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I have owned three Boston Whaler Montauk boats, a 1986, 1987, and a 1995. All three boats had identical center console structures that were secured to the deck using aluminium L-brackets located on the outside of the console, with an aluminium backing plate, located on the interior of the console (beneath the console interior shelf). Stainless phillips head screws, washers and nylock nuts were used to secure the two aluminium plates to the console side bottoms. There were teak finish pieces (on the 1986 and 1987) located on each side of the console exterior base that covered the aluminium L-brackets and secured with five stainless screws with finish washers. (The 1995 Montauk had a composite finish material that replaced the teak - No doubt a "Van Lacker improvement.")

I suggest you upgrade your console base mounting hardware using aluminium L-brackets screwed to the interior deck with stainless screws. The holding strength and rigidity of these fasteners will be superior to the mahgany and teak wood method used in your 1979 Boston Whaler Montauk.

Finnegan is correct: the console interior mahogany floor cleats rotted over time. Boston Whaler never used varnish to seal the wood. They used Bostick #435, a polyurethane finish. Teak is a good upgrade, as Finnegan recommended, but much more expensive when compared to the cost of aluminium fabricated L-brackets and stainless hardware.