Camarc Design
Camarc Design is a UK-based naval architecture firm specializing in high-speed workboat designs (pilot, patrol, rescue, fire, crew, and RIB vessels from 5m to 70m) for government and commercial maritime operators worldwide, with over 500 craft in service across 50+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersDunoon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Camarc Design does
Camarc Design is a UK-based naval architecture firm specializing in the design of seaworthy, high-speed working craft for commercial and government maritime operators. Founded in 1986 (or 1989 per later company history), the firm is headquartered in Dunoon, Scotland, with a secondary engineering office in Chichester, Sussex, and operates with a small team of 11-50 employees. Its design portfolio spans six product families — Pilot boats (Pi Series, 8m-24m), Patrol boats (P Series, 11m-45m), Rescue/SAR craft (12m-45m), Fire boats (12m-45m), Crew boats (16m-65m), and RIBs (5m-15m) — covering vessels from 5m to 70m in length with speed capabilities up to 50 knots. Core proprietary technologies include the Camarc Refined Hull (validated through full-scale trials with Loodswezen), the Popsure Fender System for pilot boarding operations, self-righting capability, and Tier III SCR emissions integration. The firm has delivered over 500 craft in service across 50+ countries, earning the Work Boat World Best Pilot Boat award in 2017 for an 18m design used by Centreport New Zealand.
Camarc generates revenue through two complementary streams: (1) professional services providing concept design, production drawings, classification approval packages, and technical support to builders, owners, and operators on a project-based quotation basis, and (2) licensing and royalty arrangements where international shipyards pay for the right to build Camarc-designed vessels. The go-to-market combines direct engagement with builders (NG Shipyards, Aurora, Tehnomont, Holyhead Marine, Cheoy Lee, Ufast, Armon, Med Marine, Snow Boat Building, Grandweld, and others) and direct engagement with end-user operators including port authorities, coast guards, navies, and fire services. Annual exhibitions at Seawork in Southampton serve as a key industry engagement channel. Customer segments are vertically organized across Port & Pilotage Authorities, Coast Guards & Naval Forces, Fire Services & Emergency Response, Search and Rescue Operators, and Offshore Energy & Marine Services, with notable clients including the US Coast Guard, French Navy, NYPD Marine Unit, Hong Kong Pilots, Suez Canal Authority, Hellenic Fire Service, and Pacific Pilotage Authority.
Camarc Design firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Camarc Design
- Legal name
- Camarc Design
- Website
- https://camarc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Camarc Design is a UK-based naval architecture firm specializing in high-speed workboat designs (pilot, patrol, rescue, fire, crew, and RIB vessels from 5m to 70m) for government and commercial maritime operators worldwide, with over 500 craft in service across 50+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Camarc Design industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Naval Architecture & Marine Design Services
- NAICS
- Other Specialized Design Services (54149), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)
- SIC
- Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Marine Systems Engineering (Piping, HVAC, Fuel, Ballast, Firefighting) (IMAJAGAD), Classification Society & Flag-State Liaison / Plan Approval Support (IMAJAGAN), Stability, Weight & Load Analysis (Intact/Damage Stability, Weight Control) (IMAJAGAI), Safety, Risk & Compliance Engineering (SOLAS, Class Rules, HAZID/HAZOP, FMEA) (IMAJAGAJ)
Keywords
Where Camarc Design is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dunoon
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Camarc Design business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Vessel Design Services: Camarc provides comprehensive naval architecture and design services for workboats including concept design, production drawings, classification approval packages, and technical support throughout the build process. Services are tailored to meet specific project requirements for builders, yards, and operators.
- Licensing/Royalties: Designs are licensed to shipyards worldwide who pay for the right to build Camarc-designed vessels. Multiple international builders construct Camarc designs including NG Shipyards, Aurora, Tehnomont, Holyhead Marine, Cheoy Lee, Ufast, Armon, Med Marine, and others.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
Camarc Design product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Camarc Design is a UK naval architecture firm that provides concept, production, and classification-level design packages for seaworthy high-speed working craft (5m–70m, up to 50 knots) covering Pilot, Patrol, Rescue, Fire, Crew, and RIB vessel types. Designs are commissioned by shipyards or end-user operators and licensed to international builders for construction, with technical support throughout the build process. The firm serves government navies, coast guards, port and pilotage authorities, fire services, and offshore marine operators worldwide.
Product overview
Camarc Design is a UK-based naval architecture firm specializing in the design of seaworthy high-speed working craft for commercial and government maritime operators. With over 35 years of experience and over 500 craft in service worldwide, the company offers a comprehensive portfolio of vessel design categories: Pilot boats (Pi Series, 8m-24m) for port and pilotage operations; Patrol boats (P Series, 11m-45m) for coastal waters and naval base protection; Rescue/SAR craft (SAR Series, 12m-45m) with self-righting capabilities; Fire boats (FB Series, 12m-45m) for firefighting operations; Crew boats (CB Series, 16m-65m) for personnel and cargo transfer; and RIBs (R Series, 5m-15m) for various commercial and military applications. Designs range from 5m to 70m in length with speed capabilities up to 50 knots. The company provides concept, production design, and sales support services, working with owners, yards, and operators worldwide to deliver classification-level design packages.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pilot Boats (Pi Series) Camarc-design Pilot boat range (8m–24m) with features unique to pilot boarding operations including refined hull designs for efficient boarding, Popsure fender systems, resilient wheelhouses, and IMO Tier III emissions options. Designed for port and pilotage authorities and end-user operators worldwide.
