The Early Years 1949-1952

Børge Pedersen (pronounced pee-ter-son) was a skilled boat builder and Poul Thuesen, a cabinet maker. They first met when they both worked at the Bechmann Christensen & Son boatyard at Kolding in 1946 following the end of the war and German occupation of Denmark. They were involved in making ‘inrigger’ rowing boats for local rowing clubs. Having befriended Børge Pedersen, Poul started to think about forming a new boatbuilding company.

The two colleagues started to plan their venture in 1948. The first thing they needed was a building which could be used for woodworking and would be cheap for them to rent. Fortunately Børge’s father, who lived in the Bramdrupdam suburb of Kolding, ran a coach building firm, which included a workshop and stable outbuilding with a good sized loft suited to their needs. Although the building was a little run down Børge and Poul worked together during the evenings and weekends to install a floor in the roof and make it more usable. By 1949 they were ready to start their boat building company, Pedersen & Thuesen.

An aerial shot of the early works on the right, with the motorcycle repair shop, Mekano, in the centre. What looks to be an OK dinghy lies between the two buildings