The remarkable story behind Steve Dashew, the Muffler Men and one of the most unlikely chapters in American advertising

Long before Steve Dashew became known for designing some of the world’s most capable offshore cruising yachts, he was solving a very different problem.

It wasn’t about heavy weather, passagemaking or offshore design. It was simply about surviving the winter.

In the early 1960s, Steve was running a small boatbuilding business in California. Like many seasonal businesses, work slowed dramatically once summer ended. Rather than accepting months of quiet, he began searching for something that would keep his small team employed through the winter.

That search led to a tiny classified advert in the Los Angeles Times.

It was advertising the sale of a small fibreglass display business complete with a handful of moulds, including a giant Paul Bunyan figure.

Steve bought it.

As he recalls in the latest episode of the Dashew Talking Books, “This started like most things we’ve been involved with… we never intended it to be in the display business.”

A Giant Opportunity

At first, the business was little more than a winter sideline.

The moulds produced oversized fibreglass figures that could be assembled, painted and installed outside businesses. They were eye-catching, unusual and unlike almost anything motorists had seen before.

Then everything changed.

One of the first Paul Bunyan figures was installed outside a service station in Las Vegas. Almost overnight, fuel sales reportedly doubled.

The success attracted attention throughout the petroleum industry, eventually leading to enquiries from some of America’s largest companies.

For a young entrepreneur in his early twenties, it was an extraordinary opportunity.

“I had no fear,” Steve says. “I didn’t know what you couldn’t do.”

Armed with little more than presentation boards, confidence and an idea that clearly worked, he found himself pitching directly to senior marketing executives at Texaco, Phillips 66, Sinclair and Uniroyal.

The Birth of the Muffler Men

As demand grew, so did the range of characters.

The original Paul Bunyan evolved into cowboys, Native American figures, pirates, restaurant mascots and service station attendants.

There were giant dinosaurs, oversized animals and eventually the famous Uniroyal Gal, created for the tyre manufacturer’s nationwide advertising campaign.

Many of the figures shared the same basic mould, cleverly adapted with different heads, clothing and accessories to suit each customer.

Today they are collectively known as the Muffler Men, towering roadside figures that became synonymous with American highways during the 1960s and early 1970s.

At the time, however, they were simply innovative advertising.

Businesses wanted something motorists couldn’t ignore.

Steve’s giants delivered exactly that.

Bigger Than Advertising

Success came quickly.

What began as a seasonal side project grew into a nationwide manufacturing business, producing hundreds of giant figures for major corporations and independent businesses alike.

Steve even designed a patented trailer system that allowed the enormous statues to be transported and erected more efficiently, solving one of the biggest logistical challenges facing the growing business.

Looking back, he remembers those years with obvious affection.

“I had no idea what a wonderful business we had,” he reflects.

It wasn’t simply about manufacturing fibreglass figures.

It was about creating something memorable enough that people would stop, look and, most importantly, pull into the business they were advertising.

Long before the internet, social media or digital marketing, these towering roadside giants became some of America’s most successful attention-grabbers.

An Unexpected Legacy

Like many industries, roadside advertising evolved.

Changing tastes and new marketing methods gradually reduced demand, and Steve eventually left the business behind before embarking on the next stage of his career.

That next chapter would ultimately lead him back to boats, where his innovative thinking would influence generations of offshore cruising yachts.

Ironically, the giant figures he once considered little more than commercial displays have since become treasured pieces of Americana.

Many have been carefully restored. Others have found homes in museums or become beloved Route 66 landmarks. Collectors and preservationists now dedicate countless hours to tracking, restoring and celebrating these remarkable fibreglass giants.

What began as a practical solution to keeping a small boatyard busy during winter has become a lasting part of American roadside history.

Listen to the Full Episode

The latest episode of the Dashew Talking Books explores this fascinating and often overlooked chapter of Steve Dashew’s life in far greater detail.

