thompsondockside.com

Hi everyone!

I have a 63 Seacoaster that is up-side down in my garage for total stripping and painting. I removed the outer keel on Saturday, I did not realize it was made with one by two's stacked on top of each other. I have two questions.

1. If I want to replace them, ( they are not that bad of shape, but if there just 1"X2"s why not install new ), can I just purchase normal oak for doing this or do I need white oak for this?
2. The boards were stacked on top of each other, except the rear area from about 24" forward from the transom, there it was just a single piece. Would it hurt anything to bring the double boards all the way to the the rear. I don't know if they did this because of short shaft motors or if there is some other reason. I will be purchasing new stainless molding for the outer keel and it would be much easier installing with out taking the dip at the rear of the keel.

I hope I am making sense with my desciption. Thanks for the help.

Darrell

Hi, I have never seen a factory installed outer keel from Thompson Bros. Boat of Peshtigo made up of multiple layers of wood. The ones I have seen have always been a single piece of solid wood. Laminating a new one is acceptable. Use adhesive that is compatible with the species. Resorcinol is the preffered type but it is not the easiest to work with for do it yourselfers.

Only use white oak which is all heartwood. Do NOT use red oak or sapwood white oak. Neither has any decay resistance.

I think they did stop the outer keel some ways back from the transom in boats built in the 1960s. This may have had something to do with cavitation of the propeller.

Andreas

Just went and looked at the outer keel I made for a 1965 Thompson Bros. 18' Sea Lancer that I recently restored. When I got the boat it did not have one. The previous owner took it off and destroyed it so I did not have a pattern. I did use the one from the 1957 Sea Lancer I own as a guide.

It is white oak solid lumber - all heartwood. 1 1/2" wide x 1" tall (these are actual dimensions). It tapers in width to match the stem at the front. I also tapered the depth starting about 18" from the transom from the 1" to about 3/8" right at the transom.

Andreas