Submarine Tom, pamarine, TollyWally, WestVanHan, and others,
Thanks for the comments. The entries on Woodenboats forum are from about the same time that the registration trail dissappears, 2002.
When my Grandfather owned her she was home ported at Canoe Cove, on Vancouver Island, walking distance from the Swartz Bay ferry terminal. This would have been from the early 70's through the mid 1980's. Bill's Island is in the same area, and we would pass his place on the way to ours. To the best of my recollection it would have spent around 20 years in that part of the Northwest.
One of the really amazing things about this particular Garden design, is that it was designed from the outset to be built as cheaply as possible. Some of the framing was done with 2x4's, and the hull was plywood with fiberglass over the top. I believe my Grandfather actually bought the Easthope motor from Bill, who had it lying around around his shop. Some versions of the story actually say that the motor was the inspiration for the entire project. Both men were attracted to the old, slow speed engines, both diesel and gasoline.
Despite the cheap and somewhat inflexible building methods, the lines on the boat are just amazing. What Bill did with sheets of plywood is nothing short of amazing. I can't even begin to imagine what this type of design would look like, if it were designed from the outset to be built in more traditional materials, and cost was less of a concern.
It is also amazing to me that my Grandfather, who was nearing 60 at the time, and Bill who was not all that much younger conceived such an efficient design. This is before the first Middle East oil embargo, in 1973, and fuel is ridiculously cheap at the time. This boat absolutely sipped fuel, and left very little wake for it's size and speed. Neither of these guys were what we would think of as "Cutting Edge" technology fans. The design was just so radically different than anything going on at the time.
It was not a boat for just anyone. It took several minutes of hand oiling before the motor could even be started. Then there was the proper positioning of the spark retarder, and finally releasing the compression release at the proper time during cranking. Most people would have difficulty just getting the engine running. And that was before you cast off the lines and tried to manuver your way out of the marina. Although so graceful in form, she was a pig in slow speed manuvering. No steering whatsoever when going astern. Back down a little ways, then into forward with full rudder to get the boat oriented properly, repeat until free of the confines of the marina. She didn't like turning, even at speed, and in a beam sea she rolled like crazy. But if you were running against or with the seas she just cut through the chop like a hot knife through butter. If you saw her at sea, I don't think you'd forget about her anytime soon. She was just so weird, compared to what others were doing at the time.
Thanks one and all for the interest. I'm going to try and get some pictures to post, but my mother who lives in another state has most of the family pictures of Tlingit.
I have thought about it myself , but not very practical ( that`s a Loooooong trailer 
