About the Chinook 34
The Chinook 34 was built by Yacht Constructors of Portland Oregon.
From the Cascade Website:
In 1954, Tom Green, Merle Starr, Wade Cornwell, Jarvis Gould and Henry Morton decided to use a new material called fiberglass to build large sailboat hulls. To prove the strength of this composite material a sample was laid-up and tested for strength. The final test was done by shooting bullets from different fire arms at it from a 10 foot range. This “bullet proof” sample is still with us.
They started the company by the name of Yacht Constructors and they decided to build the 34‘ sloop “Vigilant” designed by Frederick Geiger of Yacht Sales & Service in Philadelphia, PA.
In 1955, a contract was drawn up to share hours and labor to build five boats. A wooden plug was made according to the “Vigilant” design, and a fiberglass mold was completed by early September. Hull No. 1 was laid up with steel bars in the keel area, and the interior work progressed. The group selected “CHINOOK” as the name of the class for this new type of hull.
There is also an excerpt from an article by Scott Gibson published in the Freshwater News (November 1984) on Yacht Constructors and the Chinook 34 on the Cramer Marine site at http://www.cramermarine.com/ch34_news.html