About our Founder, Tim Sperry

Steve Sperry launched the sailmaking company Sperry Sails in 1976, designing and making sails and marine canvas for sailboats and yachts throughout Southern New England. A sailor himself, who spent four years in the U.S. Coast Guard, Steve honed his craftsmanship talents at Sperry Sails, overseeing a small staff, which, by the mid-1980s,  included his sons, Matt and Tim, when on break from school.

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​In the early ’80s, Steve created the first-ever Sperry Tent using the tools he had on-hand in his sail loft and milling the support poles at his personal sawmill. This 32-round tent, made from sailcloth and punctuated by the sun-inspired Sperry Sails insignia logo, represented a marked improvement in the look and feel of rental tents, and launched the soon-to-be-formed company of Sperry Tents, which today includes 40 licensed providers across the U.S. and abroad.