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Well first off the price, what will you be willing to spend? I've used both. African just doesn't seem to have the niceness of grain of the Hondourous. Both will last. If it's just a redo and sell i'll use African, but on my boat Hondourous all the way. Price wise here in Calif. the differance is $6.00 for African a foot vs $11.00 a foot for Hondourous. But both look nice. An earlier thread they talked about stain and varnish. I just use Teak oil on mine, cause i like the look.
There's a "specialty" lumber yard near me (wood-ply lumber) left over from the "Boat building" day's of "Freeport", NY, with all kind's of "Crazy" wood, a very interesting place. I ordered my bench seat cut, and while I was waiting, I realized I did'nt specify what type of "Mahogany" I ordered. They gave me the piece, and I asked what type of "Mahogony" they gave me, they said "African", the guy then said "That's what most people put on a Boston Whaler", I said "Oh, o.k.", as I walked away, I turned and said "I never said it was for a "Boston Whaler". The guy turned and said "With those bench seat lumber measurement's, you have a 15 footer", LOL, Guess they know their stuff ! He said that he cut's those demnsion's all summer long for replacement seat's.
To have it 100% I believe you need to wind back the clock 20 year and pickup what would have been termed "Philippine" mahogany which was basically a catch all phrase for whatever good hardwood whaler could get their hands on. If your redoing the entire interior, then use either one you like. If your only replacing parts then take one one of your pieces into the lumber yard and see what matches best.
Whaler didn't stain anything. If your want an even color then you will need to stain all the pieces as dark as your darkest piece. Find a stain color you like, and follow the instructions on the can. Top with a good marine topcoat.
If you want to do an accurate restoration, Phillipine Mahogany is the wood to use. Despite common believes, it is available, in both solid lumber, and marine plywood. I am paying about $140 for a 4 x 8 sheet of 3/4" A/A plywood, and about $7 a board foot for lumber milled S4S.
Walter Reynolds
1973 Boston Whaler 16 Nauset 90 HP Yamaha
