thompsondockside.com

Thank you, Andreas. Good to see you're still here. It's been a few years since I posted... I've been scrupulously trying to avoid Facebook. That's where all the Thompson restoration discussion is these days? Is there an archived thread in Restoration that covers ribs and bottom and keelson in one pl...

So I finally figured out why I could never find the serial number on the transom of my '67 offshore from Peshtigo - the transom had been replaced thirty or so years ago. It's bowing out now because this replacement transom was not sufficiently thick for the engine it was carrying. And some of the st...

Andreas, if I'm having a problem finding marine grade Fir plywood, is substituting either ash or birch acceptable for use below the waterline? My plywood choices from Condon in White Plains NY http://www.condonlumber.net/index.htm are: MARINE (Exterior) PLYWOODS ASH, WHITE A/1 BIRCH A/1 Sound Lauan ...

Here's an inline picture of the transom with the "questionable" items highlighted in red. Also note the sister keelson itself has been "sistered" (at very bottom of image). And the aft-most two ribs don't line up port to startboard. George http://i1089.photobucket.com/albums/i357...

Karl, are those keel screws the ones that are supposed to be silicon bronze? Try Jamestown Distributors http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/ I switched to them when it became difficult to find specialty fasteners locally. Do they make a silicon bronze carriage bolt or does plain bronze do fine ther...

Thank you, Andreas, Karl, and Phil! That's what I thought (terminology-wise) but everybody kept telling me those were the sister keelsons bolted to each side of the keel for a three-thick backbone. Now I know what to call them so as not to confuse you. The boat sat on a trailer for too long. The kee...

OK, thank you for the reference, Karl. Keel and sister keelsons I got. What I was talking about was the plywood attached along the bottom interior of the transom. Because it was painted white along with the bottom, maybe it wasn't as obvious from the picture as I thought. So I posted another copy of...

Interior shot of hull at transom - keel butt. Is the beam-wise doubler along the bottom of the transom original? (That second doubler from the keel to the first starboard stringer definitely is a repair.) Notice also how the aft two ribs on the starboard side don't line up. The bilge paint (instead ...

Hi Andreas! I was just checking to see if you had posted any updates on your cabin cruiser project. I've got the interior of my 1966 20'+ Off-Shore Cabin Cruiser out and discovered that I've got a lot more work to do than I had planned - the transom is going to have to be replaced in addition to man...

Jim, you only need a couple of inches of solid rib. If the rib will support pressure from a 2x4 block without crumbling, then hull jacking will work and you can use the hull to help form your new ribs. Just locate which ribs over the worst dents in the hull, put a 2x4 piece across three (or more) ri...

Jim, how much of the hull is left? A fast way to get rid of the hog and concave bottom is the Wade Strong "hull-jacking" method. Basically, apply hydraulic jacks inside the hull to jack out the ribs back to fair. (Just search the Forum for details.) I'd fair the hull first and then start r...

Andreas, what does your database show for "Thompson Bros. boat mfg. co. Peshtigo, Wis. serial no 27821"? The bill of sale lists it as a "1966 cabin cruiser."

Said bill lists the hull price as $2,545.

George

Does anyone go to the trouble of pulling up the floorboards and cleaning out the hull before winter storage, paying special attention to the gap between the ribs and the lapstrakes? If you're really intent on cleaning up those gaps, would you use A) garden hose B) pressure washer C) shop air + shop ...

So Andreas, what's your preferred method for locating leaks along the lapstrake seams? The keel leeks are easy since just a little water inside the boat shows them - the keel is the lowest part of the bilge. For the laps, do I let it dry out completely and then use the garden hose inside the hull (w...

Was the last wooden boat circa 1968? So I wasn't too far off... Was "Vollrath" the window manufacturer or were they just supplying aluminum parts to Thompson? Their name is stamped on the arm bracket. I'm wondering if there's any way short of dismantling the window and sending Wefco the wi...