New Thompson Owner

You inherited your uncle's Thompson and now you want to know more about it.

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THE LAKE
Posts: 95
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:41 pm
Location: Sebago Lake Maine

Post by THE LAKE »

Maybe this is a dumb suggestion but it would seem I'm not the only one who hasn't been able to locate the hull numbers on his boat. How about one of you who has posting a picture of them from a perspective that might help us locate ours ? I am very frustrated by this as I've gone to great lengths based on all the info the folks on this site have given me to find mine and still I haven't located them.

Brian
I'd have a boat and a Harley even if there were no water or roads in the world.
89 MACH I MV1900CC
62 Cruiser's Inc 302V Commander (under restoration) 67 Johnson 100hp Golden Meteor (running like new)
Bill Dunn
Posts: 95
Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 7:34 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Post by Bill Dunn »

This may be a silly question, but has any or all of the transom been replaced at any time?
Bill
All Dunn ll
'59 Sea Lancer
LancerBoy
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am
Location: Minneapolis

Post by LancerBoy »

OK, here are some pictures of hull IDs. Remember, these are INSIDE the boat, on the transom, starboard side:

1958 Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. Peshtigo Off Shore serial number plate:
Image

The following is a bad example. 1958 Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. Peshtigo Off-Shore. This is NOT a hull ID given to the boat by the manufacturer. This is a state of Washington assigned ID. It has NOTHING to do with the boat or boat manufacturer:
Image

1961 Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. Peshtigo Sea Lancer:
Image

1955 Cruisers, Inc. upside down:
Image

1964 T & T Boats, Inc. Ripple upside down:
Image

Andreas
Ken Butti
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Location: Lacey (Olympia), WA

Post by Ken Butti »

I looked all over the transom yesterday and couldn't find any hull number. I do have the "serial number plate" like the example you showed for the 1958 Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co. Off Shore. Mine is located inside on the rear starboard rail. Could that be it? Could it have been moved?
http://s1136.photobucket.com/albums/n49 ... N28444.jpg
Ken Butti
1969 Peshtigo-Built Sea Lancer
Lacey, WA
LancerBoy
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am
Location: Minneapolis

Post by LancerBoy »

Yes, I recall seeing your serial number on that tag. That's how I came up with 1967 or 1968 as the model year. Your's is the highest serial number in my database.

One cannot move the hull ID. It is stamped into the wood. It could be sanded off but I think that would be obvious to see.

Maybe your boat did not get a hull ID. Late 1966 thru 1970 was a major transition at Thompson. They had a new owner, they were operating under bankruptcy protection, many of the old time workers were not rehired as more workers were needed - Padek was bringing in new folk (probably lower pay than veteran workers), etc... So maybe it was over looked???? Or maybe they ceased putting hull IDs on the boats after a certain point and only used the serial number??? Who knows.

I never could figure out why the hull ID and serail number were different on Peshtigo built boats. It made no sense to me. Pete Thomspon was asked and he did not know. That's just that way it was done!

Andreas
Ken Butti
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Location: Lacey (Olympia), WA

Post by Ken Butti »

Andreas-

Actually, your explanation makes more sense to me than a case where I'm just not seeing a hull number. It was driving me crazy! I spoke to the P.O. today and asked him about it. He said he never saw any hull number stamped in the transom. Between his and your explanation, I feel much better about it. I'll just chalk it up to trying times at Thompson Bros., and let it go at that. Time to move on to bigger endeavors.
Ken Butti
1969 Peshtigo-Built Sea Lancer
Lacey, WA
Ken Butti
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Location: Lacey (Olympia), WA

Post by Ken Butti »

I was curious: What denotes a "Super" Lancer vs. a Sea Lancer? Most, if not all the Sea Lancer photos I have seen have an outboard. The only Super Lancer photo I've seen has an I/O like mine.
Ken Butti
1969 Peshtigo-Built Sea Lancer
Lacey, WA
LancerBoy
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am
Location: Minneapolis

Post by LancerBoy »

Super Lancer was a different model than Sea Lancer. The Super Lancer was larger than the Sea Lancer. Both came in outboards or inboard/outboard versions.

Super Lancer was first introduced in the 1963 model year.

Andreas
THE LAKE
Posts: 95
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 2:41 pm
Location: Sebago Lake Maine

Post by THE LAKE »

LancerBoy wrote:
I never could figure out why the hull ID and serail number were different on Peshtigo built boats. It made no sense to me. Pete Thomspon was asked and he did not know. That's just that way it was done!

