Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos

Posted by NCWhaler on 08/15/16 - 4:06 AM

Check out US Composites. Get a quart of white gelcoat and yellow/brown/black pigment. Watch a Youtube video on how to color match the gelcoat, the Boatworks Today guy does a great one. It will be a lot cheaper than pre-colored gelcoat which will not match correctly anyway.

You will probably need about 3 cc of yellow to 1 of brown and 0.25 of black. Start slowly with half of the gelcoat adding yellow pigment until it looks ever so slightly too yellow, then brown then (very sparingly) black. If you start with the whole quart and go overboard, you cannot go backward by diluting with white gel. Use a paint stirrer on a drill to mix while matching and there are lots of other little tricks to get a good match, such as using a small piece of clear mylar film squished down over a water drop/gel drop when you get close. It may take 40 tries to get a good match, and by then you will notice your gunwale and your topsides have faded to two different shades, and the port and starboard are also different shades. Rarely a tiny bit of red pigment helps when trying to get an exact match on desert tan.

Also, be sure you buff the area you are trying to match with rubbing compound etc beforehand.

Try Taco for the rubrail unless someone else answers with a better source.

Edited by NCWhaler on 08/15/16 - 4:34 AM

Posted by chawk25 on 08/16/16 - 4:36 PM

MSBrown253 wrote:
This guy sells kits on Ebay and Craigslist. I was able to pick up in person in CT, but he will ship. I'l le installing mine in the next couple days.

http://newlondon.craigslist.org/boa/5722155094.html

Just ordered a rub rail kit for my 18' Outrage - stuff aint cheap - with shipping $448. And it was supposedly last one and only in "desert tan" with black insert. With rivets and screws it will be over $500 just for the rub rail - there goes my beer money for this weekend - LOL
The good news is that the guy throws in pair of BW stickers/decals at no charge which I need a pair.

Edited by chawk25 on 08/16/16 - 4:39 PM

Posted by chawk25 on 08/16/16 - 4:46 PM

MSBrown253 wrote:
I started the install of my rubrail last night. If possible, do it in a sound proof, enclosed area, and make sure no small children are present! Foul language will ensue. Getting the very stiff PVC base unrolled and secured is not a task to be taken lightly. I finally got it done, but it was a way bigger PIA than I ever would have imagined.

I think once I'll get it, I'll unroll it and leave it for couple of days to straighten out. Also it has been very warm - hot here in NC - that will help.
Did you rivet or screw yours? Did the holes in rub rail and hull align?

Posted by MSBrown253 on 08/17/16 - 5:15 AM

chawk25 wrote:

The guy I got it from gave me new SS screws. There are no holes predrilled in the rail. A trick I saw somewhere (on this site possibly, but I don't remember) is to put a little piece of tape on the inside of the gunnel at each old hole, then avoid them when installing the new ones.

I left mine in a black trash bag in the driveway most of the day, but it was still incredibly stiff. I didn't have anywhere I could have left it unrolled, that might help.

Posted by jgortva on 08/17/16 - 7:34 AM

#10

chawk25,
Don't mean to jump in here, but I have done a couple of these kits for different size Whalers all off of Ebay. Incredibly stiff is a perfect description for the base of the rub rail. No amount of sitting in the sun straightened it out for me. I used a heat gun purchased at Harbor Freight Tools along with 3-4 c clamps and had to really heat the rub rail and clamp it to the gunnel of the boat every 6 inches or so using scraps of wood to prevent any damage to the gel coat. Make sure to work ahead and heat, straighten and clamp a couple of feet at a time. Then go back and drill and rivet the rub rail into place heating it again if necessary to get it tight to the contour of the hull starting at one end. As for not hitting the previous holes, I always patch the old holes flush with marine tex and let dry before starting the installation to assure not to hit any old holes. I find rivets work far better than screws but make sure to not remove any clamps until you have at least 2 rivets ahead of the clamp you are releasing to insure no "tear out".

Good Luck
Jim G.

Posted by gchuba on 08/17/16 - 8:05 AM

#11

Jim offered excellent advice. When I did mine a member posted ".....like working with coiled concrete.....". I agree. I did all what Jim did but preferred using the stainless screws gently with an impact screw gun. Barbour Plastics is the manufacturer and you may want to look them up. The Whaler track and rubber bumper where also used on other manufactured hulls. Do your stern miter cuts first (save the old as templates) and work from the stern towards the bow. I left my track a little long and cut/mitered in place under my pulpit. Mine was pre drilled and would advice it to keep crap from getting behind it when installing. I had one little bump/wave in a spot but left it clamped uninstalled for a few days for the sun to do its job. Even then a little wave is still there. I had a continuous coil and was not going to leave a seem at the bow but was advised not to by Tom Clark. I followed the advice. Even measuring and cutting the coil on ground was difficult.

Spectrum has the gel coat for your hull. Their so called "white" for the Outrage hull was no match whatsoever. I will look up my mixture formula. I blended it with "Desert Tan" and got very very close. More than acceptable to my eye.
Garris

EDIT: I checked my formula. I have a 1979 22' Revenge. The colors I used came from Spectrum. 5 parts "Outrage Grey" (sure does look very white out of the can) to 2 parts "Desert Tan". I did add a little more of the Desert Tan but only by drops. Do call Spectrum and give them your boats specs. I do not know if your hull has the same color scheme as mine.

