A Kool Little Sailboat

A Toy Stored for 40 Years

My dad was clearing out the garage when he asked if I would take the sailboats that he was storing. To tell the truth, I almost forgot he had both of these boats acquired in the early 1970’s and 80’s. One was a large Sea Chaser and one was a little Snark from the Kool cigarette campaign that ran in the early 1970’s 

Cigarette Marketing History

In 1971 Kool Cigarettes ran an interesting marketing campaign. Magazines around the country ran an ad that if you sent in $88 and one box end from a carton of  Kool cigarettes that this fully functional sailboat would be shipped to your door.  

A Stout Little Styrofoam Sailboat

Both the hull and the sail have been garage stored for over 43 years. The original sail is still in great shape as well as the hull. At about 50 lbs. one person can take it down to the beach. Two people can sail around in it and there is usually water bubbling up from the daggerboard slot. It’s more of a toy than a true sailboat, but it does force you to learn the basics of sailing and it will never sink.

The original Kool Sailboat story can be found at ThumbWind.com