Here at Hornbeck Boats we don't just build them, we use them. Not only are our staff skilled at their trades, they are fundamentally paddlers. From designing the forms, to tying the boat on the customer's car, the staff's know-how has shaped every aspect of the 'Hornbeck Experience'. We made a fundamental decision to only sell our boats through our location. This not only allows us to lower your cost by removing the middlemen, but makes the process of looking for a boat more than a sales pitch. We truly want to have a conversation with you (whether it be by phone, email, or in person) so we can make sure you get the right boat to meet your goals and needs. If shopping in person, you can also see where your boat is made and we can get you into a boat on the water at our on-site pond, so you can see how it fits, feels, and paddles.
Hornbeck Boats are hand made from beginning to end at our facility. From the layup shop, to the wood shop, then directly to you.
history
Peter Hornbeck grew up in the suburbs of Buffalo, dreaming of a life in wilder surroundings. Hornbeck Boats, the company he founded with his wife, Ann, was a realization of his dreams.
​
Hornbeck Boats, the company he founded with his wife, Ann, was a realization of his dreams.
The Hornbecks married in 1969 and moved to the Adirondack Park in 1971 when they were both offered jobs at local public schools. They bought a broken-down house on Trout Brook Road in the tiny hamlet of Olmstedville, in the town of Minerva (pop. 700). Pete found the wilderness he was looking for in the Adirondack Mountains.
He was already messing around in boats. He bought kayak molds and began making kayaks.
During a visit to a museum now called Adirondack Experience, Pete saw one of John Henry Rushton’s boats for the first time. Rushton, (1843-1906) was a boat builder based in Canton, NY. Pete was inspired by Rushton’s Wee Lassie. Only 10-feet, six-inches long, it could be piloted with a double-bladed paddle and easily transported into the deep woods.
Rather than using wood, as Rushton had, Pete experimented with fiberglass, then Kevlar and carbon fiber. For decades, the business was his second job. He came home from school, changed into clothes spattered with resin and worked on boats for a few hours until Ann called him for dinner.
After the house was fixed up, he built a shop and then a pond where customers could try out boats. Customers found their way to Trout Brook Road through word-of-mouth as the business grew one boat at a time.
_JPG.jpg)
At Ann’s suggestion, Pete added a red stripe to the boat so they were easily recognizable on water and on car tops all over the Adirondacks.
Over time, Pete expanded the product line to include a 12-foot boat, a 14 footer and many more. He retired from teaching in 1992. Designing was his favorite part of the business; over the years he created a canoe with a deck, a canoe with a sail, his own version of a sea kayak and guideboats in three lengths.
Ann retired from teaching in 2002 and in 2018, Pete turned daily operations of the business over to his son-in-law, Josh Trombley. Josh is married to Pete and Ann’s only child, their daughter, Leigh. Josh and Leigh have two sons, Rushton and Devlin.
Pete didn’t stray far from the boat shop. He loved to tell stories, putter around, and watch people paddle boats in the summertime. Pete died at home on Dec. 26, 2020 following a walk in the woods with his family. His passing from a heart attack was sudden and unexpected, but it brings his family tremendous comfort to know he died knowing the fullness of his dreams. His legacy of ambition and creativity guides the staff at Hornbeck each and every day.
