David "Toots" Dunigan 3/28/1948 - 1/31/2023

Strother Scott on Friday February 3, 2023 12:32PM

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Some of you will remember Toots, who worked on Albemarle Pippin at FBYC from 1983-1994, and was beloved by many of us.
David John Dunigan III, 74, Annapolis yacht captain, photographer, film maker and noted yachtsman, died Jan 31 aboard his yacht "Kingfish" at Annapolis of natural causes.

Eldest son in a renowned Annapolis sailing family. (His father David J. Dunigan Jr was Star class champion at the Gibson Island Yacht Squadron.) David Dunigan is best known for his photography work with several magazines, including the local "Spin Sheet" and for his films recording sailing fleets up and down the East Coast and as far afield as Cuba. On film he helped record many of the racing activities of local sailing and yacht clubs in association with Bruce Nairn, the founder of T2PTV, the premier Annapolis Sailing Television Channel.

Born in Washington D.C, he graduated from Mercersburg Academy and attended the University of Colorado. After spending his early adult years in San Francisco, he returned to the Chesapeake Bay area splitting time between Annapolis, MD and Deltaville, VA.

David Dunigan's sea-bound career includes a period as an instructor at St. Mary's College where he ran the school's ocean sailing program. He was an active ocean racing participant with yachts in the fleets of the New York Yacht Club and the Annapolis Yacht Club, was a member of the Storm Trysail Club of Larchmont, NY, and for many years was captain of the Fishing Bay YC's "Albemarle Pippin “and “Fatal Attraction”, familiar Chesapeake Bay and East Coast racing competitors.

Dunigan's knowledge of a wide range of boat types, sail trim technique and expertise, gained over thousands of miles of ocean sailing and two trans-Atlantic voyages, made him a "go to" man for many owners of ocean racing yachts. As a yacht delivery captain, he was the founder and president of "On Time, Every Time" a local yacht delivery service which moved yachts large and small up and down the east coast year around.

He is Survived by his mother Virginia Bell, his brothers George, Bruce, Peter Dunigan and his sister Ginna Quinn, Nephews Zack, Peter, Foster, and Jack Dunigan and his niece, Caroline Dunigan and Great Nephews Ryder, Tilghman, and Ridgely Dunigan.

There is a memorial gathering today, Friday, February 3rd at the Boat Yard Bar and Grill in Eastport at 1600 hours..  All are invited to hoist a glass to Dave.

Service details will be posted, once arrangements are finalized.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CRAB (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating) at www.crabsailing.org

Fishing Bay Yacht Club
Office Mail: Fishing Bay Yacht Club, 2711 Buford Road #309, Bon Air, 23235,
Clubhouse Address: 1525 Fishing Bay Road, Deltaville, VA 23043 (no mail delivery)

Phone Numbers: Club House 804-776-9636

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