From giant Paul Bunyans and Uniroyal Gals to Texaco campaigns, Route 66 landmarks and unexpected entrepreneurial success, it’s a story that’s every bit as remarkable as the offshore adventures Steve is best known for.

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“When you start attracting the attention of the professionals in a country like New Zealand, you know you’re onto something.”

Some boats are built to answer a question.

Others end up creating an entirely new category.

In our latest podcast episode, Sue Grant sits down with renowned yacht designer, sailor and author Steve Dashew to discuss FPB 83 WIND HORSE, the yacht that would ultimately become the foundation of the FPB fleet and help reshape thinking around offshore powerboat design.

The story begins long before WIND HORSE entered the water.

By the early 2000s, Steve and Linda Dashew had already spent decades designing, building and operating some of the most capable offshore sailing yachts afloat. Their final sailing yacht, BEOWULF, was a highly advanced 78-foot water-ballasted ketch capable of remarkable offshore performance.

Yet a significant rig failure forced them to step back and reassess.

As Steve explains during the podcast, they realised that if they embarked on another major sailing yacht project, they would be well into their sixties before the boat was completed. At that point, they began to consider an alternative.

“If we sold BEOWULF, we’d be in our early 60s by the time we got a new boat in the water.”

The answer was not another sailing yacht.

It was a powerboat.

Challenging Conventional Thinking

The idea was far from universally accepted.

In fact, Steve recalls that many experienced voices within the industry believed the concept simply wouldn’t work.

“Everybody said we were nuts.”

The challenge was straightforward in theory but incredibly difficult in practice.

Could a powerboat be designed specifically for long-range offshore passagemaking? Could it be efficient? Could it be comfortable? And perhaps most importantly, could it cope with heavy weather?

For Steve, this final question became the defining test.

“We knew that the bottom line was how comfortable they would be at sea and how they’d handle heavy weather.”

The Search for Heavy Weather

Many yacht owners spend considerable effort avoiding difficult conditions.

WIND HORSE was different.

While no sensible skipper actively seeks danger, Steve understood that the only way to properly evaluate the concept was to expose the yacht to challenging offshore conditions and see how she behaved.

As he explains during the conversation, design calculations and computer modelling can only take you so far.

“You really don’t know until you get the boat in the water in a confused sea state.”

That opportunity arrived during early offshore passages from New Zealand.

One particular experience remains especially memorable.

Steve describes encountering multiple crossing wave systems – conditions that often prove more uncomfortable than a single large swell.

“The seas from one direction aren’t what get you in trouble or make you uncomfortable. It’s when you get a crossing sea state, or sometimes two or three seas crossing.”

What happened next fundamentally changed his view of offshore cruising.

A Different Kind of Offshore Experience

For decades, Steve had sailed large offshore yachts.

Heavy weather meant sail changes, reefing decisions, watch systems and constant attention.

Aboard WIND HORSE, he encountered something entirely different.

“It was the most astonishing feeling when we went through that first squall, and we realised, there’s nothing to do.”

The statement sounds almost simple, but its significance is profound.

Removing the complexity of sail handling fundamentally altered the experience of offshore passagemaking. The crew remained focused, alert and engaged, but much of the physical and mental workload associated with traditional offshore sailing simply disappeared.

Looking back, Steve admits:

“I had never realised up to that point how stressful it was the way we sailed BEOWULF.”

Learning from Experience

One recurring theme throughout the conversation is the importance of practical experience.

Despite advances in modelling software, CFD analysis and modern naval architecture, Steve repeatedly returns to the idea that offshore conditions remain the ultimate proving ground.

Theoretical performance matters.

Real-world performance matters more.

“The final decisions are always made by feel.”

It is a philosophy that extends beyond hull design and into every aspect of yacht ownership.

The discussion touches on reliability, maintenance and accessibility, with Steve arguing that many problems are prevented simply by being able to inspect systems properly.

“If you have good access, then you can check things.”

The Birth of the FPB Fleet

Perhaps the most surprising part of the story is that WIND HORSE was never intended to launch a production fleet.

Steve believed the project would be the final boat he built.

“When we built WIND HORSE, we thought that was the last boat.”

The market had other ideas.

Interest arrived almost immediately.

“A few weeks later, we had deposit checks for four boats.”

From that point, the FPB story began in earnest.

What started as a personal experiment became a fleet of offshore cruising yachts that would influence yacht designers, builders and owners around the world.

Listen to the Full Episode

This conversation with Steve Dashew offers a fascinating insight into the thinking behind FPB 83 WIND HORSE, the realities of heavy weather offshore, and the lessons learned from decades of passagemaking.

For anyone interested in offshore cruising, yacht design, seamanship or the origins of the FPB fleet, it is an episode not to be missed.

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A brief heads up regarding FB 78-1 Cochise:

Cochise is headed towards Europe under new ownership. Although she was not for sale, when Sue Grant at Berthon International introduced us to her new owners it was obvious Cochise would be in good hands and used in a manner that takes advantage of her design.

Cochise treated us amazingly well, keeping us safe and comfortable over many thousands of miles. We wish her new owners the very best with their dream machine.

Join Steve Dashew aboard FPB 78-1 Cochise and find out how the Dashews solved one of the major weaknesses of modern integrated navigation systems.

We have previously discussed in detail the evolution and refinement of the Matrix deck layout aboard Cochise (which you can read about here).

Over the past year we have concentrated mostly on videos, turning to the visual realm to give you some insight into the evolution of our designs and how these have worked out for us in the real cruising world (there are currently 68 videos on the Dashew Offshore YouTube channel).

But now it’s time to switch back to the written word. We want to explain a bit about how our thinking and hardware have evolved about modern electronics, making it possible for us to operate Cochise on our own, particularly in difficult situations.

Cochise is fitted with the first integrated navigation solution we have ever used. Major components all come from the same supplier, SIMRAD, and can be managed over a common network. There are two radars, autopilot (plus backup), several GPS’s, a depth sounder, forward-looking sonar and structure scan all within the same system.

Cochise also has the most extensive N2K data monitoring system we have ever fitted. Pumps, float switches, tank levels, engine data, electrical info and many other parameters are constantly tracked. There are numerous custom pages of information optimized for various situations. And she has a FLIR night vision system, as well as multiple video cameras used to keep eyes on the engine room, for on-deck surveillance, and to track and record weather and sea state. All good stuff, much of it vying for the watch keeper’s attention.

During the first 18,000 miles of cruising we had Steve Parsons, a professional captain, with us, and our watch-keeping duties were split between the Matrix deck and great room. Though having Steve on board was a great addition and we worked well together, we did chafe at the thought that we were now of a certain maturity which made the extra assistance prudent…

…We quickly learned that the 55″ TV in the great room was a critical component of our combined watch-keeping efforts. The screen was easily discernible from anywhere in the great room, and there was lots of space in which to arrange navigation and/or N2K vessel data. In addition, the low vertical installation reduced screen glare on the windows and surrounding surfaces. We were constantly experimenting with combinations of screen setups: 32″ wide screen monitors, 5″ square Maretron N2K data displays, and occasionally dedicated processor/display combinations. We also had the ability to run the Simrad nav system as well as Maretron N2K software on both iPad and Samsung tablets. Lots of options. Offshore, with infinite room and plenty of time, things felt good. Certainly compared to our previous yachts the data presentation and the working arrangement related to the Simrad gear was an improvement.

We are all creatures of habit to a greater or lesser degree. In the design fields this manifests itself in the fact that it is usually more comfortable to do what’s worked before, rather than risk something new. Established norms, even if they are your own and differ from the public at large, are difficult to break away from. Although we constantly battle this state of affairs, the FPB 78 Matrix deck with which Cochise was launched is a classic example of what I am trying to describe. We had stayed with our somewhat tried and true layout from earlier setups, increased in size to take advantage of the increased space.