Andreas
Was there ever a situation where the same hull was used for different models. My point being the hull number identified a specific hull design whereas the serial number identified the entire boat. Seems I read somewhere once that the Aircraft Carriers built during WWII had the same hull as the Iowa Class Battleships below the main deck (which is not the flight deck)

Brian
I'd have a boat and a Harley even if there were no water or roads in the world.
89 MACH I MV1900CC
62 Cruiser's Inc 302V Commander (under restoration) 67 Johnson 100hp Golden Meteor (running like new)
LancerBoy
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am
Location: Minneapolis

Post by LancerBoy »

Yes, several models were often made on the exact same hull. In the strip-built hull days of Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co., there could be 5 or more models using the same hull. Seating, deck, trim would be the differences between models. The 14-55 hull was used for many, many models, as an example.

In the lapstrakes of the 1950s and 1960s Thompson of Peshtigo had several versions of models that used the same hull. For example: Sea Coaster 473, Sea Caoster 475 and Thomboy 477 all were made on the exact same hull.

Same at Cruisers, Inc. They had a 100 and 102 or 200 and 202 versions of the Mariner and Seafarer, respectively.

On Peshtigo built boats, the hull ID gave the model year, number of boats in sequence in that model year and the codes for the leadmen in the factory that were in charge of that particular boat. There is nothing about model in the hull ID.

For example, hull ID: A11524X
A = builder (it was Bill Luedtke)
1 = last digit of model year = 1961 in this case (determined from serial number, dimensions, hull shape, seating, details...)
1524 = 1,524th boat of all models made that model year
X = trimmer (don't know who had this code)

In the above example, the model year "1" could indicate 1951 or 1961. Many items are necessary to narrow down the correct year.
This same boat has serial number 20787.
This was a boat listed on eBay in 2006 at Munster, Indiana.

I do not beleive there ever was anything about model in hull IDs for boats made by Cruisers, Inc. or T & T Boats, Inc. or Thompson Boat Company of New York, Inc.

Andreas
Ken Butti
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Location: Lacey (Olympia), WA

Post by Ken Butti »

Man, I would love to find a hull number on my boat! I'll keep looking.

Thanks to all of you for all the great information you have been sharing. It means a lot to us first-timers.
Ken Butti
1969 Peshtigo-Built Sea Lancer
Lacey, WA
Ken Butti
Posts: 35
Joined: Sat Oct 30, 2010 6:26 pm
Location: Lacey (Olympia), WA

Post by Ken Butti »

Well, I got my brochure CD from WCHA today and tried to look up my 1970 (on the registration) Sea Lancer. Since no wood baots are listed in the 1970 brochure, I went to 1969. I can't seem to match my boat up with the specs in the brochure, based on my OBC plate info. My OBC plate lists a max HP of 125, and a max weight of 2,810 lbs. The max HP matches that of a outboard Sea Lancer, though mine has a Mercruiser I/O. Maybe my boat got converted to an I/O later in life, and that's why I can't find a hull number on the transom. Who knows.

Also, the color shown in the brochure looks like baby-poop yellow! And the deck and rail are covered in vinyl! Those are two aspects of originality that I probably will choose to ignore. I do like the idea of a copper-colored bottom paint. It that still available?
Ken Butti
1969 Peshtigo-Built Sea Lancer
Lacey, WA
brian62
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:25 am
Location: Hoosickfalls NY

New sealancer owner

Post by brian62 »

Greetings One and all,I just purchased what is registered as a 1962.After reading some of the other posts on this site im not so sure it is a 62.I also think it may be a sealancer custom.Heres all the info i have at this time;Hull id on transome reads,Thompson boat company of NY Cortland 56111.It also has a PA.fish and game metal tag next to the steering wheel wich gives the same id 56111.The boat is in need of some repairs wich makes you all my new best friends .I have next to no carpentry skills but i do have a friend that is a carpenter that is willing to help.The boat must have sat on a trailer for a long time out side as it has a soft spot on the keel where the roller on the trailer was.The plywood in that area is also a little rotted.The upper deck needs new plywood and the framing for the floor needs replacing as well as the floor.I saved all the old wood to use as patterns.The ribs all seem solid as well as the whole transome area.all other wood seems real solid.The first 2 ribs under the windshield area on both sides are not touching the plywood but are nailed to the stem,so im to sure whats going on there.Any how i'll have a ton of questions as i get into this and i sure do look forward to any help i can get.Thanks for any info on the proper id of this boat.Brian Jenkins Hoosickfalls NY
LancerBoy
Posts: 1417
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2008 3:47 am
Location: Minneapolis

Post by LancerBoy »

She's a 1960 Sea Lancer Deluxe that was shipped on 29 December 1959 to Charleys Marine in Dumont, NY with a factory installed folding top.

Andreas
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