A PIECE OF APA HISTORY REBORN Thunderbird #1 Cruises Puget Sound Once Again By Dennis Hardman In 1957, when marine grade plywood was still a relatively new product, Tom Sias, publicity manager for the Douglas Fir Plywood Association (later APA), came up with the idea for a competition to design a plywood sailboat. A keen sailor himself, Sias developed a challenging set of criteria: Build a boat made of plywood and make it easy enough for a reasonably skilled amateur to construct. It must be able to sleep four; be capable of racing and cruising; have an outboard engine; and be so fast on the water it would outperform other sailboats in its class. The challenge was sent to marine architects on both coasts. The winner was Seattle naval architect Ben Seaborn in collaboration with Ed Hoppen, a boat builder in neighboring Gig
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Harbor. Sketching on napkins in Hoppen’s home adjacent to his Eddon Boat Yard, the Thunderbird was born. The original Thunderbird, Hull # 1, was launched from Hoppen’s boatyard in 1958. Many in the boating world considered the design revolutionary. After years of sailing and racing, Thunderbird Hull #1 was eventually donated to the Gig Harbor History Museum where she was lovingly restored to be permanently displayed as an icon of local boat building’s legacy. Once restored, however, it was determined that she needed one more dip in Puget Sound. On August 26, 2023, to the cheers of several hundred onlookers, the original Thunderbird was again launched from the same boatyard of her birth.
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ENGINEERED WOOD TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION
