Historical Photos

Classic wooden Snipes have an interest not only in the USA, but also in other countries.� Pictured here is a 1965 all-varnished wooden Snipe #FIN(L) 14018 "Zebra", completed in 1965 by Nils and Paul Andersson.� The hull is 1/2 inch (12.7mm) mahogany and the deck is 1/4 inch (6mm) mahogany plywood, mast and boom are Oregon pine (similar to Sitka spruce) and the boat is equipped with the original sails by Paul Elvstrom.� The boat was found in a barn in 2006 after many years in storage, and has been beautifully restored to museum quality by current owner Sten Soderblom of Helsinki, Finland.
Snipe #73, built 1931-32 by Toppan Boat Manufacturing Co. of Boston, Massachusetts, now in restoration by owner Hershel Sosnoff of Silver Lake, New Hampshire. This boat is equipped with a boomkin and permanent backstay, allowed by Snipe rules at the time of construction but infrequently used by builders, and not permitted per a rule change after WW II. The permanent backstay was used to control forestay tension, and was supplemented by a stiffening strut or spreaders on the upper section of the mast, above the sidestays, to control mast bend. Note the mahogany trim strip around the edge of the deck, which was a deluxe feature of some quality-built Snipes The boat also features curved spray boards, which was another deluxe feature. Restoration is awaiting the next step of applying canvas decking and finishing of varnished trim.
Snipe #30516 was owner-built by Tom O'Brien in Omaha, Nebraska, and is the latest SCIRA-registered wooden Snipe in the US. It has an all-varnished natural wood deck and hull, and has up-to-date construction and rigging with an aluminum mast and boom. photo by Fried Elliott
Wooden Snipe #9 "Bad Bird!" owned by and extensively modernized and updated by Jim Keesling of Englewood, CO competing at 2007 US Snipe Nationals. Originally owned by Dr. Hub Isaacs of Fort Worth, TX first Commodore of SCIRA. Photo by Fried Elliott.For more photos of Snipe #9,visit the the Photo Gallery.
Snipe #150, builder unknown but built in 1932 and owned by William Dowd of Rye, NY a member of the Western Long Island Sound, NY Snipe fleet. Other members of this fleet included Snipe designer Bill Crosby and well-known eastern sailor Arthur Deacon. Note the full size genoa jib which was an option introduced soon after the Snipe was designed. For Snipes built in early years, the mast was shorter than current rules specify, later the mast was lengthened and the boom raised. Note: that the mast and forestay appear to be located at the maximum aft position permitted by the rules at the time (mast location 60 to 71 inches, forestay location 11 to 19-1/2 inches). The forward end of the cockpit is located at the aft end of the daggerboard trunk, and the tiller is quite short, forcing the skipper and crew to sit too far aft by current practice. Note also the reef points in the mainsail. Photo courtesy of the Century Boat Club.	Click photo to enlarge
Snipe #2740 "Bluenose" owned/sailed by Don Cochran Sr. of Clearwater, FL, sailing in 1941 Snipe Midwinters at Clearwater. This boat was built about 1938 and won many regattas in the late 1930s and 40s. Cochran later bought and raced a new Clark Mills Snipe #7370. In the 1950s, "Bluenose" was purchased and updated by Bob Frahm of Grand Rapids, MI and continued winning races in the midwest. Photo courtesy of the Harold Gilreath family.	Click photo to enlarge
Emmons Snipe #12777, owned by Nate Whiteside of Glen Arbor, MI. This is reported to be the last Snipe built by Nearing Emmons of Brewerton, NY, who built many wood Snipes from the 1940s through the 60s. Nate tied for first in the Michigan Snipe Championship in 1950 with an earlier Emmons Snipe #7381, and was the SCIRA High Point Score Champion in 1950. Photo taken in 2004. Deck and cockpit view of Emmons Snipe #12777. The daggerboard trunk has been reduced in height and the deck in the cockpit area has been slightly rolled. This boat is over 40 years old. Photo taken in 2004.	Click photos to enlarge
Two nicely restored wooden Snipes at the Center for Wooden Boats annual wooden boat show held in Seattle, WA on Lake Union. The yellow Snipe on the left is an all-plywood Snipe #15517 "Old Yeller," owner-built in Seattle in 1965 and now owned by Steve Green of Seattle. The red Snipe on the right is a wood planked Snipe #9603 "Coelacanth," built by Emmons of Brewerton, NY in 1954 and now owned by John Watkins of Seattle. Both owners restored these boats. Photo taken in July, 2004.	Click photo to enlarge
Snipe #3258, built in 1939 in Maryland, now owned, restored and updated by Roy Terwilliger of Harwich, Massachusetts [Cape Cod]. The deck, cockpit and daggerboard trunk were modernized following construction guidelines in "Building A Plywood Snipe," available from SCIRA. A fine example of a modernized 66-year-old Snipe.	Click photo to enlarge
