Raising a 21 ft Thompson 21 in Keystone, FL

An outdrive removed and never reinstalled left the 21 ft Thompson 21 cuddy cabin with an open hole in the transom under a plug that finally gave up. She sat at a lake dock for two seasons, took on rain, and settled by the stern with the bow pointing up.

The obstacle was the opening itself. Any lift would simply refill the boat through the transom, so the crew sealed the hole from outside with a plate and marine plywood before touching the bags. Divers did that by feel in dark water. Then two lift bags went under the hull and a drain line emptied the cabin, and she came up level.

She was a decent hull and the owner planned to have an outdrive fitted, so we treated it as a salvage. A tow brought her to the ramp, and a truck delivered her to a repair yard past Green Cove Springs. About three hours on site for the whole sunken boat recovery.