---

I pulled my 1981 17'Montauk out of the previous owner's barn a months ago. It was loaded with parts from various things. Most of them did not belong to the boat and were tossed. However, this piece was loose on the top of the center console. I refinished it with the rest of the mahogany. I have all of the boat put back together but can not figure out where this piece goes. I have looked at countless pictures here and it is either obvious and I am missing it or it is discreet and I am missing it. (Of course it could be that it does not belong. However, it is the same wood and cut very specifically).
It is 10"x1"
Looking for some guidance on the placement of this? (Even if it is the garbage).
Also, my center console has a black textured protective sheath under the controls and the face of the console. I have seen this on most Whalers of my age bracket. Mine is starting to peel off. Any idea what it is called and where I can get it?
Thanks

---

Sorry for the lack of description for the black paper on my console. This picture will illustrate it.

---

It looks like a trim piece for the side door or extinguisher box possibly?

Most remove the black and leave it off. It is just a vinyl decal of sorts.

---

It is not for the side trim door and there is no extinguisher box on the console. I may put one on though. I hate to mess with the originality of the boat though.
As for the black, it is peeling off so I am going to have to replace it. It is yellow under the paper so I am not sure how close I can restore it to the current color of the console. I was thinking about buying a matte black car wrap from 3m and using that in its place.
I know that trim piece has a place. Hopefully it will come to me or another member of the forum. I will put it in the garage until it finds a spot on the boat.

---

I used 3M black carbon fiber adhesive vinyl. It is tough stuff and has lasted for years. Highly recommended and it looks great. You can get it on Ebay.

See if you can get these links to work:

https://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgol...=2&o=6

https://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgol...2&o=11

https://smg.photobucket.com/user/lgol...2&o=17

You can see other photos of the boat using the "Prev" and "next" buttons.

As for that piece of wood, I have no idea, and I have no such piece on my similar 1979 Montauk. Doubt if it's for a Montauk.

---

Thanks for that info. I appreciate it. Out of curiosity do you know if the wood for the cooler chocks is something other than mahogany? The same goes for the wood the center console attaches to. These pieces are the same but don’t appear to be mahogany. They are more honey colored. The previous owner told me they are original to the boat.

---

The cooler cleats and the console cleats are both mahogany, lightly urethane coated at the factory. I recommend stripping them to bare wood, re-sanding, and coating them with 10 coats of marine varnish for better protection.

Some of these console cleats have been known to show rot and loose screw holding power.

If they are in bad condition, I would recommend replacing them with teak, which is completely water resistant and has MUCH better screw holding power.

---

I sanded all the wood on my boat all the way down. They got 3 coats of sealer and 9 coats of varnish. The chocks are a lighter color though, which led me to believe the wood was different.

---

The wood trim on your console is teak, the chocks and console bottom trim are mahogany.