Ply-ing the seas

Discussion in 'Sailboats' started by Kitlani, Dec 1, 2004.

  1. Kitlani
    Joined: Nov 2004
    Posts: 4
    Likes: 0, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 10
    Location: Surrey, BC, CANADA

    Kitlani New Member

    Greetings,
    I had a wonderful boat for awhile and am wondering if there are any more around like her. What I had was essentially a Thunderbird, (a design which succeeded far past its proper time) ..the usual plywood, hard-chine racer which just about every club seems to have, but mine was 34' long, a beam of 9.5' with a two-foot bowsprit, an inboard gas engine (Buchannon Midget) and it was rigged as a yawl. The prop was aft of the rudder. The keel was a thick blade of fir, then lead below, about 1' thick. Her hull and deck were marine ply, fibreglassed on the outside only, which let her breathe.
    She sailed like a dream in almost any weather with the mizzen allowing you to weathercock so you could raise the main into the wind, if sailing solo. She didn't creak or groan and the hard-chines gave a solid V to sail on, while heeled. Her ballast was 4 ton and her Sitka Spruce mast was 38'.
    This was a Ben Seaborn design and I was wondering how many were built to this length. I've seen a few extended to 29', but to 34'?
    Thanks ahead of time, :)

    -ray-
     
  2. mattotoole
    Joined: Nov 2004
    Posts: 200
    Likes: 1, Points: 0, Legacy Rep: 13
    Location: Potomac MD, USA

    mattotoole Senior Member

    Well, there was a 32' version of the Thunderbird. I don't know how many were built. I saw one for sale recently, in one of the web classifieds. Is it possible yours is one of these, modified?
     
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