A customer called looking to replace the old bronze stern tube assembly (shaf tube) in his 1970’s era Bruno & Stillman 35.
As you can see from the pictures below, the stern tube, as well as stern bearing and stuffing box were in very rough shape.
Fortunately for the customer, R.E. Thomas Marine Hardware specializes in making custom bronze stern tubes for nearly all makes and models of boats.
Whether you are restoring a vintage Downeast Style lobster boat, or building new, RE Thomas Marine Hardware can manufacture custom solutions to fit your needs.
In addition to machining a custom bronze stern tube, RE Thomas threaded one end so it could be integrated with the stern bearing housing. The other end features one of our highly regarded self-aligning shaft seals combining the benefits of a dripless system with the reliability of a traditional bronze stuffing box.
During the 1970’s, Bruno & Stillman was one of the largest builders of fishing boats in the country. They offered 3 variants of their Downeast style boats in lengths of 35’, 42’, and 55’.
While popular with commercial fishermen on the East Coast, the company quickly began building recreational sport cruiser versions using the same hulls.
With nearly 500 of these boats built during the 1970’s alone, its not uncommon to see one pop up for sale in classified ads and online brokerage sites.
If you need replacement parts for a vintage Bruno & Stillman, Calvin Beal, Young Brothers, or any other type of commercial fishing boat, give us a call and we’ll do what we can to help.
