What is the difference between Haines Hunter and Haines Signature?
difference between Haines Hunter and Haines Signature
What is the difference between boats made by Haines Hunter, Haines Signature and Haines Traveller?
The boats made by these brands are sometimes confused, due to the fact that they both feature the word “Haines”.
Haines Hunter, today based in Victoria, is a separate company to the Signature brand, based in Queensland. The Signature brand operates under the wider Haines Group umbrella brand. However, it wasn’t always like that.
SO WHY ARE THERE TWO COMPETING BRANDS WITH THE “HAINES” NAME?
The Haines boats brand has been around in one form or another since 1959, as this marks the time when two brothers, John (Snr) and Garry Haines, built their first fibreglass powerboat.
In the’60s, the Haines brothers adopted the Haines Hunter name for their boats. Incidentally, the name “Hunter” traces its origins to naval architect C. Raymond Hunt. Hunt was commissioned by Richard Bertram to design the original Bertram 30ft Lucky Moppie in the late ’50s (you can read more about the Bertram-Haines connection).
The Haines brothers manufactured boats under the Haines Hunter name until 1980. At this time, a bitter legal dispute resulted in the Haines family being forced out of the company. The Haines family has not been involved in the Haines Hunter brand since.
Throughout the ’80s, the Haines Hunter brand went through numerous takeovers, changes of ownership, and other reshuffles.
John Haines (Snr) recommenced building boats in 1984, introducing the Signature brand.
Today, Haines Hunter is located in Derrimut, Melbourne, Victoria, having moved there from Queensland in 2006. It manufactures fibreglass boats under the Haines Hunter brand name.
The Haines Group is located in in Wacol, Brisbane, Queensland. It manufactures Signature boats. The Haines Group umbrella group also manufactures or distributes other brands, including: Suzuki Marine outboard motors, Seafarer boats, Walker Bay inflatable boats, Designer Stainless and Seachange caravans. The Haines Group previously manufactured Haines Traveller boats, but this brand is not currently in production.
More information: Haines Hunter history
Or you can view the Haines Hunter timeline
Coming soon... Haines Hunter buyers guide and Haines Group buyers guide.