Edited by gchuba on 08/17/16 - 8:42 AM

Posted by chawk25 on 08/17/16 - 8:24 PM

#13

jgortva wrote:
chawk25,
Don't mean to jump in here, but I have done a couple of these kits for different size Whalers all off of Ebay. Incredibly stiff is a perfect description for the base of the rub rail. No amount of sitting in the sun straightened it out for me. I used a heat gun purchased at Harbor Freight Tools along with 3-4 c clamps and had to really heat the rub rail and clamp it to the gunnel of the boat every 6 inches or so using scraps of wood to prevent any damage to the gel coat. Make sure to work ahead and heat, straighten and clamp a couple of feet at a time. Then go back and drill and rivet the rub rail into place heating it again if necessary to get it tight to the contour of the hull starting at one end. As for not hitting the previous holes, I always patch the old holes flush with marine tex and let dry before starting the installation to assure not to hit any old holes. I find rivets work far better than screws but make sure to not remove any clamps until you have at least 2 rivets ahead of the clamp you are releasing to insure no "tear out".

Good Luck
Jim G.

I was hoping to use the old holes if my new rub rail would align with them. I removed the old rivets and the holes are nice and not really damaged. Might put an extra rivet here and there. Don't like using screws because I've seen them loosen up and come out. I do have nice heating gun.

Posted by chawk25 on 08/17/16 - 8:26 PM

#14

gchuba wrote:
Jim offered excellent advice. When I did mine a member posted ".....like working with coiled concrete.....". I agree. I did all what Jim did but preferred using the stainless screws gently with an impact screw gun. Barbour Plastics is the manufacturer and you may want to look them up. The Whaler track and rubber bumper where also used on other manufactured hulls. Do your stern miter cuts first (save the old as templates) and work from the stern towards the bow. I left my track a little long and cut/mitered in place under my pulpit. Mine was pre drilled and would advice it to keep crap from getting behind it when installing. I had one little bump/wave in a spot but left it clamped uninstalled for a few days for the sun to do its job. Even then a little wave is still there. I had a continuous coil and was not going to leave a seem at the bow but was advised not to by Tom Clark. I followed the advice. Even measuring and cutting the coil on ground was difficult.

Spectrum has the gel coat for your hull. Their so called "white" for the Outrage hull was no match whatsoever. I will look up my mixture formula. I blended it with "Desert Tan" and got very very close. More than acceptable to my eye.
Garris
Let me see if I understand correctly? You started at the stern and cut corners 45 degree with miter saw? Were was your connecting joint?
When removing my rub rail it appeared that the factory started at the bow and the connection between the 2 pieces was hidden under the funky center bow cleat. As far as the corners they were notched (only on top) and bent to 45 degree. I will attempt to do it the same way. BTW I have 18 Outrage. On the 22' boat the rub rail is probably much heavier / thicker and might not bend and has to be cut with miter saw.

EDIT: I checked my formula. I have a 1979 22' Revenge. The colors I used came from Spectrum. 5 parts "Outrage Grey" (sure does look very white out of the can) to 2 parts "Desert Tan". I did add a little more of the Desert Tan but only by drops. Do call Spectrum and give them your boats specs. I do not know if your hull has the same color scheme as mine.

Edited by chawk25 on 08/17/16 - 8:33 PM

Posted by chawk25 on 08/17/16 - 8:40 PM

#15

NCWhaler wrote:
As I mentioned before, the premixed gelcoat will not match. Period. Including from Spectrum, you can do a much better job for less money and be able to make your own gel in the future by mixing your own as I described. Years ago I bought a quart from Spectrum, I still have it as a reminder of what not to do- it makes a great $45 paperweight.

It will not match because each boat or gel coat fades differently depending on climate/location and storage conditions. I'll experiment until I get it close. Got me some white gel coat and tan - dark beige coloring tint. It's and old boat 1986 - with few scratches and dings. I'm not going to worry too much, it doesn't have to be perfect, as long as it's close match I'll be happy

Posted by NCWhaler on 08/18/16 - 5:18 PM

#17

Do not use them for that purpose. Just block up the boat with wood blocks. Another option is to use straps under the boat with a gantry, the type of straps used to tie down loads on a truck, wide and strong.

With two jacks (bottle jacks are cheap and work well as long as you put something between the jack piston and the boat such as wood) and a bunch of wood blocks you should be able to get it off the trailer and well supported on at least six supports in about an hour. Whalers like most of their weight supported on the keel, one reason they should be on a keel roller trailer to prevent deformation.

Edited by NCWhaler on 08/19/16 - 3:46 AM

Posted by gchuba on 08/19/16 - 8:20 AM

#20

I was talking about the track installation. My track rail miters in at 90 degrees (about 6") at the transom. It is then is attached to the gunnels with another miter joint at the bow of boat. So....a total of 4 pieces. Two short 6" ones and two long ones on the starboard and port sides meeting at the bow. The rub rail is a continuous piece that starts at the very beginning of the track on one side of the transom and gets installed continuously till it reaches the other side. At the two 90 degree corners I did whittle the rubber.

Posted by gchuba on 08/20/16 - 9:35 AM

#23

The track cut in the corner is a compound miter.......not a straight 90 degree. The bottom of the track also angles in. The short piece is not bad but you really have to work slowly at the long piece that extends to the bow. Save your old pieces to act as a scribe. I recall using my belt sander to get the cuts as close as possible. Take a good look and you will notice Whaler did the best they could with that hand detailed cut. Do practice with scraps.

Edited by gchuba on 08/20/16 - 9:36 AM