Difference between revisions of "Skagit Plastics"

Latest revision as of 13:13, 25 June 2021

A Brief History of

SKAGIT BOATS

In the early 1950’s, when it appeared there might be a future in fiberglass boats, the owners of LaConner’s Dunlap Towing Company thought they’d get into the glass-boat business. One of the tugboat operator’s first moves was to study their neighbor to the north, Bellingham Shipyards, which had started producing Bell Boy fiberglass boats in 1952.

Sometime in 1954, Dunlap approached Art Nordvedt, who had started Bell Boy production as a division of Bellingham Shipyards. Prior to 1952, the shipyard had been quite successful building larger vessels, ranging from minesweepers to commercial fishboats, tugs and yachts. They knew how to build a good boat, and with Nordvedt’s help they learned how to design and manufacture smaller fiberglass fishing boats, runabouts and cruisers. (Amazingly, after only three years of operation, Bell Boy had built 5,000 boats in three plants around the country—the largest operation being their Bellingham headquarters.)

Dunlap wondered if Nordvedt might want to help launch a competing company, Skagit Plastics, to be based in LaConner. Since Nordvedt was happy working on the Bell Boy enterprise, he declined. Shortly thereafter, the towboaters approached one of Bell Boy’s most talented employees, Howard Roberts, suggesting he could head up the new company in LaConner—an offer he quickly accepted.

As chief designer and production manager, Roberts was able to start Skagit Boat production within a year. In its July, 1955 issue, SEA magazine published a story on Skagit Plastics, featuring the new 20-foot express cruiser designed by Roberts, which was available in either inboard or outboard models.

In addition to the now-famous 20-foot express model, Skagit offered other designs starting with an 8-foot dinghy and including small fishing boats, runabouts, hardtop sedans…and a few years later the largest fiberglass cruiser ever built—the dramatic 31-foot Saratogan.

The Skagit 20 became the company’s best-known model, with perhaps 500 hulls produced between 1955 and 1960. There were three 20’s—the Offshore (bigger cockpit), Express (more cabin) and Tyee (convertible with hardtop option), offered primarily as outboard models.

A summary of models produced over the years: