Seats for 1962 Thompson Sea Coaster restoration

Jocas · Post by **Jocas** » Sat May 30, 2009 6:20 pm

Seeking plans or dimensions (or actual seats!) for all the seating on a 1962 Sea Coaster for our restoration. We have one piece of one of the front seats, it is only the top of the back to back, the rest of the seats came up missing from storage while I was deployed. I have the factory brochure with some pictures but don't do very well without specifics. We finally have the time to take all the parts we have managed to collect to complete the restoration and hope to go to the lake with it by end of summer! Thanks!

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 2:07 am

Welcome aboard!

It would help to know which company built the boat and at what location. There were two boat builders with the Thompson name in 1962 and both had a Sea Coaster model.

Have you verified the year via the hull ID and the serial number?

There were two seating versions of the Sea Coaster made by Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. of Peshtigo, WI in 1962.

Andreas

Dan Wolf · Post by **Dan Wolf** » Mon Jun 01, 2009 1:46 pm

Jocas, I have a '61 Sea Coaster, I can try to send some pics and I can definitly get you some dimensions, that is if our boats are compatable. Dan

Jocas · Post by **Jocas** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 3:38 pm

I did verify the year as I was told it was a '57 when I bought it! I believe it was Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. of Peshtigo, WI, that is the catalog my husband recieved when he did research on the serial number we found in the stern. From what I can remember of the seats, there were 2 back to back in the front and 2 at the rear facing the bow. I don't know if they were original or not, they were made of plywood painted blue with white vinyl, the 2 back ones were on side hinges so they folded up I think. I only have one of the back to back uprights left. If there are two configurations I will be lost!

I have posted pictures at: http://s660.photobucket.com/albums/uu32 ... 20Coaster/

I will post pictures of what we have done so far in the near future. As soon as I am home from deployment we are going to get to work on it again! In the meantime I am collecting information and parts, when and if available.

Phill Blank · Post by **Phill Blank** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 4:22 pm

Jocas,

Looks like a nice project.

One thing I noticed is that the new trailer in your pictures appears to have rollers on which the boat sits. These need to be changed out to solid bunks. Rollers will in time cause the hull to have dips at each roller which is not good at all. The bunks need to run the length of the flat portion of the hull and need to extend past the transom. Rollers along the keel are ok as long as the majority of the weight is carried by the bunks. Once the boat is located properly on the trailer you should be able to turn the keel roller with some effort by hand.

Roller trailer are fine for fiberglass or aluminum hulls but not wood.

Good Luck with your restoration.

Phill

txcaptdan · Post by **txcaptdan** » Thu Jun 04, 2009 5:44 pm

The dash and seats are an early 60s style as is the shape of the bow. That would be my guess. I don't believe that vinyl was put on 57 era boats dashes.

Jocas · Post by **Jocas** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 9:51 am

Thanks for all the tips!

We do not have the boat on the trailer at the moment, it is upside down on saw horses as my husband is sanding the bottom to paint it white. We will be changing the rollers out on the trailer before reseating the boat, I don't want any dings in the wood after we are done!

Anything on what the seats should be like would be greatly appreciated, I have added my personal email to this post if anyone has files or pictures they could send me.

I also have the frame for a shade, any suggestions on what color or where to get period (or replication) vinyl for this and the seats? I am in San Diego at the moment and will be back home to help with the restore late July, I want to finish it this summer and go boating!

Jocas (and Iffy)
jocas62@hotmail.com
760-377-7027

LancerBoy · Post by **LancerBoy** » Tue Jun 09, 2009 2:58 pm

She definitely is NOT a 1957 model year boat. The hull shape, padded upholstered dashboard, and covering boards say to me 1963 or newer. She does look like a boat made by Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. at Peshtigo, WI.

The hull ID and serial number are needed to determine the year. The hull ID is stamped into the wood of the transom inside the boat. The serial number is on a small rectangular metal plate. The hull ID and serial number are different. BOTH are needed to verify the year.

If you want to be accurate with the seating, the year of the boat is required. There typicalaly were two different versions of the Sea Coaster. And it was the seating that was the only difference.

Brochures from Thompson Boat et.al. with pictures of the boats can be purchased on a CD-ROM at www.wcha.org and www.dragonflycanoe.com

Andreas

John Hart · Post by **John Hart** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 12:39 pm

I am not sure how soon you will be painting the hull, but just in case you were going to do it soon, I would suggest a couple of things.

1) Make sure you know what, if any wood will need to be replaced/addressed on the inside, before doing too much on the outside.

2) When you do get to the hull, I suggest a heavy application of Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer... then another three or four days later.

3) After about 24 hrs of that application you can prime the hull with a good primer... I used Smith's High Build Epoxy Primer, which is considered a barrier coat... I applied four coats on all planks from spray rail to spray rail

4) My preference for a topcoat is Kirby semigloss... (I also used Kirby white primer above the water line.

I have a 1960 Seacoaster... it has a full wood seat in the front and a bench a little aft of that....

John.

johnpthompson · Post by **johnpthompson** » Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:47 pm

Jocas,

I have "bunk" seats from a 1962 Thompson Sea coaster (Peshtigo) that I had recovered. I can measure these for you. However, you will want to be sure that is what you had in this boat.

John Thompson