Theodore Too
Encyclopedia
Theodore Too is a large-scale imitation tugboat based on the fictional tugboat Theodore from the television show Theodore Tugboat
.
, had told his son bedtime stories about the boats in the big harbour and how they interacted with everyone. This later became the basis for the TV series. Theodore became so popular, the company constructed a life-size model of him for marketing and promoting water safety. The boat is unusual, as it is a full-size replica of a scale model. The original model which was used to film the series and inspired Theodore Too can be seen at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
. Theodore Too was launched at Snyder's Shipyard at Dayspring, Nova Scotia
on April 19, 2000. After sea trials out of Lunenburg, the vessel made its first port call to Halifax on May 6, 2000. The ocean-going boat made a 50-city tour down the eastern seaboard to Tampa Bay and back again through the Great Lakes to Chicago. Theodore Too became the Ambassador of the U.S. National Safe Boating Council and mascot to the U.S. Coast Guard, participating in several tall ship events. After Cochran Entertainment went out of business, the boat was purchased by a Halifax tour boat company, Murphys on the Water. The vessel provides tours of Halifax Harbour
in the summer, operating from the Cable Wharf in downtown Halifax.
The boat was designed by Fred Allen
and naval architect Marius Lengkeek of Lengkeek Vessel Engineering, and was built by Snyder's Shipyard in Dayspring, Nova Scotia
, on the Lahave River
, not far from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
.
The hull
and wheelhouse are made entirely of wood, with a fibreglass hat and smokestack. It has a 'face' on the funnel, with large realistic hydraulic eyes which are no longer operational. The boat displays a number of prop details such as winches and towing bitts inspired from real tugs but operates as a tour boat, not a real tug boat.
Theodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
.
History
Theodore Too was commissioned by Cochran Entertainment, Inc., the now-defunct production company. Andrew Cochran, the creator of Theodore TugboatTheodore Tugboat
Theodore Tugboat is a Canadian children's television series about a tugboat named Theodore who lives in the Big Harbour with all of his friends. The show was produced in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada by the CBC , and the now defunct Cochran Entertainment, and was filmed on a model set using radio...
, had told his son bedtime stories about the boats in the big harbour and how they interacted with everyone. This later became the basis for the TV series. Theodore became so popular, the company constructed a life-size model of him for marketing and promoting water safety. The boat is unusual, as it is a full-size replica of a scale model. The original model which was used to film the series and inspired Theodore Too can be seen at Halifax's Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a Canadian maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia.The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection of over 30,000 artifacts...
. Theodore Too was launched at Snyder's Shipyard at Dayspring, Nova Scotia
Dayspring, Nova Scotia
Dayspring is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Lunenburg Municipal District in Lunenburg County. It is home to the traditional wooden shipyard, Snyders Shipbuilding, builders of Theodore Too, among many other vessels ....
on April 19, 2000. After sea trials out of Lunenburg, the vessel made its first port call to Halifax on May 6, 2000. The ocean-going boat made a 50-city tour down the eastern seaboard to Tampa Bay and back again through the Great Lakes to Chicago. Theodore Too became the Ambassador of the U.S. National Safe Boating Council and mascot to the U.S. Coast Guard, participating in several tall ship events. After Cochran Entertainment went out of business, the boat was purchased by a Halifax tour boat company, Murphys on the Water. The vessel provides tours of Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
in the summer, operating from the Cable Wharf in downtown Halifax.
Specifications
Fred Allen (set designer)
----Fred Allen, was a Canadian set designer, art director and artist from Stewiacke, Nova Scotia.Born in Halifax, Allen never knew his birth mother, but was adopted and raised by Gwendolyn Poole of Wolfville, Nova Scotia until Poole's death when Allen was 11, after which he was raised by Poole's...
and naval architect Marius Lengkeek of Lengkeek Vessel Engineering, and was built by Snyder's Shipyard in Dayspring, Nova Scotia
Dayspring, Nova Scotia
Dayspring is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in the Lunenburg Municipal District in Lunenburg County. It is home to the traditional wooden shipyard, Snyders Shipbuilding, builders of Theodore Too, among many other vessels ....
, on the Lahave River
LaHave River
The LaHave River is a river in Nova Scotia, Canada, running from its source in Annapolis County to the Atlantic Ocean. Along its way, it splits the communities of LaHave and Riverport and bisects the town of Bridgewater flowing into the LaHave River estuary .The river and various spots in the area...
, not far from Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Bridgewater is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the navigable limit of the LaHave River. It is the largest town in the South Shore region. While the majority of the South Shore's economy is based upon the tourist trade, Bridgewater is more a commercial and industrial centre and...
.
The hull
Hull (watercraft)
A hull is the watertight body of a ship or boat. Above the hull is the superstructure and/or deckhouse, where present. The line where the hull meets the water surface is called the waterline.The structure of the hull varies depending on the vessel type...
and wheelhouse are made entirely of wood, with a fibreglass hat and smokestack. It has a 'face' on the funnel, with large realistic hydraulic eyes which are no longer operational. The boat displays a number of prop details such as winches and towing bitts inspired from real tugs but operates as a tour boat, not a real tug boat.