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The company of Camper and Nicholson was formed in 1863, financed by both William Camper and the Lapthorn family, who operated an adjacent sail loft. Nicholson undertook a 30-year programme of expansion, more than doubling the size and scale of the facilities. In tonnage terms, the design and construction of large schooners dominated the firm’s output, and to this staple Nicholson added an extensive refit and maintenance business which was made possible by the near constant expansion of the yard’s facilities. Nicholson vessels were extremely long lasting and his last, the 161 ton Amphritrite was still sailing in the late 1970s. Another long lived, cruising yawl, the Florinda, proved so speedy that she became famous as the Gosport Mistake. The arrival of Ben's three sons in the firm occasioned a final name change to Camper and Nicholsons. Eldest son Benjamin had no interest or aptitude for design, but made his impact through the supply of crew, drawn mainly from regional fishermen, for leisure and racing purposes to the yachts built for the rich clientele - a service that continued until 1939. Youngest son Arthur W. found his ability best applied through managing the maintenance and construction facilities of the yard, and the purchase of expansion facilities in SouthamptonIn 1972, Camper and Nicholsons Holdings Ltd formed a joint venture with investment and house building company Crest Securities Ltd., to form Crest Nicholson, and develop more former Admiralty sites. However, in light of the rise in VAT on boats from 8% to 25% in 1973, and the 1979 development of a bridge over the River Itchen which restricted access to the Southampton yard, the company became short of cash. Having sold off C&N Electrical Ltd in 1974 for cash, and deciding to shut the Southampton yard, the assets of Camper and Nicholsons Holdings Ltd became part of Crest Nicholson. George was not happy with the full merger, and left Camper and Nicholson International to form Solidmark, which he built into a successful brokerage, consultancy and yacht management company. In 1981, then Managing Director Tony Taylor led a management buyout of the yacht building yard, which finally cut the ties to the Nicholson family. Under the name Camper and Nicholsons Yachting, production of stock boats continued and the yard returned to its tradition of building custom yachts. The company was chaired by Nick Maris whose family interests were the majority shareholders. In 1999 the boat building and repair business of Camper and Nicholsons Yachting was bought by Cammell Laird. In 1991, Nick Maris approached George about merging Solidmark with Camper and Nicholson International, which George agreed to become MD of again. The company expanded to include sites in Italy, Germany and Mexico. The company was brought by the French Rodriguez Group in 2001. George remains non executive chairman of Camper and Nicholsons International. [10] Maris at this point bought out the remaining share holders in Camper and Nicholson Marinas, which now has developments across the world. In 1992 Crest Nicholson sold the Gosport Marina, the Camper and Nicholsons Marina consultancy business and the rights to the Camper & Nicholsons Brand to Nick Maris. In 2001 Camper and Nicholsons Yachting was bought by Italian industrialist Salvatore Ferragamo's Nautor Group, whose restarted stock production restarted in Gosport in 2004 with a 42-foot (13 m) motor yacht. The Gosport yard finally closed in December 2005, with production moving to Scandinavia in 2006 in light of a development offer by from a joint bid by Camper and Nicholsons Marinas and Crest Nicholson.

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