What's The Best American-Made Yacht?

Inside the Legacy of Tiara Yachts

What comes to your mind when you think of the qualities of the perfect yacht? Is it performance? Craftsmanship? Elegant design? At Tiara Yachts, we don’t believe you should have to choose.

In boating, there’s the boat you use…and then there’s the boat you fall in love with again and again. 

For fifty years at Tiara Yachts, the Slikkers family has been creating top-of-the-line yachts that make you fall deeper in love with your boat with every detail. 

So, when asked the question, “What’s the best American-made yacht?”, we took a closer look to find out just what makes the best boats out there, and how Tiara Yachts keeps making the best better with each passing year. 

A Legacy Of Passion

When Leon Slikkers started SlickCraft in 1955, the dedication he and his family brought to boatbuilding was evident from the beginning. His sons recall their parents, after a full day at their day jobs, tucking them into bed in the apartment above the SlickCraft Boat Co. shop, then heading downstairs to work late into the night. While Leon refined the molded plywood hulls, his wife sewed the upholstery.

That kind of hands-on commitment, to both the craft and the final experience on the water, has defined the Slikkers family from the start. The recognition that what is now Tiara Yachts began with Leon’s drive has carried through every generation. Today, the next generations of the Slikkers family bring that same energy to each new Tiara model, infusing every yacht with the pride of an American-made original.

Although the SlickCraft brand was sold in 1969 with Leon staying on as president, it wasn’t long before the desire for something of his own sprang up again. After staying on with the company as long as he could, he eventually departed to create his new brand, S2 Yachts, in 1974, launching first a line of sailboats, with his new line of power boats sometime after. 

As S2 Yachts grew, so did Leon’s vision for what a truly exceptional American yacht could be. The lessons learned from those early sailboats and powerboats, including the importance of balance, strength, and thoughtful design, became the foundation for a new generation of vessels that would carry the Slikkers name into the future. That evolution ultimately led to Tiara Yachts and to the state-of-the-art production center in Holland, Michigan, where today’s yachts are crafted with the same care that once began as Leon describes them, as not much more than “a steering wheel and a windshield.”

Craftsmanship From The Water Up

From those humble beginnings emerged boats that continue to evolve with innovation while staying true to the same standard of craftsmanship, as if Leon, now retired at age 94, were still carrying out every step of the process. 

That drive to innovate has always been at the heart of Tiara Yachts. 

A striking example of this is the bold decision Leon made to step away from building with traditional wooden hulls. The molded plywood process he was taught through his first years of boat building, he eventually found, limited his ability to shape a boat for both comfort and performance. 

While other companies were intimidated by the nuances of fiberglass, Leon embraced the challenge. This shift into a lighter and more agile hull opened the door to more precise designs and the ability to introduce color directly into the laminate, creating boats that were not only stronger and more efficient on the water but also visually distinct the moment they left the mold. 

From those early experiments to today’s lineup, the striking design of Tiara Yachts has become central to its identity. Each model reflects a commitment to innovate boldly rather than letting others define what “the best” should look like.

What Makes a Yacht “The Best”?

At Tiara Yachts, we know that no single designer or brand can define what “the best” means for every boater. But as a company built by passionate boaters, for passionate boaters, we can say this with confidence: every model in the Tiara lineup is created to give you the best possible experience on the water.

A yacht should be the vessel that carries you into new waters, new views, and meaningful time with the people onboard. When it’s built right, it quietly fades into the background so the real reason you’re out there, connection, exploration, relaxation, comes into focus. Every detail, from helm to transom, should reflect how you spend your time on the water and what matters most to you while you’re there.

For many Tiara owners, “the best” isn’t a single feature or statistic. It’s the way several qualities come together:

Confident Performance, No Matter the Conditions

Confident performance comes from predictable handling and a boat that feels like it anticipates your next move. The very nature of Tiara Yachts is designed to feel composed and responsive at the helm. Deep-V running surfaces and carefully engineered deadrise give Tiara models the ability to cut through chop while still delivering a smooth, dry ride. 

On inboard models, Volvo Penta IPS® propulsion paired with joystick control and trim systems creates a driving experience that feels intuitive from day one, offering efficient cruising, tight maneuvering, and a quiet ride for everyone onboard. 

In the outboard lineup, Mercury® engines and advanced steering systems give Tiara’s LS, LE, and LX series the speed, range, and handling today’s boat owners deserve from a luxury sport yacht.

These mechanics keep performance predictable, but always surprisingly agile.

Thoughtful Design and Comfort

Thoughtful design shows up in the way a yacht fits your day on the water. Across the Tiara lineup, layouts are crafted to feel natural and intuitive, no matter the occasion. Open salons, generous sightlines, and cockpit spaces that flow into the interior make it easy for people to move, gather, and relax together.

On models like the 48 LS, bow lounges with wrap-around seating, convertible aft cockpits, and flexible “modules” let you choose from cruising to entertaining to water sports without it feeling forced or out of character for the boat. Below deck, cabins are arranged to feel more like a modern waterfront residence than a traditional cabin, with smart storage, natural light, and finishes chosen to create a calm, inviting atmosphere.

Every space is designed around how boaters actually use their boats, and at Tiara Yachts, we make a point to ask for real customer feedback at every opportunity. This feedback has helped shape our modular design to keep the yacht evolving into the boat so you feel like it was made for your favorite moments on the water, because…well, it was. 

Integrated Technology That Supports the Captain

When Leon Slikkers was first building boats, technology as part of the boat wasn’t a necessity. As time has gone on, the innovative spirit continues into even the more technical aspects of the boat. However, the Tiara Yachts philosophy is that technology on a yacht should simplify your time on the water, not complicate it. 

Tiara helms are built around integrated systems that put navigation, engine data, and vessel controls at the captain’s fingertips. Featuring Garmin® Marine Navigation Systems and flush mount displays, which have clean, readable screens that bring radar, charts, camera, and engine information into one cohesive view.

Joystick piloting, digital switching, and integrated audio and lighting controls make it easy to dock, adjust systems, and set the mood throughout the boat with intuitive commands rather than a tangle of switches. The result is a cockpit that feels approachable for those new captains and deeply satisfying for experienced ones, with technology that works quietly in the background. 

50 Years Into The Future

From an apartment above the SlickCraft shop to a state-of-the-art production center in Holland, Michigan, the story of Tiara Yachts has always been a story of passion, family, and craftsmanship. What began as Leon’s lightbulb idea has become a lineup of American-made originals with each one shaped by the same drive to innovate and the same hands-on commitment to the experience on the water.

Along the way, Leon’s bold shift from molded plywood to fiberglass, his insistence on comfort and performance working together, and the Slikkers family’s willingness to keep refining every detail have all helped define what “the best” can look like. 

Today, that legacy is carried forward by the second and third generations, who are writing the next chapter of Tiara Yachts while holding fast to the values that started it all.

Looking ahead, the future of Tiara will continue to be built from the water up: yachts that feel effortless underway, beautifully finished at every touchpoint, and striking the moment they leave the mold. 

In the end, the best American-made yacht is the one that reminds you why time on the water feels like nothing else.