History of the T-Bird Sailboat ~ Harbor History Museum, Gig Harbor, Wash.

Steve Bunnell of Seattle has researched and written about the history of the Thunderbird. Following is an excerpt:

In 1957 the Douglas Fir Plywood Association of Tacoma put out a call for design proposals for a plywood sailboat that would "... be both a racing and cruising boat; provide sleeping accommodations for four crew; be capable of being built by reasonably skilled amateurs; provide auxiliary power by an outboard motor that could be easily removed and stowed; and out-perform other sailboats in its class."

Seattle, Washington naval architect Ben Seaborn began to muse over the possibilities. Working from his 26-foot Sierra design, he fooled around with cardboard pieces and twisted them into a possible shape. He brought his "model" to Ed Hoppen at his Gig Harbor shipyard and asked, "Think you could build that out of plywood?" Hoppen went to work, not only building the boat but creating a step-by-step method that could be duplicated by amateur builders working at home. A year in development, the 25.90-foot Thunderbird #1 was launched in November of 1958. The boat proved amazingly fast and exceeded all expectations for performance.

The building method Hoppen developed enabled would-be sailing enthusiasts who could not afford traditional plank-on-frame boats to spend $2.00 on plans, 2000 hours in the garage, and have a boat of their own. The first of the home-built models hit the water in 1961. By that time Hoppen had built several Thunderbirds in his Gig Harbor shipyard. Eventually he turned out 16 complete Thunderbirds and sold more than 100 kits that sped up construction for the home builder. By 1962 more than 400 Thunderbirds were sailing all around the world. Today, we know that more that 1,200 have been built world-wide. The International Thunderbird Class Association keeps owners linked and organizes the annual international sailing competition.

After its launch, the Thunderbird #1 was sold to Del Lambing. It changed hands several times. Guy Hoppen, Ed's son, purchased the boat in the 1990s, bringing it back to Gig Harbor. Recently, he decided to give the vessel to the society. "I wanted the vessel to stay in Gig Harbor," he said. The donation was made in memory of his father, the gifted boat-builder who made it. With the help of a crew from Peninsula Light, the sailboat was brought up to the historical society's museum on Friday.

"It is very appropriate that Thunderbird #1 now has a protected home in Gig Harbor," said Steve Bunnell. "In the best way of things unfolding, this humble plywood boat proved revolutionary when it became an unexpected success for both builder and designer. Thunderbird #1 is a testament that ordinary men can do extraordinary work," he said.

"As a sailor who has been in Gig Harbor for 25 years, I have a strong interest in the history of boating here," said GHPHS Trustee Linda McCowen. "The November LeMans Race, the March Islands Race as well as Thursday evening May Harbor Races attract sailors from around Puget Sound. Thunderbirds always take home honors in these races," she said. The Thunderbird joins another significant vessel donated to the historicl society, the Shenandoah, a 65' fishing boat built at the Skansie shipyard in Gig Harbor in 1925. The fishing boat was donated to the society by Tony Janovich in 2000. Both vessels will be incorporated into the society's future Heritage Center.