Grandfather, Howard Langley Slauson was born in Seattle in 1901 and grew up south of Seward park on Lake Washington. After a stint in the navy, he returned to Seattle and built houses for a living. He heard about the Thunderbird and bought a set of plans for about two dollars at the Seattle lumberyard in 1960. At the time he was living in Maple Valley. He took the plans home and told his wife he was building the boat behind the garage in her vegetable garden. I’m sure she wasn’t thrilled. However, the back of the garage allowed grandfather to build a roof lean to over the worksite so he could work on the boat no matter what the weather. Being a carpenter by trade and having a full workshop in his basement, he was able to finish the boat in 14 months. One of the faster builds for a Thunderbird.
Around Christmas in 1985 he took ill. He asked me to watch the boat for a couple of weeks till he got better. Sadly, he died soon after. Over the years, I have replaced the transom and parts of the quarter panels on both sides of the stern. I have also removed the toe rails and double fiberglassed the gunnels. Also, the keel has been re-bedded and fiberglassed. Inside the electrical system has been revamped and extra instrumentation added. New hatch covers have been built and new deck grates as well. This summer, the mast was unstepped, rerigged and painted.
The name Tu-tutsh is Nootkan meaning thunderbird. The boat has been to Desolation sound twice. Nanaimo a couple of times and sailed throughout the Gulf and San Juan Islands as well as Puget Sound. A light and responsive boat that is a pleasure to sail