Snipe #4000 "Also," built by Dunphy Boat Corp. [WI] in 1940 and owned by Snipe designer William Crosby who raced it on Long Island Sound, NY. This was typical of the appearance, sails and rigging setup of wood racing Snipes of that era. The crew was "hiking out" by laying along the windward side to reduce windage, as no Snipes had hiking straps at that time. Photo by yachting photographer Morris Rosenfeld, courtesy of The Rudder and WoodenBoat magazines and the Mystic Seaport photo collection.	Click photo to enlarge
Wood Snipes under various stages of construction at the plant of Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing Co. in Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Thompson offered Snipes from 1933-1942, and after WW II from 1944- 1950. This picture may have been taken sometime in the 1930s or early 1940s. When first introduced in 1933, Thompson Snipes were priced at $165 including sails, and options included a genoa jib ($5) instead of the working jib, hollow mast ($8), bronze fasteners and brass fittings and galvanized centerboard ($8), and a pivoting centerboard and rudder ($12). The 1950 Thompson Snipe was offered as a standard Family version ($395) and a Racing version ($495), not including sails. Thompson also built other classes of one design sailboats, including Comet, Lightning, Sea Gull and National One Design, and several others. Information courtesy of Andreas Rhude (Minneapolis, MN) and Thompson CD-ROM by Dragonfly Canoe Works.	Click photo to enlarge
Ted Wells famous Varalyay wood Snipe #6025 "Good News," built in 1946. Winner of 1947, 1949 and 1952 US Snipe Nationalsand many other regional Snipe championships in the US. Photo taken in 1950, from cover of Jib Sheet magazine. This boatis currently stored at the Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT.	Click photo to enlarge
Wood Snipe #SWE12375, built in 1960 by Carl Eichenlaub of San Diego, CA and originally owned by Herb Shear of San Diego. Now owned and raced in Sweden by Bernhard Rost, National Snipe Sec. of Sweden. It has been updated with modern rigging, equipment, sails and hardware and is still competitive in racing. This boat was the forerunner to the successful Chubasco and McLaughlin wood and fiberglass racing Snipes.	Click photo to enlarge
This wood Snipe was built by Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing Co. of Peshtigo, WI and may be the only surviving Thompson Snipe in existence of many that were built there. It is in original unrestored condition and is on display during the summer months only at the Clabber Girl Museum, Bake Shop and Country Store in Terre Haute, IN. It was owned by Tony Hulman, President of the Hulman Co. (makers of Clabber Girl Baking Powder) and owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where the Indianapolis 500 car race is held. Notice the pivoting rudder which was allowed in early Snipes, also the pivot centerboard. The mast is a mock-up to accomodate the available ceiling height in the museum.	Click photo to enlarge
Wood Snipe #4196 "AnTiki II", owner built in 1941 and completely modernized and updated by owner John Sepanski of Carlyle Lake, IL and Mike McLaughlin, with help from Ray Sepanski (John's father). The cockpit and associated deck structure are fiberglass from Eclipse molds, whereas the fore and aft decks are composite plywood and rigid foam core structure with fiberglass overlay. The varnished topsides are thin Okoume plywood epoxy glued to side planking to restore planking thickness to comply with Snipe rules, and the boat is equipped with new aluminum mast, boom and rudder to modern Snipe specifications.	Click photo to enlarge
Plywood Snipe #16182 "Yonder Peasant," owner-built in 1966 and now owned by Chris Hains of Oakville, ON Canada. It was professionally rebuilt and modernized over a five year period by a Canadian boat builder, and features fore and aft floatation bulkheads and a raised cockpit floor with sealed watertight space under the floor for added floatation, and a new deck and cockpit structure.	Click photo to enlarge
Typical Varalyay-built wooden Snipe hull and deck details, circa 1954 (from Varalyay Snipe brochure). Ribbon-grain mahogany plywood was used for the varnished decks, red cedar for the hull planking and sitka spruce for the framing.	Click photo to enlarge
Lou Varalyay, builder of many fast and famous wooden Snipes from 1933-1976, with wife Jessie at Cabrillo Beach YC in San Pedro, California. For more photos of Varalyay Snipes, see Ted Wells Snipe #6025 and view of Varalyay Snipe hull above, also see subheading "Snipe Personalities" formore information about Lou Varalyay.	Click photo to enlarge