McKinna Yachts for Sale

McKinna was set up in 1994 by Bob Million with sales offices in California and the building done under contract in Taiwan, at Lien Hwa in Kaohsiung. The design came from two Americans: Howard Apollonio of Washington state drew a series of hulls from 58 to 65 feet, and Juan Carlos Espinosa, the Florida stylist, did the superstructures, which is why the boats look European and rather ahead of their years. The range covered pilothouse boats around 47, 57, 58 and 62 to 65 feet, plus skylounge, express and sport variants and some stretched versions of the same tooling. By the time Yachting tested the 58, the company had roughly a hundred boats behind it. The name trades today from Newport Beach as a builder, broker and management company under Garrett Martin, and some brokerage sites list McKinna simply as an American builder, which is why the Taiwanese origin catches people out.

The reason to look at one is the thing that separates it from most imported motor yachts: it was engineered for this market from the start. Systems follow ABYC practice, the wiring is coded the way an American yard expects, the accommodation was deliberately sized for American buyers, and the engines are the Cummins and Caterpillar units your local shop already services. That means none of the 50Hz against 60Hz grief that comes with a European boat, and a boat sold new through the California dealers came in with the duty paid. What you do not get is factory support. The yard built to contract, the brand has changed hands, warranties are long gone, and parts come from the general marine trade rather than from anybody in Taiwan, so a thorough survey matters more than usual. Check the same things you would on any Taiwan built boat of this age: deck core and hardware bedding, window and door frames, the state of the original wiring, and the air conditioning, which owners have found undersized on some hulls. Most of these boats spent their lives on the West Coast, so a Florida buyer is usually looking at either a long delivery or a boat that has already come through the Panama Canal. Price the transport in before you negotiate.