Thunderbird Sloop

grabcad

The boat that I owned and raced for two decades is now the subject of my reminiscence. As I pieced it together, I recalled the saying about boats being money-sucking holes in water, as buying parts seemed endless. In 1957, Marine Grade Plywood held a design contest by the North American Plywood Association for Naval Architects to create a backyard-buildable boat under 26' that could sleep four. The winning design was by Ben Seaborn who transformed a cold molded plank design into plywood with fiberglass overlay, calling it Thunderbird after Pacific Northwest Native American icons. This boat featured hard chines from its plywood seams and gained popularity among DIYers and professionals alike, forming fleets under the International Thunderbird Class Association. I acquired mine used and tweaked for racing with cockpit rigging and a swift paint job, despite the arduous task on macro and micro levels.