The Balmain Boat Company creates flat-packed, DIY rowboats and sailboats, because anyone, anywhere in the world can build a boat. Our mission is to make parents and grandparents look like legends with boats "Handmade by YOU," thanks to the Balmain Boat Company. The Story Behind the Brand In 1900, an American named Joshua Slocum was the first person to sail alone around the world. He is still considered a sailing legend. What he saw in Sydney is the inspiration for our boats. In his book, "Sailing Alone Around the World," Slocum described a local boating culture where means and money were no factor in whether a person could take to the water of the most beautiful harbour in the world. "In Sydney, I saw all manner of craft, from the smart steam-launch and sailing-cutter to the smaller sloop and canoe pleasuring on the bay. Everybody owned a boat. If a boy in Australia has not the means to buy him a boat, he builds one, and it is usually one not to be ashamed of." The Balmain Boat Company creates flat-packed, Ikea-inspired boats, because anyone can build a boat.