#4 • 1953 Thompson Bros. 14’ Cedar Strip Rowboat

Part of Classic Outboard Auction (timed auction by Estate Online Auctions)

Status: Sold

Category: Boats

1953 Thompson Bros. 14’ Cedar Strip Rowboat Well cared for boat in great condition. Some scuffs and minor chips in paint but all of the wood is solid. Includes trailer - (1-7/8” hitch) While fiberglass boats gained popularity in the late 1950s and 1960s, established wooden boat builders like Thompson Brothers and Cruisers, Inc. initially resisted the shift. Thompson, founded in 1904, enjoyed success with wooden boats and canoes, even briefly experimenting with fiberglass in 1955 through an agreement with an Ohio builder, which was quickly abandoned, possibly due to a factory fire. They also explored molded plastic hulls through Thompson Royal-Craft in 1959, which saw limited success. It wasn't until the mid-1960s, facing declining wooden boat sales, that Thompson seriously entered the fiberglass market, partnering with Crownline Boats and eventually establishing Thompson Fiberglass Boat Company in 1965, producing lapstrake fiberglass models alongside their traditional wooden offerings. By 1966, Thompson embraced the changing market, advertising their diverse lineup of wooden, fiberglass, and plastic boats.