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My 1960 SeaCoaster has been sitting on it's original trailer for years, causing a depression on either side of the keel where the boat rested on the front trailer beds. Anyone have any similiar problem? Is this something I can repair or would it require professional help? If so, where might one take it? I live in the Milwaukee, WI area.

Having divets it the hull or humps can cause extreme problems in handling while underway thru the water. Even the slighest "hog" can cause major problems. There have been many posts on this issue on the previous forum here.

Andreas

Is there some way to access the old forum posts?
Jim

I inherited a 1960 something Thompson boat recently that has been stored outdoors for many years in Wisconsin. Looking it over, I noticed a serious slump in the hull where it rests on the rear trailer support. What would be the next step to straighten this one out? I have searched through the archives and found no similar situation with a solution attached.

Thank you for your time!

Karl

Not sure what you mean by "slump." Can you give a better, more complete description?

Thank you for your reply. The boat seems to have settled over the rear trailer bunker and created a depression along the 2x4 support. I am afraid that if I move the trailer the rear bunker will break through the bottom of the boat hull. I don't see any serious rot but it seems that the wood has warped over the bunker. Im sure it didn't help that it was stored for so many years outdoors with the motor on. The weight of the motor probably contributed to this.

Do I understand this correctly? There is NO support on the last few inches of the boat's length and that area has drooped down? That is a serious problem. Get the motor off. Re-support the boat hull properly with complete support under the transom. It could be possible that the fasteners from planking into ribs and transom are broke or pulled thru. Or tho fasteners into the stringers and keel are compromised.

Have you taken the floor boards up to see what's going on under there?

It might be posible to get the hull back into shape with some pressure applied in the opposite direction of the "slump." It might take many months of slight pressure being continually added.

Andreas

Thankfully not that serious.

The only area that is slumping is directly above the rear 2x4 trailer bunker that is supporting the boat lengthwise. The boat has "settled around that bunker. Imagine bending a ruler over your knee. I have not removed the floorboards for further inspection.
Thank you for your time.

Not to alarm you, but it sounds serious to me. If the boat has mushed into the trailer - that indicates to me that there is serious decay and/or broken framing and planking.

Yeah,
That was my first thought when looking at it. Hopeless! But, I have this terrible disease that makes me think anything can be fixed. Even people. Hoping that maybe it was just the wood warping under the pressure of the years. Well, Ill tear into it in a couple of weeks and let you know how it really is. Otherwise, I'll part it out and you will see 60's Thompson seacoaster parts in the boathouse.

Thank you for your time!

Karl

Karl, make sure that bunks go under and beyond transom, this should allow you to see how much of a divit there is. weights can be set on the inside to press down, water jugs heavy bricks with bottom wet, but this takes a long time to correct.
If bottom wood is still solid and divit is fairly shallow you can use an epoxy filler to fare out surface and return it to flat. Sometimes shallow impressions will relax once boat has soaked a while ( read weeks here)
Good luck

Thanks for your advice! I was originally thinking to park it in the lily pads this summer with a couple 50 lb sandbags on the problem spot. First thought was that it was too simple of a solution or the weight couldn't make a bit of difference while the boat was afloat. Regardless, It is definately worth a try. Besides if I am going to get wood to bend it has got to be wet for a long time. Do you think I need to strip the paint off the area to maximize moisture retention?

Karl, A friend of mine has treated several Cruisers and Thompsons by removing them from trailers and setting them on a concrete surface then wetting and weighting down problem areas. He recently used a 55 gallon drum filled with water. Seems to be mixed results, I owned one of those boats that he cured a pretty good keel hook that way.
I don't know if weighting while in the water will make a difference.

Ill give that a try. I still have to find a place where I can hoist it off the trailer. Besides this is a boat that needs just about everything gone through. Ill let you know how it goes.

Thanks!