- Patrol Boats (P Series) Camarc Patrol boat design range (11m–45m) for protecting national coastal waters, naval bases, and port installations. Supports options for weapon mounts, on-board RIB systems, and various propulsion configurations. Used by navies, coast guards, and police marine units.
- Rescue Boats / SAR Craft (SAR Series) Camarc Search and Rescue (SAR) craft design range (12m–45m) with self-righting capabilities, damage resistance, and tailored rescue platforms. Used by US Coast Guard, Malaysian MMEA Coastguard, Turkish KEGM, and North Sea operators.
- Fire Boats (FB Series) Camarc Fire Boat design range (12m–45m) for shoreline and sea firefighting operations, featuring Hamilton waterjet propulsion, JETanchor station keeping systems, and fire pumping and monitor arrangements tailored to operator requirements. Used by fire services including Hellenic Fire Service.
- Crew Boats (CB Series) Camarc Crew Boat design range (16m–65m) for personnel and cargo transfer with large deck space and cargo capacities, excellent sea-keeping and comfort. Available in steel, aluminium alloy, and composites with waterjet or propeller propulsion. Used by offshore energy and marine service operators.
- RIBs (R Series) Camarc commercial RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) design range (5m–15m) with robust structures, multiple propulsion options (outboard, sterndrive, waterjet), and open or cabin layouts. Speeds up to 45+ knots. Built in aluminium alloy and composites; used by commercial and military operators including French Navy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 500+ craft in-service worldwide demonstrating market validation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Camarc Design
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Camarc Design technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Camarc Design partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- Ocean Pacific MarinecoreJoint venture partnership for USD 74.7 million RCMP contract to build three 27-metre aluminium coastal patrol vessels for law enforcement, search and rescue, and emergency response along British Columbia's coastline. Camarc provides naval architecture design expertise as part of this major government contract.
- Bracewell Marine GroupsupportingBritish Columbia-based supplier receiving fabrication work for the RCMP coastal patrol vessel contract with Ocean Pacific Marine.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Camarc Design competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Kvichak Marine Industries: US builder/designer of aluminum workboats, pilot boats, patrol and response vessels. Direct overlap with Camarc's pilot and patrol boat designs in the North American market.
- Robert Allan Ltd: Canadian naval architecture firm specializing in working vessels (pilot boats, tugs, patrol craft). The most direct competitor for pilot and patrol boat design contracts globally, with a similarly long track record and builder licensing model.
- Olesinski Naval Architects: UK-based design firm with heritage in commercial and small craft naval architecture. Comparable scale and geographic base, with similar clientele among UK and European operators.
- Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding: US builder with deep in-house design capability focused on pilot boats and high-speed patrol craft. Comparable customer base of US port authorities and law enforcement agencies.
- Incat Crowther: Specialist in fast aluminum and composite vessel design across commercial and government segments. Competes with Camarc on ferries, patrol and crew boats, particularly in the 15-50m range.
Broad incumbents
- BMT Group: Large UK-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy. Operates across commercial marine, defense and offshore, overlapping with Camarc on government and defense design work but at significantly larger scale.
- Damen Shipyards Group: Large Dutch shipbuilding group with extensive in-house design capacity for patrol, pilot, SAR and crew boats. Competes with Camarc as a vertically integrated alternative for government and port authority customers.
- Dykstra Naval Architects: Well-established Dutch naval architecture firm covering a wide range of yacht and commercial vessel design. Overlaps with Camarc on high-performance hull design and on the international design-and-build consulting model.
- De Voogt Naval Architects: Established Dutch naval architecture firm, part of the Feadship group, with capabilities in commercial and specialized vessel design. Comparable pedigree in producing class-approved designs for demanding clients.
Regional players
- Vripack Yacht Design: Dutch naval architecture firm with a broader yacht and commercial design portfolio. Comparable boutique-scale design firm with licensing ties to multiple yards, though focused on different vessel segments.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Camarc Design social profiles
Digital presenceCamarc Design financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Camarc Design leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Camarc Design funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Camarc Design M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Camarc Design
What does Camarc Design do?
Camarc Design is a UK naval architecture firm that provides concept, production, and classification-level design packages for seaworthy high-speed working craft (5m–70m, up to 50 knots) covering Pilot, Patrol, Rescue, Fire, Crew, and RIB vessel types. Designs are commissioned by shipyards or end-user operators and licensed to international builders for construction, with technical support throughout the build process. The firm serves government navies, coast guards, port and pilotage authorities, fire services, and offshore marine operators worldwide.
Is Camarc Design a public or private company?
Camarc Design is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Camarc Design founded?
Camarc Design was founded in 1989. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Camarc Design based?
Camarc Design is headquartered in Dunoon, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Camarc Design make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Vessel Design Services are the primary driver. The others are licensing/Royalties.
Who are Camarc Design's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Kvichak Marine Industries, Robert Allan Ltd, Olesinski Naval Architects, Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding and Incat Crowther. Broad incumbents are BMT Group, Damen Shipyards Group, Dykstra Naval Architects and De Voogt Naval Architects. Vripack Yacht Design is listed as a regional player.
Does Camarc Design have an API?
No public API is recorded for Camarc Design.
What industry is Camarc Design in?
Camarc Design's product category is Naval Architecture & Marine Design Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAGAO, Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support), with a secondary code of IMAJAGAD, Marine Systems Engineering (Piping, HVAC, Fuel, Ballast, Firefighting). Its NAICS code is 54149 and its SIC code is 3730.