Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by Mike-Conover on 07/04/10 - 5:09 AM

My '82 Montauk has a dashboard that is covered in a black adhesive-backed covering. Now sun faded and starting to peel, I'd like to replace it (or put something better in its place). I'm wondering if there's something better to use. I've thought of using a teak veneer or possibly some other material that looks good and will stand up to the weather.

Posted by Guts on 07/04/10 - 6:31 AM

I have a 81 look at my PP to see what i did

Edited by Guts on 07/04/10 - 6:31 AM

Posted by Phil T on 07/04/10 - 8:00 AM

Mike -

The original material some call "tac mat" is not available.

Many members install a block of teak or a piece of vinyl. A local sign shop would be a good source. The area underneath is gelcoated so you could remove the vinyl and buff the gelcoat out.

Edited by Phil T on 07/04/10 - 8:04 AM

Posted by HarleyFXDL on 07/04/10 - 8:08 AM

Take a look at my PP. I had a piece of stainless steel cut to fit perfectly in the space.

Posted by bmw90w on 07/04/10 - 8:41 AM

For mine I removed everything and then used 1/4 inch black starboard. It is very easy to work with and not too expensive. Pics are on my page

Posted by JohnnyCW on 07/04/10 - 10:03 AM

I too used a 1/4" thick piece of black StarBoard when I did my re-power last year. I radiused the edge with a router for a finished look. I think it looks great and I have no doubt it'll last decades. However for the purist, its not original.

Posted by DWinter on 07/04/10 - 12:58 PM

Some acetone and a plexiglass scraper will take that stuff off without destroying the gel underneath. Make a scraper out of an old piece of plexy and put an edge on it with your bench grinder. This also works well for removing old stickers. Learned this trick at the Whaler plant when I was there for training. The gel is harder than the scraper so it doesn't scratch the finish like a razor or putty knife does.

Posted by Mike-Conover on 07/04/10 - 12:59 PM

Thanks to all for the replies. I'm definitely going to replace the black mat with something... going to an all white / gel coat or other reflective covering would produce a great deal of glare on a boat that already feels like a cream-colored crucible on a hot / still day.

Thnaks again...

Posted by Joe Kriz on 07/04/10 - 1:05 PM

I removed my old tac-mat and I can guarantee you that there wasn't any out of the ordinary reflection from the dash.

Here are photos of consoles.
Mine is the 1977 to 1982 style shown in the photo.
http://www.whalercentral.com/articles...icle_id=58

Posted by JohnnyCW on 07/04/10 - 7:55 PM

#10

DWinter wrote:
Some acetone and a plexiglass scraper will take that stuff off without destroying the gel underneath. Make a scraper out of an old piece of plexy and put an edge on it with your bench grinder. This also works well for removing old stickers. Learned this trick at the Whaler plant when I was there for training. The gel is harder than the scraper so it doesn't scratch the finish like a razor or putty knife does.

Cool tip, thanks.