Having learned the advantages of the advantages of a large, low-mounted screen from using the TV in the great room, using Cochise on our own eventually evolved into four screens on the Matrix deck over a year of experimenting. Each of these has a hinge running along the upper section, which allows the screen to rotate during the day if sun glare becomes an issue, or when access behind the screen is necessary. Once the sun has set, the screens typically return to vertical.

Except the port side screen. This 49″ (diagonal measurement) monitor is a touch screen. I have not been a fan of smaller touch screens in the past. They are difficult to use in rough conditions. At this size though the advantage is so large that I have been converted.

The two of us have always worked as a team when conditions get difficult. Linda normally runs the electronics and steers, adjusting radars, chart plotter, and depth sounders as I request or conditions require. My attention is focused outside of the helm, watching the sea for signs of shallows, ice, and other vessels. In the original Matrix layout if I was in the notch against the open window, I could not reach much of the gear.

It seems so simple now, such a logical evolution, so obvious, that the convoluted path required to arrive here doesn’t seem possible. The problem is that we were dealing in an area so new and different, each iteration over that year of experimenting opened our eyes to new possibilities. There were three main goals we had for optimizing our navigation layout and operation:

First, organize the panel so as to minimize operator error. Second, make it possible for either operator to reach all of the gear. And third, reduce to a minimum the number of operations required to adjust navigation data (more on this in a bit).

In the console photo above, there are autopilot steering controls on both aft corners with the shift throttle near center. Left of this is the autopilot control head and to the right the FLIR night vision camera control.

Second row up from the bottom has a pair of SIMRAD OP50 controllers on each edge, each of which operates one of the four SIMRAD CPUs. Centered above the shift/throttle are the external lights control (lower) and bilge pump manual trigger. The two red buttons are emergency stop for the engines. The upper black button is for the horn while the lower black button turns the second helm pump on/off.

The square meter adjacent to the buttons controls the NAIAD stabilizer system. Upper right not shown here but in the preceding photo is the windlass control. Across the aft vertical face are the VHF radio on the left, emergency steering lever on the right. AIS control head is in the middle.

Above: in a tight situation, where time is of the essence, if anything goes wrong with the auto pilot one button push and you are in direct control of the hydraulic pump that steers the boat.

The starboard vertical side has the Matrix deck interior light switches and dimmers. The three trackballs (in storage mode here held in place with Velcro) are used with the video cameras, N2K when presented on a big screen, and in some situations with the SIMRAD gear. The port side has a series of circuit breakers for nav gear in this area.

Eliminating the traditional navigation desk previously installed, and mounting the monitors low made it possible to lower the height of the helm chairs, while maintaining good sight lines forward in close to the bow.

Geometry of the console works really well when one is seated, yet is still high enough to be easily used when standing. And just in case we decide we want it higher or lower, the angle and height can be changed without too much effort.

And now we get to a critical reason for this post. All major integrated navigation systems depend on opening, adjusting and moving between windows to get the most out of their systems. For example, if you have made changes to your chart scale and want to adjust range on the radar, two or three key strokes or button pushes are typically required before you have exited from the charting program and gotten into the radar. This works fine offshore and in benign situations, when time is not a pressure factor. But as your operating space tightens and stress is added to the equation, those extra key strokes required to change windows can lead to problems.

This is why prior to Cochise we avoided integrated electronics systems, opting instead for dedicated stand-alone electronic components. Along with other benefits, this “a la carte” method got rid of window switching issues.

But when Simrad introduced their OP50 controller (above), a lot of things became possible. Cochise had been launched with a SIMRAD system based on a their NSO2 CPU. A feature of this blackbox was twin processor cards–effectively two CPUs in one black box, each driving its own screen, and controllable by the OP40 remote. By adding a second NSO2 processor there were now four CPUs. Marrying these with four dedicated OP50 controllers and four separate screens created an operational environment that was simpler, much quicker to learn, and less subject to errors.

