Thompson 12 ft row boat Model & Year request

[Wayne Mowery]

What is the model & year of a Thompson rowboat/power boat? Thanks. Wayne

Specifications:

Serial number: BX-1282-D
Deck plate: Thompson Bros Boat MFG Co, Peshtigo Wis
12 ft long, 45 inch beam
39 White cedar ribs 1" wide. I replace every rib because they originaly were either broken or split.
Half ribs. All but 4 are original. These are white cedar
3-3/4 " Red cedar planking laid parallel from keel to gunnels.
Heavy cotton duct canvas covering with filler and painted with Pettit marine epoxy paint.
Marine spar varnish on all wood work.
Inside and outside gunnels were both originally mahogony. I replaced the outside with Sitka spruce because I had it on hand and it is stronger and lighter than mahogony.
The deck, corner braces, inside stringers, and transome are mahogony.
The seats are oiginal. Look like redwood or red cedar.
There were no outside splash rails on this boat.
I do not know the actual weight but with trouble I can pick it up. So I'd place it at about 85 lbs.

I added the center floor bace on the transome because there was no evidence of any previously.
I also added the block to the top center of the transome to keep the motor from scuffing the transome. I also added an outside brass plate for the same reason.
The grab handles on the outside of the transome are my own design. I did not want the pricy $55 brass ones.


Note: Seven years ago I received a call that unless I picked up this boat by the coming weekend, it would be burned. I had to restore several canoes before I got time for this one.

It handles very nicely with a 2 hp 1973 Johnson outboard.

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Hi Wayne-- As far as I know, there are no records connecting a serial number on a Thompson to original build information. Andreas is the resident Thompson expert in these forums, and he may jump in with information for you.

I have the Thompson catalogs on CD (available through dragonflycanoe.com) and will attach the image of the cartopper model from 1937-- the cartopper appears in catalogs for the years 1937-1945. Will poke around the catalogs some more... this boat look similar and maybe a later version of the same model will be closer. The rear seat looks different to me, and yours has half-ribs. Very beautiful boat!

Kathy

 

[Kathryn Klos]

Will attach another possibility from the 1955 catalog (the only year it was apparently listed). Thompson dinghys were smaller than your boat, and nothing else I could see matched. Andreas and others know Thompson better than I.

This image is from the Thompson Brothers Boat Manufacturing Co. catalog collection, available on CD from http://www.wcha.org/catalog/ and http://www.dragonflycanoe.com/cdrom.htm on the web.

 

[MGC]

Cartopper

Wayne,

Andreas is indeed the best person to approach for information. He is both knowledgeable and helpful.
Your boat is a bit different than my 54 TVT. I see one brace in the middle of the transom, mine has two off to the sides. Yours has a big block added to the top of the transom, mine has none. Your boat is missing the outside rails. I'd guess it's a different model. I do see the Thompson badge on the deck.
What a nice clean boat! That must have been quite a project.
I'm currently in Asia so I cannot give you my transom number to compare with but I will add it here when I get home (please.....) this weekend. (BX4583Y) Andreas did inform me that there are no build date records for these though.
Maybe you can follow Katheryn's Morris lead and begin a dating quest for these.
They are really fun. I just updated to a 53 Sea King motor. We use it in the Erie Canal.

 

[thompsonboatboy]

Wayne,

Kathryn is correct, there are NO Thompson Boat records. However, I know how to decipher the code!

BX 1282 D is a 1951 model year boat, the 282nd boat of all models made that year. The "BX" prefix is a code for the "builder" and the "D" suffix is a code for the 'trimmer." These were the two guys in the factory responsible for getting this boat out the door.

The builder bent the ribs, installed the keel, transom, planking - the main components. The trimmer installed the seats, etc...

She is a model 240 Take-Along - altho I don't know why she does not have spray rails like she should. Unless she is the model 237 Allwood Take Along. Is the planking compressed seam bead and cove cedar or is is it very thin and wider planks?

You can get brochures for Thompson Boat et.al. on a CD-ROM from www.wcha.org and www.drganoflycanoe.com

www.thompsondockside.com is the owner's group for Thompson et.al. There also is the Thompson Antique & Classic Boat Rally held in even years at Marinette, WI, a stone's throw from Peshtigo.

I am a Town of Peshtigo native and work for a Peshtigo firm that was half owned by Thompson family members from 1934 to 1962.. I live in Minneapolis.

