local surfers and recreational boaters. The Greenough 21 was added in in 1989 and was a larger more refined boat capable of long range travel in almost any weather.
With the collapse of the the Sea Urchin fishery and the closure of the abalone industry Anderson Custom Boats turned it's attention to the sport market. The Anderson hulls were designed to carry heavy loads at high speeds, this attribute makes them very stable and fuel efficient. Anderson Custom Boats now builds the Anderson 20, 22, 24, and 26 as well as the Greenough 17 and 21 at their new yard in Goleta, Ca.
Note: if this sounds a bit biased it is. I'm the designer at Anderson Custom Boats. If I left anything out please /msg me.