Each critical nav system could have its own screen and its own controller, eliminating the extra operations previously necessary when we wanted to modify displayed data.

If the radar is on the touch screen (screen #1) and we want to change range we need only to turn the control knob on OP50#1. With the chart on screen #2, changing range again is just a twist of OP50#2’s control knob. Previously we’d have to first switch from the radar window to the chart window, and then one or more additional operations could be required depending on what was happening. The f our OP50s can be reached from either helm chair

Sitting comfortably at my land desk, with a three-screen iMac Pro in front of me and a PC with engineering software to my right, operating with five or more programs open at once, switching between windows seems so simple. One would think that a conventional integrated nav system, such as we started out with, would be no big deal. And that is is often the case.

But I can assure you that when the weather and sea combine to make things difficult, when there is risk to vessel and crew, when you are not 100% certain of your position or the next move, the extra key strokes do make a big difference. And when your fingers hit the wrong key and you are momentarily lost, you then have a conflict between the focus required to get back to the right nav data, or keeping your senses tuned to what’s happening outside. This new approach eliminates most of those issues.

Now for a moment of candor. If this were 20 years ago and our physical capabilities were at a higher level, we would be less concerned. Our innate sea sense and finely-tuned situational awareness would go a long way toward keeping us out of trouble. This new approach is a way of compensating for the aging process. It allows us to operate a vessel as large as Cochise on our own, in difficult conditions, which would otherwise not be prudent.

We do not like being dependent on this electronic wizardry, but we prefer it to the alternative of cruising in less invigorating environments.

Finally, a few words on the N2K data system:

It begins with these dedicated Maretron N2K screens. You have a choice of up to 16 pages of data with a few buttons pushed with each device. However, in reality we’ve found that six small screens mounted at the top of the console give us sufficient data space to have the most critical info in front of us at all times. The Maretron N2K data system is separate from and independent of the other systems.

These six screens have lived at various locations on the Matrix deck. We like them best as shown, where they are just under our normal field of view.

There are additional screens at the lower helm, master control panel, in the engine room, and at the lower portable helm station.

When we are on soundings, and on occasion offshore, all four of the big screens on the Matrix deck are being used for navigation and video, so we have a series of special N2K View pages which we bring up on the various tablets. The photo above shows the diesels working hard in 30 knots of breeze on the nose, while losing .75 knots to adverse current. There are times when two or more tablets are in use.

We have some really cool tools these days, and with these changes they are more reliable and a whole bunch more fun.

Linda and Steve Dashew’s four books now available as a free PDF download.

We have been blessed with the support of the cruising community for many years, and we’d like to return the favor in a small way. We are making Mariner’s Weather Handbook, Surviving the Storm, Practical Seamanship and Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia available for free as PDF files. We hope Mariner’s Weather Handbook helps you avoid the need for Surviving the Storm, and that Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia and Practical Seamanship enhance your tools for successful cruising. If these books help a few of our fellow cruisers have a more enjoyable experience, and perhaps stay out of difficulty, we will have been amply repaid. Simply click on the links below to download these publications.

Mariner’s Weather Handbook

Surviving the Storm

Practical Seamanship

Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia

This wonderful video is the work of  Simon Lucas, a talented film-maker whose biography is below.

Simon Lucas–Captain, Director, Zoologist, Explorer

Simon is inspired by a life time of living and working in the outdoors.He grew up in Northern New Zealand, exploring the Hauraki Gulf, and went on to studying Zoology and Wildlife Management.

Simon is a self taught editor / director / videographer. His debut documentary, “Paddle for theNorth”, went on to win six awards and has been translated into 5 languages. This included the Bronze Award at the New York Film and TV Awards and the Best Film at the New Zealand Mountain Film Festival. The film follows six mates and 2 dogs on a 1500km canoe trip through Canada and Alaska in a bid to save one of the worlds largest intact watersheds from mining and development, The Peel Watershed.

