With a passion for boats, Bill Munson joined the US Navy in 1969. While serving in Vietnam, Bill was assigned the task at which he was best suited…welding and repairing aluminum Swift Boats in the Mekong Delta. Hundreds of the 50 ft long, shallow draft Swift Boats were used to patrol strategic waterways and many took an absolute beating. Bill was introduced to the benefits of aluminum boats where he saw firsthand the uncompromising abuse aluminum boats can tolerate, being quickly repaired and put back into service.
The Munson “V” hull square-bow design was ideal for workboats such as large skiffs & gillnetters. The design perfectly accommodated bow-rollers, but also provided more usable space and improved ride quality in chop compared to traditional skiff designs. During the early 1980’s, the Munson square-bow aluminum skiff became the vessel of choice for high speed, heavy load applications.
Needing capital, Bill Munson sold Munson Manufacturing in 1986 to a group of investors who eventually banned Bill from the production floor for criticizing quality and told him to “shut up and just sell boats”. He didn’t and was soon fired by the board of directors for interfering with production with his clients’ best interests in mind. In 1994 he founded the William E. Munson Company and vowed to put Munson Manufacturing out of business (which he did). Many of his crew followed him to the new company.
The millennium ushered-in an entirely new concept in landing craft with the Munson PACKCAT Catamaran Landing Craft. This new multi-hull landing craft configuration offered more stability, shallower draft and enhanced maneuverability with heavy loads. Over the years it has proven itself worthy of a prominent place in our arsenal. The patented catamaran design has drawn a lot of attention that has broadened the acceptance of landing craft into new applications.
