thompsondockside.com

I purchased my first wooden boat last month – although I had been looking for a Thompson, I had to settle for a 1958 Chris Craft Sportsman.

The previous owner pulled it out of the water several years ago to replace a couple of soft hull planks and refinish. Well he managed to strip the varnish and remove 50% of the interior, but that is where he lost interest. So I now enter the picture and besides trying to guess how it goes back together, I want to rework the entire boat, take it slow but do it right.

First I need to remove the engine - pull the boat off the trailer – roll it – and start on the bottom.

On several other forums, the Don Danenberg - CPES/3M 5200 bottom is “the word”. Everyone seems to divide into one of two camps: pure traditionalist (replace everything in kind) or the “Danenbergs”. When I have questioned the use of other sealants – I seem to be branded a heretic!

This is true for the Chris Craft sites and the general WoodenBoat and BoatDesign sites as well.

Now to my real question……
What do Thompson owners think about this subject? Is this really the BEST method to restore a wooden boat bottom (my boat has a plywood inner hull and planked outer hull)?

It is not that I haven’t “seen the light” – it is just that before I start spending money, investing hours and messing with the boat I want a reasonable faith that I am marching off in the right direction. I really don’t look forward to any “Do Overs”.

If I am not mistaken Chris Craft had 3M design 5200 for there use in boats way back when. Different types of construction require different methods of installation and repair . 5200 has its place ! It will cure stronger and faster if you put water on it. Use 5200 only on things that you do not want to remove any time in the future.Most of the time to remove 5200 you have to use monofilament or wire to actually cut it completly, you will not be able to pry up and edge and get it to pop off. it is simply too goey to do that. Some boats are built to seal by swelling the joints between the planks, if you put 5200 in there the joint cant swell the way it is supposed to because the 5200 is in between the joints, you have now changed the tolerances between the planks . The wood will move somewhere, whats this going to do to the boat?! A product that may be better suited to some tasks is 101 , also made by 3M. This is what I would use on a boat built like my Thompson which is not ment to seal by swelling but with fasteners and a small bit of goo~! Simply my pocket of change

As far as I know, what is now the 3M5200 was a procuct of Thiokol. I do not think it was developled at the request of Chris-Craft. It was used by CC in their lapstrake Sea Skiff boats.

Andreas

by the way, Smith's CPES and 3M 5200 are two different animals and shouldn't be considered similar products. They have totally different applications, functions, properties, etc...