About us | Orkney Boats

Built in the UK since 1973

Situated in the heart of West Sussex, nearby to Chichester harbour and the South downs, Orkney is a leading manufacturer in the United Kingdom of Sea Angling, Sports and Leisure Craft. We've been building boats for over 50 years and have earned an enviable reputation for tough, seaworthy craft that can be found all around the world.

Our hulls are instantly recognisable by their distinguishing classic lines and apparent simplicity; a result of thousands of hours of prototype testing in a wide variety of demanding sea conditions. From Iceland to the South Pacific, Orkney boats can be seen in use by fishermen, harbour authorities, Coastguard and Police as well as by day cruisers and leisure boating families. Chosen for their durability and flexibility, over 15,000 Orkney Boats have been manufactured, the majority of which are still going strong to this day.

I spent a long time looking before I chose to replace my current boat with an Orkney 440. It is no exaggeration to say that I am delighted with my choice. The build quality, performance and sea-keeping ability are all that I could have hoped for and the launching and recovery much easier than I expected.

Mr D Stride, Owner, Hamble

Over the last year I have taken her out on at least 20 occasions and found her to be very stable in all sea states. On one occasion, we got caught out by a freak squall and had to return to port in a force 7, the waves were huge. The Pilothouse 20 had no problem handling the conditions and my 2 friends and I felt completely secure. I would not hesitate to recommend this boat to anyone considering a family fishing boat.

Owner, Vince Caldicott, Pilothouse 20 owner, East Sussex

This is the second boat that I have bought from yourselves and in the future should I buy another one, I would buy another Orkney. Your attention to detail is fantastic, keep it up Orkney.

Owners, Albert & Zamiel Cano, Gibraltar

I just wanted to let you know how much pleasure our Longliner 2 has given us over the last four years, opening up an important dimension to our life in the Pyrenees. I think that you have designed the perfect boat - comfortable enough to live aboard all day, light enough to be very easily launched, recovered and towed on a regular basis, easy to handle and with good sea keeping qualities.

Martine Howard, Longliner 16 mkII owner, Cotes d'azur, France

Overall our Orkney experience from beginning to end was very good, friendly and helpful. The quality of the build and finish is top rate and commented on as such by fellow yachtsmen.

John Ward, Series 452 owner, Dartmouth

The new Longliner 16 mkII has far exceeded my expectations. I often troll the large Scottish lochs for ferox trout and the Lake District waters for pike. The Longliner 16 is built with keels that ensure that the boat holds a straight course even when travelling slowly into a strong head wind. When I am not trolling slowly, I am able to use the engine power to transport me quickly to safety or to another distant area of the loch due to the planning hull. Well done Orkney you have made a superb fishing boat.

David Greenwood, Longliner 16 owner, Lancashire

Just a brief note to let you know that the 520 is now safely laid up at my local yard but more importantly, to thank you for the courteous and efficient manner in which you represented Orkney Boats. I have purchased a number of boats in my time but never has the experience been more pleasurable.

Gerry Bissell, Brokerage 520 owner,

The quality of the boats produced by this company are second to none! I am so impressed with what I received! We have upgraded our boats over the years, starting from the Orkney Longliner 16, then on to the Strikeliner 16, then the Orkney 522 and now have a Pilot house 20. The boats seem to last forever! Our close friends brought the Longliner 16 off of us which was built in 1974 and they still use it on a regular basis! Orkney Boats still sell all of the spare parts for the boats so you can give it some TLC when needs be. I could not recommend a better company to purchase a boat from. As cheesy as it sounds, it is not just a company it is a family! Once again, Thank you! Happy Orkney owners!

Lizzie hood, owner

The Vanguard Range

452' - 522' - 592'

The latest generation of Orkney open and Cuddy sports boats, with three models ranging from 14' to 19' in size. Equally suited to use as a family launch as it is to sea angling and commercial applications.

The Dayangler range

13' to 16'

A range of versatile outboard powered traditional day boats from 13' up to 16'. All models come with options of either fixed GRP cuddies or folding dodgers and numerous accessories, perfect for simple pottering around the harbour or more serious fishing.

The Valiant Range

20' - 25' - 27

Renowned for its seaworthiness and durability, the Valaint range offers classic Nelson Pilothouse styling with its distinctive workboat look. Equally as popular with the discerning cruiser as it is with those looking for a workhorse for either serious sea angling or commercial applications.

A Brief History

The design of early Orkney models were based on beach launched fishing boats from the Orkney Isles - hence the name. The Scottish Isles are no stranger to rough and challenging sea conditions and this key design philosophy continues in the range to this day. First came the Longliner 16, one of the most renowned boats in our range and still in production, albeit now in its second generation: with improved performance and stability.

The Longliner was soon followed by the Dory, Spinner, Fastliner and more recently the Pilot House. Since then the range has continued to go from strength to strength, both to deliver extended capability as well as to cater for a growing customer base as Orkneys popularity grew with fisherman and commercial users alongwith cruisers and families. View our heritage timeline on the link below to discover how Orkney came to be the brand it is today.

Quality by Design

Orkney are proud to be a one of a few remaining British Boat manfacturers and understand the importance of supporting the British marine industry. As fully affiliated members of the British marine association, Orkney work closely with their marine industry supply partners to ensure the highest standard of quality and workmanship are achieved. Orkney also participate in a marine boatbuilding apprenticeship scheme as we recognise the importance of investing in a future for this highly skilled industry sector.

With over 40 years expertise designing and developing small to medium size power craft, Orkney take pride in their forward thinking and innovative approach to their designs, operating a continuous programme of ongoing development with the purpose of enhancing and improving those existing designs and development of new the models for tommorrow.

Leisure boating

The Orkney Range is a popular choice for many in the leisure market with models in our range suitable for everyone from the first-timer as well as boats offering enough space for the family, friends and even the dog! Orkney's provide the comfort and reliability that is required for cruising with models that can easily be trailed behind a family car and launched and retrieved with minimal fuss. The extensive range of options and accessories available allows you to customise your Orkney to suit your individual needs and the team are on hand to help you with deciding your exact specification.

Commercial & Fishing

Orkney Boats have always been favoured by fisherman and commercial operators for their renowned seaworthiness and durability, over the years proving to be have been a popular choice for the UK coastguard, police, river & harbour authorities. With a wide range of options and accessories, your Orkney can be customised to suit your specific requirements. We're happy to work with our customers to ensure their Orkney is fit for purpose.

Our Philosophy

With well over 14,000 boats built to date, Orkney continues to build on their enviable reputation for build quality, seaworthiness and its timeless design. Meanwhile providing a first class service to support our owners from the time of initial enquiry, specification and build, through to delivery and ongoing after sales support. The reason so many of our owners from one generation to the next, choose Orkney.

Title

Quality, Performance, Durability.

Find your Orkney