1993 Thompson Calae 2100

[MacPointMan]

Came across a 1993 Thompson Calae 2100 for sale on the side of the road. I took a look at her and was curios about the the brand. I haven't heard of them before and have not been able to come up with much info or even pictures of these boats other than they apparently went bankrupt in 1993. Seems they are pretty rare. Then again my current boat is an Invader 180 that has served our family well but sadly her time is coming to an end as she needs to be rebuilt.

I talked to the owner over the phone and he said he was the original owner. It has been serviced every year and taken care of but has not been used in several due to his age and family circumstance.

My observation from the outside and peeking on the inside not the prettiest. The vinyl is intact but is showing its age and use quite a bit. The owner states runs fine. Of course what the owner says is not always the truth. I am going to take a closer look at her to determine if she is even worth any further thought.

Has anyone out there had any experience with Thompson Boats? Are they any good?

Thanks

 

[jbcurt00]

Its a 27yr old boat,, its current condition is more important then brand recognition, significantly so.

Access and inspect carefully. Likely to need more then a little tidying up and reupholstering..

 

[tpenfield]

They are so good that they went out of business

As stated, current condition on a 27 year old boat would be more significant.

Here is a thread about fixing up an 18 foot Thompson . . . so you can see what they are made of.

https://forums.iboats.com/forum/boa...-18-thompson-calae-transom-stringers-and-deck

 

[MacPointMan]

From what I saw she pretty much needs to be reupholstered. I was just more curious about the Brand and if anyone had experience with them. The guy said he would take $3600 for the boat. Not that I'll give that much for her. A lot remains to be seen. He also said it runs and has been regularly maintained while it was in use.

I might take a closer look at it if he can get it running as it was supposedly winterized a couple of years ago and take it for a lake test.

Upholstery I can handle. Its the transom, Floors, engine and drive I am most concerned about when looking at a boat like this. All of which will be considered in my offer "IF" I believe she is worth my time should I decide to make one

My 88 Invader was purchased in much the same way and has been great for us the past 10 years.

What strikes me about this boat is she is a pretty deep hull and is WIDE. She has an amazing swim platform and a lot of room inside her. The owner said she has a 9 foot beam. Thus more curiosity about the brand and specs as sold. Seems they are pretty rare.

Thanks again

 

[JimS123]

Thompsons were some of the best boats ever made. They were wood. Then the consumer changed their likes and everybody switched to fiberglass. Thompson switched as well, but they never made the grade.

Companies that started out glass flourished. Many of the wood companies failed after not making the transition.

Glass Thompsons were not Cadillacs, but not Fords either. If well cared for it should be a fine boat. But then again, the wood infrastructure is probably rotten to the core, because back in that day nobody took care of their boats.

9 foot beam.....I doubt it. Take a tape measure with you. If it truly is don't expect to trail it.

 

[MacPointMan]

Thank you. I read something to that effect. Sad that that kind of thing happens. From what I saw in the previous post it did not look like the construction was very good according to the rebuild that was done. We are going to go take a look at her today. Taking a couple of batteries with us a hammer tape measure and several other things. for what the owner said he would sell her for it is hard to get a boat in good shape ($3600). She is worth a look at least. No I will not be bringing her home today. I am positive she will be sitting there for quite sometime.

What I am looking for at this price point and with this boat. A running engine, Good drive, solid transom and floors. Upholstery I can handle and there are issues with it. If she checks those boxes I may consider making an offer.

The owner states that she does run, The drive from what I can tell looks in great shape from the outside anyhow. Prop looks pretty good as well. I haven't been able to check the gear oil. Tapping on the transom sounded good but I did not have the time or the access to inspect it really well. The floors I have to be able to get inside to check. The owner states that she was always stored outside so I am thinking I might find some soft spots. I will be taking her to the lake if she runs.

This would be a for now boat to get us back on the water while we continue saving for the much nicer newer better boat. When the bank account reaches that point we can hopefully pass her on to someone as a starter boat that runs and someone can get their feet wet with boating.

I learned a lot with my current 1988 Invader. She is a great little boat but needs to be rebuilt. I have been known on many occasions to do a bit of driveway captaining when I cant get out on the water.


Will I win the cheap boat lottery? We will see.