In 1931 William Crosby, Naval architect and editor of The Rudder magazine, introduced the Snipe sailboat. Crosby designed the 15 ½ ft. boat to be affordable for the average family, suitable for racing and easily conveyed by trailer for dry sailing or towing to distant events. The small sailboat quickly caught on, and by the late 1930s had become one of the most popular one-design sailboats in the world.

Thompson Brothers began building Snipe sailboats in 1933, and continued to do so into the early 1950s. Shipped from Thompson’s Cortland plant in 1941, the boat was restored several years ago and now sports an oval cockpit with dagger board instead of pivoting centerboard, and a varnished wooden deck in place of the original canvas covered version.