First…Fiberglass Boat… Ever

Every now and again something comes up of historic significance. The time was 1956, when five enterprising sailors in Portland, Oregon got together and decided to build themselves sailboats out of a revolutionary new material…fiberglass. The result was the Chinook 34, the first production sailboat ever constructed in fiberglass.

Once the first 5 boats were built a company was formed, Yacht Constructors, and a long string of Chinooks and Cascade sailboats were to follow. Most were kit boats intended for the do-it-yourself crowd. The company built some 600+ boats over the years.

The first ever Chinook 34 is now listed …any historic preservation buffs out there eager to restore for posterity the first fiberglass sailboat ever built? Click here to view photos.