thompsondockside.com

Greetings, Thompson boat people.

Pardon me for posting here but I cannot find a similar forum for Chetek boats. I've recently aquired a 16' lapstrake Chetek with a 60 H.P. Flying Scott. The engine number indicates it is a 1959 model. The boat has not been registered since 1979 and no model year for the boat is listed on the registration. I've found the numbers, "289 59" stamped into the inside of the port side near the transom.

I'm hopeful that one of you may know something about Chetek Boats or at least where I can go to get information. It's a nice, solid boat that begs to be put back in the water.

Thanks for any help,

John

Welcome. There is no website or group devoted to Chetek Boats as far as I know.

Check out an article about Chetek Boat history at www.acbs-bslol.com. I can't direct you to where it is located at that sitre, but it is there.

Is this a boat that was listed on ebay recently? I saw a molded veneer boat listed as a Chetek on ebay. I am 99% certain it was NOT a Chetek.

Chetek started making plywood lapstrake boats circa 1958, switching from cedar strip built hulls.

Andreas

Andreas,

No, not the Ebay boat. We exchanged emails a couple of weeks back when I was trying to I.D. the boat I'd bought at an auction. We thought it might be a Cruisers. Then I got the bright idea to ask the DNR what make was listed on the last (1978) registration. They said it was a "CHET". Got to be their abreviation for Chetek.

I did see the history page you directed me to.

Still hopeful someone runs across something else about Chetek boats they'll pass along.

Thanks,
John

Andreas, I contacted Loren Horton, the gentelman you quoted as a source for the article on Chetek Boat Company. He helped me I.D. my boat as a Chetek Duchess 171 built in 1959. He's pretty sure he built the windshield on my boat!

John

Excellent news. Loren was very helpful to me when I was researching the Chetek Boat history article.

Andreas

Vernonfarmer & Andreas,

Nice to hear there are still a few Chetek boats out there! Please post a pic when you can.

This 17' Chetek is my winter project. It's been continually maintained, so mostly just some trim and varnish work. This cuddy cabin style of boat, like similar Cruiser's and Thompsons, were very popular on the Mississippi River here in the Midwest when I was a boy. My father says the Thompsons were actually better built. This Chetek originally had brass screws attaching the lapstrake to the ribs, which would loosen over the years. Similar Thompsons as he recalls used brass bolts that went clear through the ribs. During a winter maintenance years ago many of the screws were replaced with brass bolts, so no chance to take the boat back to "factory" condition.

This Chetek is a '60 or '61 model I believe. Never seen another like it, so I hope to someday learn more about it.

Anyway, hope you guys don't mind another non-Thompson post.

NFH500

nfh500,

Very nice! Tell me, are the spray rails on your boat painted or stained/varnished? I have information that they were either maroon or brown. This indicates paint but the "brown" could have been stain and varnish. My '59 Duchess utility has the spray rails painted white but I'd like to go as close to original as possible. You can send email directly to:
baas@milwpc.com

John

Oh...Is that a Vollrath steering wheel? I can't figure out how to send a pix of my boat but it has the VERY cool "one spoke" vollrath wheel.

john

Very nice Chetet boat!

I have an ad from the May 1960 issue of BOATS magazine announcing Chetek Boat Corp's introduction of their first cabin cruiser, the "Countess" model. The ad says "...Chetek's all-screw fastened lapstrake hull..."

I also have two single sheet flyers on other models. They show the exact same hullside logo and paint scheme at the shearstrake. I would guess these are from circa 1960.

Andreas

This is an on-line discussion forum called Dockside Views.

This is your forum covering any subject you would like to discuss--
as it pertains to Thompson, Cruisers, T & T, Thompson by ChrisCraft and Grady White boats and accessories.

What this is NOT--
A Classified Ad Section. If you want to buy or sell, please check out The Boathouse.

Just an update. My 17' Chetek Dutches is ready for stain and varnish. Someone painted the bottom a contrasting color. I've since learned that the bottom was white as was the rest of the hull as was Neal's cuddy. Should be ready to get 'er wet for the Geneva Lake show this year.

John[/img]

Here's my '59 Chetek with 7 new coats of varnish on top of fresh stain. Interior still under construction.

John