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I purchased a 1973 13' Whaler for $1,100. . There are quite a few bad patch jobs to cover up drilled holes and gouges. I'm not sure what kind of material was used, but they have a bondo, plastery look to them. Wood is in poor condition, color of boat is cracked and faded, rails are in bad shape etc...overall poor condition. Before investing in materials and time, I'd like to read up on what I am getting into and where to start. Any advice on a game plan is appreciated-thanks
i have a 1981 13ft whaler. my hull was in good condition minus the crazing of the gelcoat on the inside of the boat. I have been replacing the wood at this time and am going to work on the motor. I would have to say that i could see how involved the hull is going to be to get it squared around. I will say one thing the people on this sight are top Notch. They have helped me in alot of ways and gave me ideas that i wouldnt have thought of. If you have some pics of it or can take some Post them so that we can all see them and then we can put our 2 cents in. I would definately get the hull taken care of first thing.
congrats on buying a classic. Lots of info on this site. Try my personal page, (click below) for some basic info. Post pictures.... maybe start a personal page... to get her rolling
First of all congratulations on the boat. I have a '72 Sport that I brought back to life recently and you'll be real happy with it once you get it dialed in. It will be well worth the elbow grease you put into it. It may be small but its a lot of fun (yes- LOL- thats what she said).
Many factors come into play obviously. Considering my budget constraints I focused first on making it mechanically sound and then worried about making it shine afterwards. Considering its age- chances are the hull will need some attention in some way. I don't want to discourage you here but if you have soft spots or waterlogged foam issues then you'll more than likely need to have to re-glass the hull. Speaking from experience I can tell you that this job is not fun- its a lot more work than most people think. Just the final sanding of the gel coat will take years off your life. If you have the financial backing I would highly recommend having it done professionally but like everything that is involved with boating- its not cheap. Theres a ton of info on this excellent site that will walk you through how to do this and practically everything else the right way if you're up for the challenge. Have the motor checked out by someone who can accurately diagnose its condition too, just the peace of mind is well worth the $50.00 you'll spend on that.
I could go on and on but like I said I would focus on getting it to where you're confident it won't leave you stranded somewhere first and then chip away at all the other details like wood restoration and rails that rattle afterwards.
Hope this is at least a good start and I'd be glad to help with any questions you might have.
I agree with Chichester, above. If you've got a running engine and a hull that won't accept any more water into it (if it will, patch with epoxy resin and fairing compound), just put her in the water for the rest of the summer, and work things out mechanically first. Over the winter you can make her shine. (I'm about to regel my boat... thanks for the "years off your life" encouragement!)
A friend and I have an oft-repeated saying as we repair our whalers: "Enjoy the process!"
