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Historic Thunderbird Sailboats #1 and #2

by Northwest Maritime Center 5 Aug 2023 19:14 BST September 8-10, 2023
 
September 810, 2023
 

Historic Thunderbird Sailboats #1 and #2

By Guy Hoppen
Thunderbird #1, launched in November of 1958 and known as Number 1 or Thunderbird, and Thunderbird #2, named Pirouette and launched in August of 1959, will be moored together perhaps for the first time since the 1960s at the 2023 Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival! 

The Thunderbird sailboat was inspired by a Douglas Fir Plywood Association design competition which specified that a plywood design be both a racing and cruising sailboat, able to sleep four, be able to be built by a reasonably skilled amateur, be powered by an outboard auxiliary, and outperform other sailboats of its size. Upon receiving the design specifications, Ben Seaborn reportedly dismissed them as unreasonabletemporarily, as it turned out...
 
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Launching day for Thunderbird #1. Photo courtesy of the Harbor History Museum.
Thunderbirds #2 and #3 being built in the Eddon Boat Co shop. Photo courtesy of Guy Hoppen.
 
 
 

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Become a Festival Volunteer
Volunteer shifts for this year's Wooden Boat Festival are live on our website. Volunteering is a great way to meet new friends, experience the Festival from the inside, and simply have some fun. Working three shifts will earn you a Festival volunteer t-shirt and get you in for free all weekend long!
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Thank you to our sponsors
 
   
           

AGMarine, Edensaw Woods, Admiral Ship Supply, Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding, Port Townsend Brewing, Sunrise Coffee, and New Day Fisheries
 Header photo by Ken Ollar, courtesy of Guy Hoppen
Other photos by NWMC staff and Margot Desannoy
Copyright © 2023 Northwest Maritime Center, All rights reserved.

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