A Rich Boat Building Legacy

A Rich Boat Building Legacy. . , Boat building was one of the first industries on Gig Harbor's waterfront, beginning with the launch of the Vine in 1890 at the Gig Harbor Mill. More than 140 wooden boats were constructed along the waterfront between 1912 and 1931 at three prominent boatyards: Skansie Ship Building Co. in Millvile, Robert Crawford Shipyard at the head of the bay, and Anderson and Sons Boatyard at this site., A native of Norway, Conrad Anderson came to the harbor sometime around 1910. He worked at the Skansie shipyard as foreman until he opened his own facility here in 1920. His boatyard built 15 fishing boats, ranging from 36 ft. to 74 ft. in length. Anderson retired in 1937 and his sons continued working at the site until they sold to Art Glein in 1946., Glein tore down the old structures and built the house and boat facilities that remain today. Glein built and repaired a variety of boats until 1950, when the harbor froze. Boats were unable to access the yard for repairs and Glein's business suffered greatly. He decided to sell out and move to a warmer climate. He sold the business to boat builders Ed Hoppen and Don Harder, who renamed the business Eddon Boat Company. Hoppen soon became sole owner of the boatyard, focusing on building a variety of pleasure and commercial craft, including the popular sailing/rowing dinghies, the Minto and Eddon Gig., A major event for the boatyard occurred in 1958 when Hoppen built and launched the Thunderbird Hull No. 1. Designed by Seattle naval architect Ben Seaborn, the T-bird brought in a new era of sailing by providing an affordable alternative to the expensive custom-built sailboats. The product of a sailboat design competition hosted by the Douglas Fir Plywood Company, the boat design was required to accommodate both cruising and racing., Although Seaborn came up with the initial design concept, it was Hoppen's boat building skill and design knowledge that really created the T-bird. The sailboat's agility and handling surprised both Hoppen and Seaborn during the initial sea trials. The sailboat continues to outperform many of its fiberglass contemporaries., During construction of T-bird hull #3 Hoppen created a complete set of plans for the do-it-yourself builder. Hoppen continued to build T-birds at his boatyard while hundreds of others were home built. In 1969, the International Thunderbird Class Association was formed to promote T-bird racing and to maintain consistency in the boat's scale and measurements. Thirty fleets worldwide had formed by the late 1960s. Many fleets are still active today, participating in the International Regatta., [Photo captions, top to bottom, read] , . Thunderbird Hull No. 1 on eve of launch, November 1958, . Boats in for repair at Glein Boat Co., . Anderson and Sons Boatyard. Conrad Anderson is kneeling, second row, second from right, [Timeline at bottom of marker] , 1920 - Conrad Anderson opens Anderson and Sons Boatyard, 1937 - Conrad Anderson retires: sons run business until they sell to Art Glein, 1946 - Glein builds house and new boat facility, opens Glein Boat Co., 1950 - Glein sells to Ed Hoppen and Don Harder, they combine first names to form Eddon Boat Co., early 1950s - Hoppen becomes sole owner of boatyard, 1955 - Eddon Boat Retail Store opens, sells marine paint and hardware, 1958 - The Thunderbird sailboat, Hull No. 1, is launched in Nov. at Eddon Boat Co., 1978 - Hoppen retires, sells boatyard to Breck Adams, 1980 - Blue Heron Yachts continues tradition of boat building at the site, 2003 - Property is sold, buildings to be demolished, 2004 - Community rallies against demolition and passes bond with 62% of votes supporting city's purchase of the 1.2 acre property. Vision is to preserve waterfront access, restore buildings, and preserve the boat building heritage through programs and activities