thompsondockside.com

Is building a new Thompson or Cruisers that hard? I was looking a Lyman home page and saw pictures of a new 13' Lyman being built.

I always thought that a lapstrake boat was built on a jig with the steam bent ribs being the first step. Looking at the pictures seems like the lapstrakes where build first and then the ribs where placed in a completed "shell". Is this just Lyman or are Thompson/Cruisers built the same way.

Are both methods correct?

Has anyone ever duplicated a Thompson or cruisers using an existing boat as a pattern? Basically "restoring a boat with 100% new wood.

Does not seem impossible.

Thompson, Cruisers, Inc., T & T Boats, Grady-White lapstrake boats were all built over a form or jig. The hull was built upside down. Keelson, stringers, and inner stem were put in the jig first. Then came the steam bent ribs. Transom was fitted at some point. Next the planking was placed on the form and screw fastend to the ribs. The "hull" was removed from the form and the machine bolts attaching planking to each other were installed.

The July-September 2007 "Thompson Dockside" newsletter had an article by Bob Jasch describing the process.

I also have a series of black and white pictures showing the process at the Peshtigo operation.

I am not aware of anyone trying to dupicate one of these hulls. When Minnetonka Boat Works of Wayzata, MN wanted to get into building lapstrake outboard boats, they bought a Thompson. A couple of guys were instructed to study it, take it apart and use it to pattern a boat for Minnetonka Boat Works. I guess this was one example of using a Thompson to make a new boat. This was told to me by one of the guys that did this at Mtka Boat Works.

Andreas