thompsondockside.com

Hi guys I'm new to the wooden boat world and need some advice. I recently got a 1963 Thompson 16' wooden lasptrake boat. This boat has been out of the water for about ten years (stored inside). The haul is in real good condition.
I put it in the water for about half an hour and there was one small leak where the paint had been chipped off. The paint is real chalky on the bottom. I sanded it off with very little work down to the gray primer. The paint on the sides are a lot harder to sand and I have just scuff sanded it.
The boat will be used in fresh water and will be trailered each time it is used. My questions are which type of paint to use for the bottom and which type for the sides? I looked at paint from my local boating store and they did not instill a lot of confidence. So what should I use? Thanks

Welcome aboard and congrats on joining the "Thompson" family!

First off, you MUST do a very careful check of all the structural components of the boat - and do this long before checking on paint and other finishing products.

Take the floor boards up and get a sharp ice pick or screw driver or pocket knife and prob the wood. Be careful. Check all the ribs, the keelson, the sister keelsons (stringers), transom, floor supports, plywood planking, etc...

If you found an old aeroplane in a shed that had been sitting for a decade would you just inflate the tires, give her a coat of paint and then take your family for a ride??? Why would anyone do something similar with a boat??? No, you'd first off carefully check the structural integrity and make necessary replairs or replacemnts. Then and only then would you get into refinishing.

Get a copy of the "Thompson Dockside" newsletter that featured "leaky lapstrakes" and how to address repairs.

As to your paint questions...is there an antifouling paint on the bottom like copper bronze? If yes, use something similar. Or is the entire hull painted the same colour? If she's all the same colour, it probably does not have antifouling bottom paint. Use any good quality marine paint. Pettit, Interlux, and George Kirby are several brands.

Have you verified the make, model, and year of the boat via the hull ID and serial number tag data?

Andreas