Pedersen & Thuesen, Gifted Boat Builders
The P&T loft showing Børge Pedersen, left and Poul Thuesen, right, at work on a beautifuly crafted Dragon
The Danish boatbuilding firm of Pedersen & Thuesen was started in 1949 and was in existence for 34 years, closing in 1983.
The firm constructed a total of 97 beautifully made International Dragon racing yachts over an 18 year period, from 1952 until 1970. They also made 'inrigger' rowing sculls, dinghies, yachts and motor boats. There is no doubt that a Pedersen & Thuesen wooden boat is beautifully well made, a tribute to the small but very skilled workforce and a demonstration of how to successfully turn trees into objects of desire!
My interest in Pedersen & Thuesen was sparked through racing Dragons and seeing for myself the wonderful skill demonstrated in the construction and sailing ability of these elegant yachts. I wrote an article for the British Dragon Association magazine and this prompted me to investigate further, as very little information remains about the firm, its owners and workforce and the boats they constructed. As part of this I started a register of boats and corresponded with many people who had knowledge of the Pedersen & Thuesen boat yard. This site allows this information to reach a wider audience and as a resource for enthusiasts of the boats. I would be very happy to hear from anyone who shares this enthusiasm, or has knowledge or experience of these fine boats. You can contact me via the Feedback page.
In puting this site together I have drawn heavily on resources available via the internet, including some photographs and I acknowledge their original copyright. I also wish to thank the helpful and enjoyable correspondence I have had with Finn Pedersen, Patrick Gifford, Lars Stenfeldt Hansen and Lars Broen of the Danish Dragon Association and Lars Hendricksen.
As ever, presenting historical information is often a process where fact can become interwoven with faulty memories, fiction or conjecture. I therefore cannot claim to have got it all right and would be happy to stand corrected where appropriate.
Jeg vil gerne undskylde over for de danske læsere, der måske ikke unaturligt har håbet at finde en hjemmeside dedikeret til en af deres fine bådebyggeri virksomheder skrevet på deres eget sprog . Siden indførelsen af Google Translate er det nu meget lettere at læse hjemmesider på andre sprog , og jeg håber, du vil have mig undskyldt , hvis jeg foreslå du benytte dig af den service! Jeg har gjort det selv til at oversætte dette stykke . Jeg håber, det har været en succes!
Mine erfaringer i Danmark er blevet begrænset i løbet af mit liv, desværre . Jeg gjorde tilbringe en uforglemmelig eftermiddag forsøger uden held at mestre windsurfing ved stranden nær grænsen ved Flensborg. Jeg har krydstogt og kørte ud af Keil , besøger nogle af de pragtfulde øer i Østersøen. Da jeg voksede op min familie havde en række danske au pair ' piger til at hjælpe min mor. Jeg husker dem indføre dansk juletraditioner til mig og mine søstre og stadig har et stykke legetøj i træ soldat fra det Kongelige Danske Livgarde . Ironisk nok jeg tilbragte efterfølgende en uge på en NATO- øvelse med Livgarden , da jeg tjente med den britiske hær i Tyskland. Jeg husker pragtfulde aften konferencer over middag i officerer rod trailer.
Tak for at tillade mig at forkæle min begejstring for Pedersen & Thuesen Dragons her.
Tim Wilkes
