August 1, 2025

Delta Marine boatbuilding legend Ivor Jones dies at age 86

Photos courtesy of Delta Marine [enlarge]

Ivor Jones (right) and his brother Jack Jones were both accomplished flat-bottom boat racers when they founded Delta Marine in 1967.

Ivor Jones and his brother Jack Jones were both sons of Seattle and accomplished flat-bottom boat racers when they founded Delta Marine in 1967 along the Duwamish. Their vision: crafting low-maintenance fiberglass commercial fishing vessels hardy enough to take a beating from the rough waters of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

Ivor Jones died last month. He was 86.

Delta delivered more than 600 commercial vessels in those early years, including seiners, gill netters, pilot boats and charter boats. The Delta 58 is still the benchmark for Alaskan fishing vessels, the company said.

“From the start, Ivor had a bold vision for the yard’s future,” Delta Marine said in a statement released this week eulogizing Jones. “He invested in the infrastructure, assembled a talented team, and created the environment for world-class boatbuilding to take root.”

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Ivor Jones captains his personal fishing vessel Trisha Marie, named after one of his daughters.

The Jones brothers made their move to yachting in 1984, crafting their original 70-foot yacht from a Delta crabbing hull.

They also upgraded their Duwamish shipyard, expanding to 18 acres and erecting larger fabrication buildings and hiring a crew of in-house engineers as they evolved to creating custom megayachts and added steel-hull fabrication.

Delta Marine’s most notable creations include the 240-foot steel-hulled Laurel in 2006, then the largest yacht built in North America since 1934, and the first yacht with a steel hull and composite superstructure. The company’s heaviest yacht was the 2,066-gross-ton Albatross that launched in 2016.

Ivor Jones

Today, the company is run by Ivor Jones’ daughter Michelle Jones in 300,000 square feet of manufacturing, shop and office buildings sitting on 25 riverside acres.

The company has the capacity to build ships up to 100 meters long, but most of its creations are in the 40-60-meter range.

Delta Marine said in a statement that the values Ivor Jones championed from the ’60s continue to guide the company.

“Ivor led with heart, grit, and a deep sense of responsibility to his craft, his team, and his family,” Michelle Jones said in the statement marking her father’s passing. “The culture he created at Delta is rooted in integrity, care and relentless dedication. We are committed to honoring that legacy in everything we do.”