thompsondockside.com

My husband and I recently bought a 1961 Thompson that is in incredible shape. The man who had it before babied it and took great care of this boat. It's absolutely beautiful. Every time we take it out, a small crowd develops and we hear stories about "when my dad had a boat like this..." and get tons of compliments on the condition it's in. The thing is, we have two very young children and now that they've been out in it a couple of times, I'm not so sure it's the right boat for them. They're sort of trapped in the front seat with nowhere else to go! We know we got a great deal but what are they selling for in this kind of shape?

Congrats on the boat. But why are the kids "trapped in the front seat"? What model do you have? Is there an open cockpit behind the front seat where the kids can romp? I would think with the high freeboard of most Thompson lapstrake boats that it would be quite safe and ideal for kids.

Prices are very subjective. Anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.

Andreas

Thanks for the quick reply! I'm not sure about the model (my husband would know) but it's 16 feet. We have the original paperwork and sales receipt from 1961. Hey, we even have the ORIGINAL Thompson flag! There are two seats behind the front seats but when we're driving it, obviously we can't let them run around the back. At first they enjoy being in the front with the windows open but they get bored very quickly. I thought maybe a more modern boat with more "entertainment" space would be better. Just thinking about it.[/img]

Sharon,

Do you have some pictures? Posting pictures to this bulletin board is convoluted. If you email them to me at the link below, I will post them for you.

I really want to see your boat.

Jim

Here is Sharon's boat. A beautiful Sea Coaster Special.

Thank you so much for posting those! The condition of the wood on this boat is amazing. You can see why we are so proud!

I see you have a Sea Coaster too!

Sharonbarraco wrote:... There are two seats behind the front seats but when we're driving it, obviously we can't let them run around the back. At first they enjoy being in the front with the windows open but they get bored very quickly. I thought maybe a more modern boat with more "entertainment" space would be better. Just thinking about it.

Sharon,

I have couple thoughts for keeping your boys entertained. You could tow a tube behind the boat - I think young boys are about the right size for gator trolling. Or try laying something on the floor behind the seats that the boys can play on (I was thinking of an inflatable mattress, but that might bounce them overboard).

Jim

She looks like a beauty!

Try tubing or wake boarding or water skiing to keep the kids entertained. Make up some games to keep them occupied (how mnay boats can they count, how many wooden boats to they see, how many fish, etc...). This is a great boat for family enjoyment in my opinion. And you certainly can't beat the style of the craft!

What is the serial number (on a small metal rectangular tag) and what is the hull ID (stamped into the wood of the transom, inside the boat)? These are two different codes.

I am keeping a database.

Andreas

First Class!

Was it a Katrina survivor?

Sharon:

Would you be able to send a picture or two of the back end of the boat, inside view around the motor area. I have a Coaster just like it that I will be re-building that some one else took apart, I am not sure what it is supposed to look like.

Thanks in advance.

I just saw pictures of this boat at the Madisonville (LA) Wooden Boat Festival. The family is trying to sell this boat to get another boat more suited for their children.

I tried to tell them it was a great boat for kids, but I didn't seem to make a difference. I told them they should have brought the boat to the festival for all to see!!

Yes, it survived Katrina. We live on the west side of the city, on the river, so we didn't get as much damage as everyone else. The boat was in the garage for the three weeks we evacuated! Darrell, give me your e-mail address and I can send you a picture of the motor. The serial number is 20514. I'll have to wait until we get the boat out of the garage to get the hull number.
lmichaels, were you the lady with the two larger Thompson boats at the festival? I remember my husband talked to you. Our girls are only 5 & 2. They won't wake board. And if you've seen this model, the rear of the boat is pretty shallow. It wouldn't take much for them to fall over. When we take them out on Lake Pontchartrain, they have fun (there's so much to see and do!), but being only 16' we can't go out when there is any kind of wind! At least not with the kids! On those days we usually go out to the spillway, which bores them to tears. We were considering bringing the boat to the festival but weren't sure about where to dock it, etc. Now that we know that, we're planning to bring it if we still have it next year.