My parents got a 1958 model 240 Take-Along in about 1960. I don't know the circumstances of them obtaining it. Maybe it was my dad's bonus in 1960 from his employer (the above mentioned firm)?! I learned how to water ski behind that boat at about age 6. They still have the boat.

Andreas
thompsonboat@msn.com

 

[Wayne Mowery]

Thompson Rowboat

Thanks everyone for your information. From the literature above it appears to be model 239 Take-Along. That one is canvas covered and has no splash rails. Also from what was mentioned above the year is 1951.

Thanks. Wayne

 

[Wayne Mowery]

Thompson Rowboat

Thanks everyone for your information. From the literature above it appears to be model 239 Take-Along. That one is canvas covered and has no splash rails. Also from what was mentioned above the year is 1951.

Thanks. Wayne

 

[thompsonboatboy]

The seating is wrong for the 1951 model 239 Take-Along. The steam bent wooden braces from inwale to seats were also exclusive to the 240 model. Also, does your boat have an outer keel sticking significantly below the bottom of the boat? The 239 model in 1951 does have this feature, but the 240 does not.

I question the 239 conclusion.

Andreas

 

[Wayne Mowery]

Thompson Rowboat

It does have a keel sticking well below the bottom of the boat at the stern. Also the planks are like those found in a canoe. 3-3/4" wide butting together. No cove/bead or lap joints. Also thin and easily stoved in. Much like the 50# Oldtown model canoe. One other point. There are no signs of screw holes for an outside splash rail. So for some reason I guess that was never installed. Although it could use one. Thanks.

 

[Wayne Mowery]

Thompson 240 Take-along

Would someone be able to give me 5 points of measurement so I can install the outside splash rail? The distance between the spash rail and gunnell at the stem, centers of each seat, and transome. Also the the demension of the rail itself. Thanks.

 

[MGC]

Splash Rails

I can do that next week if you wish.
I dropped my boat off at a canvas shop today to have a top cover made for it so it's not available to measure at the moment.
Making and installing those rails will be a bit of a challenge. They are pretty rugged pieces with an interesting shape. I'll try to give you enough information to make an attempt. That said, if your model did not come with these do you really want to add them? Did you figure out which model boat you have?

 

[Wyatt Wolcott]

239 take along...240??

I have been reading with interest this topic because I to have one, it is a 52 according to whats been posted. It it up in the rafters now or I would give the numbers. My daughter and I redid it last summer, we bought it from the original owner. I was in quite good shape when I got it, but we did redo all cosmetics and one small patch.It also came with the oars, they even still had the decals attached.It too has the extended keel.It is such a pretty little boat.My question, I have a 1957 Johnson 10 hp I would like to use, is this to big an engine for this boat with two people total aboard?

 

[Wyatt Wolcott]

two more pix

for some reason two pix did not show up...I added one more for good measure..

 

[thompsonboatboy]

According to the 1952 brochure of Thompson Bros. Boat Mfg. Co., the model 239 Take-Along can handle up to 3 1/2 HP outboard motor. Model 240 Take-Along can handle up to 10 HP.

Andreas

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Wyatt,
Kathy and I just bought an old Spruce paddle that has just a little bit of the decal left on the blade. It sure looks like the same as yours. Would you please take a couple of clear close ups of both of the decals on your ours and email them to me? Email address is: dkallery@att. The diameter of the one on our paddle is 1.5 inches. Cool boat!
Thanks, Denis

 

[Wyatt Wolcott]

wow fast action here...so what boat do I have?? the 239 or the 240... I don't want to ruin it by over powering it....
I will try to take some close ups, but two potential problems a cheap camera and a guy who can't figure out how to post pix very well...I'll try my best.

 

[Denis M. Kallery]

Wyatt,
I'm afraid I won't be much help in identifying your boat because I am strictly into canoes. There are, however, a number of folks on this forum that are quite knowledgeable in that regard that I'm sure will jump in. We just happened to buy that paddle and were going to post a photo of the almost missing decal when I saw your photos of the ones on your oars and it struck a note.
Thanks, Denis

 

[Wyatt Wolcott]

photos of the oars

not much help...blurry

 

[Dave Osborn]

Looks like they are Page Brand oars. I seem to recall that they made paddles and oars in Indiana (?)......

 

[Kathryn Klos]

I've attached pictures of the paddle we just bought on eBay... seems to be the same decal. It's a nice paddle.