Hi everybody, I decided to stop lurking and see if I could get some sage advice. *
I've got my eye on a Thompson Trawler 44 and would love to get some opinions from anyone with experience with them. *This particular one has twin Perkins engines. *It will need these engines rebuilt, engine room refurbishment, straighten out rats nest of wiring etc. *So, a pretty good project all in all though I've done many smaller boats and have the skills to do all the work.
But I'm wondering about the suitability of this hull. *The twin engine thing concerns me a bit as I'm sure the props are relatively vulnerable to damage. *Haven't seen the hull out of the water but am told it has no keel whatsoever. *How's this going to work?
I do have some experience with a 65' Thompson, single 671 used as a research boat. It's a fine craft. *But it has a single screw, long keel.
I built my last boat, an aluminum powercat and it was very successful, still own and fish it offshore. *My use for the trawler would be the usual ICW and inland waterway cruising but I'd like to be able to make the hops across Gulf to the canal, and up to the PacNW. *I've thought about building again, looking at designs by Kasten and Tad Roberts but have pretty well reached the conclusion it is impractical to start a project of this magnitude at this time.
I'm down with doing the work and spending the money on this refurbishment. *When all is said and done I'll end up with about the same investment as buying one of the single screw Thompsons on the market but I'll have fresh engines and all systems up to my satisfaction. *I just want to have a reasonable expectation that the end result will perform adequately. *I can not sea trial this boat, one engine is blown and the "good" engine, from it's appearance I wouldn't trust in a duck pond.
I'd appreciate your insights.
Chuck
I've got my eye on a Thompson Trawler 44 and would love to get some opinions from anyone with experience with them. *This particular one has twin Perkins engines. *It will need these engines rebuilt, engine room refurbishment, straighten out rats nest of wiring etc. *So, a pretty good project all in all though I've done many smaller boats and have the skills to do all the work.
But I'm wondering about the suitability of this hull. *The twin engine thing concerns me a bit as I'm sure the props are relatively vulnerable to damage. *Haven't seen the hull out of the water but am told it has no keel whatsoever. *How's this going to work?
I do have some experience with a 65' Thompson, single 671 used as a research boat. It's a fine craft. *But it has a single screw, long keel.
I built my last boat, an aluminum powercat and it was very successful, still own and fish it offshore. *My use for the trawler would be the usual ICW and inland waterway cruising but I'd like to be able to make the hops across Gulf to the canal, and up to the PacNW. *I've thought about building again, looking at designs by Kasten and Tad Roberts but have pretty well reached the conclusion it is impractical to start a project of this magnitude at this time.
I'm down with doing the work and spending the money on this refurbishment. *When all is said and done I'll end up with about the same investment as buying one of the single screw Thompsons on the market but I'll have fresh engines and all systems up to my satisfaction. *I just want to have a reasonable expectation that the end result will perform adequately. *I can not sea trial this boat, one engine is blown and the "good" engine, from it's appearance I wouldn't trust in a duck pond.
I'd appreciate your insights.
Chuck