Simon went on to edit / direct / produce a short Film, “Mt Scott” which followed four young New Zealanders in an attempt to summit an Antarctic mountain. This collaboration with the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust aimed to inspire young explorers to enjoy the outdoors and nurture a passion for Antarctica. Since then Simon has begun a marine career on expedition yachts and worked as the Captain /Engineer and Videographer onboard the charter vessel Grey Wolf. 

FPB 78-2 Grey Wolf is the only FPB available for charter. For more info click here.

Wait, there’s more on Antarctica below…..

The January issue of Motor Boats and Yachting (in the UK) has a wonderful feature article by Pete Rossin taking the reader along with the two FPB 78s through Antarctica.

Join Linda and Steve Dashew aboard the FPB 78 – 1 Cochise on a 7500 mile/12,070 kilometer record setting voyage,averaging 10 knots from Fiji to Panama against the winds and current, that has changed the prospects of cruising forever. Their 5450 mile/8770 kilometer leg, without a fuel stop, is the longest ever undertaken by a small motor yacht. You will be aboard as they thread their way through some of the most beautiful and navigationally dangerous waters on this planet. The Dashews will show you how they deal with severe thunder squalls, use modern navigation electronics, and catch fish on a state of the art meat line. You will hear stories of their past visits through the South Pacific, make a brief stop at exquisite Fatu Hiva, and learn how they do all of this in extreme comfort.

Click here to visit “The Way Back” on the  Dashew Offshore YouTube Channel

Although we have never been hit with lightning, it is one of the few things about which we worry when at sea, in particular with modern yachts. Hence this new vide0.If the subject of lighting is of interest to you, click here for the new video.

We have a detailed post about lightning that you can read here.

Fast forward to 2020 and we can add a few updates to the data above and below.

To begin with our main concern in a post hit recovery are the propulsion, steering, and navigation systems. When we were investigating the use of computer controlled engines early in the FPB program we discussed the subject of lightning vulnerability with tech and service personnel from John Deere and Mathers controls (a division of ZF). The incidence of problems from Deere was very low. And the decision was made to not carry more than an ordinary set of spares, in itself extensive. This included a set of all electronic sensors and an engine CPU.

Mather’s Controls had a less satisfactory answer. Their suggestion was a complete replacement post hit, as experience had proven it was difficult to ferret out all of the problems in one go. As a result we developed a direct emergency shift and throttle system which is normally left disconnected. There are no integrated circuits except for a throttle voltage power source which is supplied by Deere, and hopefully sufficiently resistant to EMPs from nearby lightning or a direct hit somewhere on the FPB 78.

For steering we have our direct to pump set controls which override the autopilot. These use old fashioned iron wound solenoids for controlling the hydraulic steering pumps. If there should a failure of some sort in the hydraulic system the emergency tiller with relieving tackles could be used.

We also have the construction with a metal hull and superstructure going for us, which provides additional protection compared to fiberglass.

Lets hope that this continues to be a subject which we study from a distance!

Below is a related section from Offshore Cruising Encyclopedia

This is the third video in Steve Dashew’s series on his search for the perfect cruising yacht.

Using spectacular video and still photography Steve Dashew explains how yacht design impacts comfort and safety when heading into the waves. Learn the ultimate storm tactic when you’ve run out of other options, and experience the evolution of Dashew’s wave piercing FPB cruising yacht hulls. Steve teaches of a few simple things you can do to significantly improve your sailing performance to windward. If you are dreaming about, planning for, or already crossing oceans you will want to watch this video to the end.

Click here to experience this spectacular video.

When we did our posts on the Wicked FPB 97 we were unable to take you for a tour of the interior due to privacy concerns for the owners.  That has now changed and Sue Grant, the managing director of Berthons International has done a wonderful interior and exterior tour.

Click here to see Sue Grant’s video. Sue has really done a remarkable job with this tour.